Trail Running calendar near Knoxville 2025-2026

Located at Frozen Head State Park in Tennessee, The Barkley Fall Classic is a 50-kilometer trail race through the rugged Brushy Mountains. It emphasizes endurance with brutal climbs and descents, minimal markings, and no GPS; the course map is only revealed the night before, demanding navigation and..

The Dirt Circuit is an endurance trail race held at Panther Creek State Park in Morristown, Tennessee. It offers 3-, 6-, 12-, and 24-hour races on a 2.9-mile loop of cross-country style trails through fields and woods, with two wooden bridges and scenic views around Panther Creek. Runners start and..

Lady of the Lake in Blairsville, GA returns for its 7th year on September 27, 2025 as an 8-hour and 4-hour trail race around Lake Trahlyta in Vogel State Park. The course is a one-mile loop of gently rolling, runnable terrain—hard-pack pea gravel with some single-track and a short paved section. Run..

Big South Fork Trail Race is held in Oneida, Tennessee, inside the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, with starts and finishes at the Bandy Creek Campground. The event offers two distances: a 17.5-mile out-and-back/loop course and a 10K trail run, both on single-track trails (the fir..

Ridge Runner 5k & 1 Mile Fun Run, held in Maynardville, Tennessee, takes place at Big Ridge State Park (1015 Big Ridge Park Road) along State Hwy 61 between Norris and Maynardville. In its 10th year, the event features a 3.1-mile trail run for the 5K and a 1-mile asphalt fun run. The scenic course s..

Papertown 10K/20K Trail Races take place at Chestnut Mountain Nature Park along Asheville Highway in Canton, North Carolina. The event offers two trail distances, 10K and 20K, appealing to both steady runners and longer-distance competitors. Billed as inaugural, the races promise a beautiful yet cha..

The Color Me Mutt 5K & 1 Mile Color Walk/Run is an annual, pet-friendly event held at NASCAR SpeedPark Smoky Mountains in Sevierville, Tennessee. Participants can choose between a timed 5K color run or a 1-mile fun run/walk, both featuring non-toxic color powder stations along the course. Dogs are w..

The Naturalist Trail Race in Franklin, NC, part of Outdoor 76’s Fall Celebration, offers 25K and 50K trail events along the Bartram Trail from Wallace Branch to Wayah Bald. The 25K features over 5,500 feet of climbing; the 50K more than 8,500 feet, making it a grueling ascent and descent through rug..

River Ridge Trail 5k is a trail run/walk held each October on the Camp Tipton trail system in Maryville, Tennessee. The race takes place at 933 Walker School Road, Maryville, and centers on honoring River Scantland, with proceeds supporting scholarships to Camp Tipton families who need assistance, u..

The Blue Ridge Ultra is a challenging trail running event held in Blue Ridge, Georgia, within the scenic Chattahoochee National Forest. It offers three race distances: 50K, 30K, and 15K, all featuring rugged terrain including single-track trails, creek crossings, steep ascents and descents, and vibr..

Payson’s Run 10k is a trail race held at the Nantahala Outdoor Center in Bryson City, North Carolina. The 10-kilometer course is run entirely on NOC property, mainly along the Flint Ridge single-track with a mix of packed gravel and a short pavement section. Runners start and finish on the NOC campu..

Held near Whittier, North Carolina (28789), the Viewpoint Endurance Challenge offers 24-, 12-, 6-, and 3-hour timed options on October 18–19, 2025. The 1.4-mile loop course combines a 1-mile hard-pack gravel section with a 0.4-mile asphalt segment, delivering about 118 ft of gain and 100 ft of loss..

FSR 100 is Tennessee’s epic mountain road race held in Copperhill. The event features a 102-mile loop through the Tennessee and North Georgia mountains, billed as a 100-mile adventure. Runners contend nearly 15,000 feet of total elevation gain as they traverse rugged mountain roads and runnable segm..

The No Business 100 is a trail endurance race held October 24-25, 2025 in Jamestown, Tennessee, hosted out of Pickett CCC Memorial State Park (Group Camp). The 2025 running is listed as the 9th annual edition. Registration for the event opens February 1 at noon eastern time. The race is an official..

Sky To Summit is a two-day trail race in Sky Valley, Georgia, held October 25-26, 2025. All races start and finish at Sky Valley. The 50K is scheduled for Saturday and the 25K for Sunday. Registration closes October 24, 2025. 50K - 7,500 ft gain; 11 hour cutoff 25K - 3,500 ft gain and equivalent..

Firewater Ultra takes place in Greenback, Tennessee, along the East Lakeshore Trail on Tellico Reservoir. Distances include a 100K; a 50K with Sunrise and Sunset variants; a 50K Relay; and a new 25K Ruck. The course uses the end-to-end Tellico Lake trail system: the 100K runs out and back the full l..

The Norris Ultra Dam Hard Trail Race is a trail-running event held at Norris Dam State Park in Norris, Tennessee. It offers two distances, 25k and 50k, both run on single-track trails and jeep roads across Norris Dam State Park and the Norris Municipal Watershed. The 25k is a single loop; the 50k is..

Barn Creek Backyard Ultra in Jamestown, Tennessee, is a Last Man Standing ultramarathon on a 4.167-mile out-and-back course through private woods adjacent to Colditz Cove State Natural Area. The route blends gravel, road, and trail with less than 300 feet of elevation gain and crosses Barn Creek on..

Chestnut Chase is a 10K trail race in Canton, NC at Chestnut Mountain Nature Park on Sunday, Nov 9, 2025. The course opens with a steep 600-foot gain in the first two miles up Papertown Express, then rolls via the Old Timer trail to a downhill finish. Runners savor fall views along the route as they..

The Fall Creek 100 is an ultramarathon event held in Spencer, Tennessee, within the scenic Fall Creek Falls State Park. The race offers three distances: 50K, 100K, and 100 miles, with the 50K and 100K introduced in 2025. The course features stunning natural landmarks, including suspension bridges ov..