Montebello, Virginia · Trail
Official site ↗Mountain Masochist Trail Run
One of the oldest 50-mile trail races in the East, run since 1983 through the George Washington National Forest from Montebello, Virginia, with a 100K and a 50K alongside.
Distances
50 Miles
- Distance
- 50 mi (80 km)
- Vert gain
- 9,000 ft (2,700 m)
- Start
- 5:30 AM GMT-5
- Cutoff
- 13 hr
100K
- Distance
- 64 mi (103 km)
- Vert gain
- 11,000 ft (3,400 m)
- Start
- 4:30 AM GMT-5
- Cutoff
- 17 hr
50K
- Distance
- 33 mi (53 km)
- Vert gain
- 5,600 ft (1,700 m)
- Start
- 5:30 AM GMT-5
- Cutoff
- 13 hr
| Distance | Vert gain | Start | Cutoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 mi (80 km) | 9,000 ft (2,700 m) | 5:30 AM GMT-5 | 13 hr |
| 64 mi (103 km) | 11,000 ft (3,400 m) | 4:30 AM GMT-5 | 17 hr |
| 33 mi (53 km) | 5,600 ft (1,700 m) | 5:30 AM GMT-5 | 13 hr |
About
The Mountain Masochist Trail Run has been going since 1983, and its results on UltraSignup go back to that first year. It is a November race in Virginia's Blue Ridge, timed for peak fall foliage, and it now starts and finishes at Montebello Campground on Crabtree Falls Highway. The course runs the historic Masochist route backwards: up Porters Ridge and the Lovingston Spring Trail, around the Mount Pleasant National Scenic Area, and out along forest roads to Long Mountain Wayside and beyond.
The 50 miler is the original race, with over 9,000 feet of climbing and a 13-hour cutoff. A 50K was added in 2021 and a 100K in 2024. In 2025 Bradley Hawley won the 50 miler in 8:30:24, only 2:11 ahead of Amy Stulman, who was second overall.
Course
A loop from Montebello Campground with an out-and-back spur, run in the reverse of the historic direction. All three distances climb Porters Ridge on the Lovingston Spring Trail, cross Salt Log Gap and the Hotel Trail to Cow Camp Gap, and run a 5.3-mile loop of the Mount Pleasant National Scenic Area that takes in the summit spur. The 50 miler adds an out-and-back from Long Mountain Wayside across Route 60 to the Reservoir aid station; the 100K goes on past the Reservoir to turn at Robinson Gap on the original 50-mile course. The 50K skips the spur.
The race puts the 50 miler at over 9,000 feet of climbing, the 50K at about 33 miles and over 5,600 feet, and the 100K at roughly 64 miles and 11,000 feet. The 50 miler and 50K start at 5:30 a.m. with 13 hours; the 100K starts at 4:30 a.m. with 17. Runners 60 and over may start the 50 miler an hour early for 14 hours in all. Crew access is limited, and pacers are not allowed for anyone racing for the top ten.
How to register
Entry is first come, first served on UltraSignup, opening on January 1, and registration for 2026 closes on November 4. All three distances had waitlists on September 21. There is no live tracking: the race follows runners by hand through the day, for safety only.