Hellbender 100
Old Fort, United States • 8 May 2026
Event overview
Hellbender 100 is a trail ultramarathon held in Old Fort, North Carolina on May 8, 2026. The primary distance is 100 miles with pacers allowed. The course will be modified from previous years because of storm impacts and is expected to combine sections used in 2025 with parts of the original route. The route goes into the Black Mountains and includes the summit of Mt. Mitchell. The course lists approximately 48,000+ feet of elevation change. The race is presented by Run828, a nonprofit organization based in Western North Carolina.
Race details
Runners have 40 hours to complete the race. Cutoffs will be enforced at multiple aid stations and mandatory gear checks will occur before the start and during the race. Required gear for runners and pacers includes a headlamp, backup light and batteries, a flashing red light for nighttime road sections, a seam-sealed weatherproof jacket, an emergency bivy (an emergency blanket does not count), an insulating long-sleeve base layer, warm hat and gloves, an emergency whistle, calories, a hydration carrier (40 oz or more), a cell phone or Garmin inReach, and a race-provided GPS unit. The event is cupless; participants receive a reusable cup in the swag bag.
Qualification requires a 100k with 10,000 feet of vertical gain or any 100-miler completed between May 1, 2024 and May 1, 2026, or the Mount Mitchell Heartbreaker 50. The race is a qualifier for Hardrock 100 and Western States 100. The organizer requires eight hours of volunteer work completed between May 11, 2025 and May 1, 2026. Refund and deferral policies are published, including partial refunds and specific full-credit exceptions. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.