New River Gorge Rim to Rim Race

New River Gorge Rim to Rim Race is run in Lansing, West Virginia, on May 1, 2027, starting at 7:00 AM. The single format covers 6 miles (9.7 km) and takes in substantial elevation change, with both long climbs and long descents. The route begins on Fayette Station Road and continues along Burma Road and Ames Heights Road. Walkers are welcome provided they hold a 20-minute-per-mile pace, and a brunch is served at the rim after the race.

Six miles sounds modest until you factor in the climbing, so treat your goal time as an effort target rather than a pace target. The descents deserve as much preparation as the ascents: quads take a beating on a rim-to-rim profile, and a few downhill runs in training will spare you a painful week afterward. Hill repeats once a week for a month or two are the most useful specific work you can do.