Vertical Mile Challenge
Hiddenite, United States • 20 Jun 2026
Vertical Mile Challenge : June 20, 2026
The Vertical Mile Challenge takes place at Rocky Face Mountain Recreational Area in Hiddenite, NC. The event offers two loop races on trails that include a steep rock-face segment known as the "Stairway to Heaven."
Registration is $40 plus fees and is limited to the first 175 registrants regardless of distance. There is no race-day registration.
Distances
- Vertical Mile - 8 laps, nearly 2-mile loop each
- Half Vertical Mile - 4 laps, nearly 2-mile loop each
An aid station at the base near the start/finish provides water, Gatorade, soft drinks, and salty and sweet snacks. Pickles and pickle juice are listed among available items. Bottled water is available at the top of the Stairway to Heaven segment and along the trail. Runners are encouraged to carry a water bottle.
Course and logistics notes describe a paved section near the start/finish line suitable for drop bags or small pop-up tents. From there runners follow trails for about a half mile to the Stairway to Heaven, an open, very steep rock face. After that segment the route runs about one mile downhill back to the steps and the start/finish area.
Course records are listed by time: men's Vertical Mile record 2:21 (2017) and women's 2:58:58 (2021). Fastest first lap times are recorded as 16:12 for men (2017) and 20:13 for women (2019).
Packet pickup is on race morning at Rocky Face Mountain Recreational Area. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.