General
The Looking Glass 100k is an extremely scenic tour of Pisgah around the unmistakable Looking Glass Rock hitting multiple highlights in the area, including the high balds of Black Balsam Knob and Tennet Mountain above 6,000 ft! This course is one single large loop and quite possibly the most scenic 100k race on the East Coast!
Course Description
The course has a bit of everything, from smooth singletrack, technical singletrack, grassy double track, gravel, and a short bit of pavement. The course starts and ends at the field across from Davidson River Campground off FS 5069 near the Pisgah Ranger Station. The course passes through multiple ecosystems along its journey, from acid and rich cove hardwood forest, to thick boreal balsam woods found in more northern climates, to high-elevation mountain balds with incredible long-range views. The course also passes by multiple waterfalls and moss-covered streams, some of which will require crossing. An absolutely stunning course and unrivaled anywhere else on the east coast, from it's beauty to its heights, with multiple summits over 6,000 ft.
Each course will have a combo of full and fluid-only aid stations located approximately every 4.5-9 miles along the course. Aid stations will have at a minimum: Water and Skratch Labs electrolyte drink. Minimum foods include: bananas, orange slices, potato chips, pretzels, PB&J, pickles, Snickers, & M&Ms. Many aid stations will have a variety of other hot and cold solid foods that will vary by aid station.
The Numbers
Start Time: 4:00am
Distance: ~62 miles
Elevation Gain: ~13,600 ft
Elevation Loss: ~13,600 ft
Time Limit: 22 hours
Aid Stations: 9
• 4 Full-Service Aid Stations
• 3 Full-Service Aid Stations with Crew at Full Aid 1, 3, & 5 Access
• 2 Self Serve Fluid Only Stations
• 3 Drop Bag Locations at Full Aid 1, 3, & 5
Need to Know
Weather conditions can change drastically on the mountain. If race needs to be canceled due to extreme weather, the race will try to be rescheduled or run virtually. No refunds will be given if you cannot attend the rescheduled date or if rescheduling is not an option.
In the event the parkway is closed, but the course is in otherwise good condition, an alternate course will be used for both distances that does not cross the parkway. The alternate courses are also stunning.
Due to the unpredictable mountain weather on this course we will require all RUNNERS and PACERS to carry the following gear at ALL times for their safety. This includes: headlamp, back-up batteries or light, weatherproof jacket (seam-sealed), emergency bivy (such as a S.O.L. emergency bivy, an emergency blanket does not count), insulating base layer (aka long sleeve shirt or better), warm hat and gloves, emergency whistle, hydration carrier (32oz+), and GPS tracker (provided by race on race morning). We will be very strict about these gear requirements. We will have mandatory gear checks before race start, and at multiple times during the race. We will reserve the right to pull runners and/or pacers from the course at any time if you are not carrying the required gear.
All runners must pick up their packet Friday before the event between 4-8pm. Location of packet pickup is still to be determined. There will be no race morning packet pickup and runners must be present to pickup their own packets.
A pre-race meeting will be held at 7pm on Friday before race day and all are encouraged to attend. Location TBD.
Race Rules
•Stay on marked trails, DO NOT CUT SWITCHBACKS!
•Must carry required gear at all times.
•Use proper trail etiquette when passing other runners
•Be courteous to other trails users (mountain bikers)
•Crews are only allowed at full aids 1, 3, & 5.
•Crews must service runners within 50-yard radius of the aid station
•Crews must abide by all parking regulations at aid station locations
•Obey any race official's request
•Pacers must obey all rules above
•Pacers can join at aid 5 (mile 41.8)
Race Perks
Long Sleeve Hoodie Shirt
Custom Finisher Award
Live Tracking
Extremely Scenic and challenging course
Well-stocked aid stations
Post-race food & socializing
Post race craft beer
Lodging
Looking for a great place to stay, just minutes (like 1-2 min actually) from the start of the race? Look no further than our lodging partner Pilot Cove Cabins. Immerse yourself in nature while enjoying modern design and luxurious furnishings. Mention Looking Glass 100k when reserving your cabin for a 20% discount on your stay.
https://www.pilotcove.com/
Waitlist FAQ
• How do I know my order on the waitlist? Click on the waitlist button above on this page to view where you stand currently on the waitlist.
• What are my chances of getting off the waitlist? If you are in the top 15 of the waitlist, your chances of getting in by race day are very high, but not a full qaurantee. You should go ahead and be training as if you are in the event. If you are lower than 15 down the waitlist, your chances diminish the further you are down the list. Historically, we've never exceeded inviting any more than 25 people off a waitlist and that is very high, but know that not everyone accepts a registration invite and many decline. So you could be number 35 on the waitlist, but still get in by race day.
• When will I know that I got off the waitlist? An email will be sent to invite you to signup for the race off the waitlist after a spot opens up. You will have one week to confirm your entry before the invite will be removed
• How soon should I expect an invite? Most likely you will not receive an invite until the final few weeks before the event up to two days before the event.
Volunteer
We are so happy to have you volunteer with us and help make our events possible! Volunteering is a great way to give back to the trail running community, meet new like-minded folks, create lasting friendships, and earn volunteer hours for many races that require it. It's also a blast! Feel free to signup for volunteering by clicking on the volunteer button above.
As a thank you for your volunteering, we offer free/discounted race entries to any of our events. Here's how it works!
•Volunteer for 3-6 hours - 50% discount to any event distance 50k or under (25% discount to events over 50k)
•Volunteer for 6-10 hours - 100% discount to any event distance 50k or under (50% discount to events over 50k)
•Volunteer for 10+ hours - 100% discount to any event regardless of distance
Feel free to reach out to us with any questions you might have about volunteering and we look forward to seeing your out on the trails with us on race day!
Refund Policy
We understand that life can happen and that races are expensive. We are providing a refund policy below that we believe is fair to all parties involved. Transferring your registration to another runner is not allowed at any time. We will select runners from a waitlist if you are unable to make the event.
• May 26th - July 15th - 75% refund
• July 16th - Sep 15th - 50% refund
• Sep 16th - Nov 18th - No refund given under any circumstance
Deferrals will be given only under the following circumstances: Military deployment, pregnancy, & death in the family within 2 weeks of the event.
If your request falls outside of the refund window, we'd always love to have you volunteer for us during the event. Volunteers can earn free entries or discounts to other Tanawha Adventures events.
Event's current local time: 4:07 AM ET
