The Bel Monte Endurance Races

The Bel Monte Endurance Races are held in Lyndhurst, Virginia, on March 20, 2027, in the George Washington National Forest in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Three mountain trail distances go off in sequence: 50 miles at 5:30 AM, 50K (31 miles) at 6:30 AM and 25K at 7:30 AM. The course is roughly 95 percent singletrack and mountain roads, with substantial climbing on natural terrain.

Staggered starts like these let you pick a distance that matches your training rather than your ambition. The 25K is a realistic step up for a road half marathoner who has run some trails; the 50-miler needs months of long weekend runs in the hills. On this kind of terrain, power hiking the climbs is a skill, not a concession, and practicing it beforehand will save far more time than running them badly.