Cruel Jewel

The Cruel Jewel 100 starts at noon on a Friday at Camp Morganton near Blue Ridge, runs through the Chattahoochee National Forest to Blairsville and back, and climbs 33,000 feet on the way. The organiser calls it a 104-mile race: 92 miles of trail, 12 of mountain road and 20 aid stations. Runners get 48 hours, and the course record is 21:41:31.

The route crosses the Toccoa River on a historic steel bridge and runs the Dragon's Spine, and the organiser promises steep ascents and even steeper descents along the way. The Cruel Jewel 50 starts at 8:00 a.m. on the Saturday at Byron Herbert Reece Heritage Farm in Blairsville and runs one way to the same finish at Camp Morganton, 58 miles with 15,000 feet of climb and 24 hours to finish it.

The 100 is an out-and-back from Camp Morganton in Blue Ridge to Blairsville, mostly on single track in the Chattahoochee National Forest, with 33,000 feet of gain and 33,000 of loss. The 50 runs the return half point to point, from the Reece Heritage Farm in Blairsville to Camp Morganton, with 15,000 feet of gain.

Entry is first-come sign-up on UltraSignup, with a qualifier for the 100: any 100-mile trail finish, or the Cruel Jewel 50 under 20 hours, the Georgia Death Race under 18 hours, or a finish at the H9 Phat 50. The 50 has no qualifier. Registration for 2027 is open and closes at 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, May 14, 2027. The 100 is $385 and the 50 $235, each rising by $20 after October 31. The 100 is capped at 250 runners.