Greenbrier Ultras

If you are under the age of 18 and want to run the 50 mile or 100 mile we ask that you have a family member present.

Course:

The Greenbrier course is an introduction to true trail running with rocks and hills. The loop is 7.16 miles within Greenbrier State Park and is 97% trail and runs clockwise to the lake. The 50k will run two... and the 25k will run one... loop(s) around the lake (through start/finish) before heading out on the course loop. This is known as a lake loop and is 1.48 miles. This is needed to ensure the correct distance. There is one section of pavement around the lake leading to... and coming out of... the aid station. Elevation gain is around 942’ per loop. There are sections of trail that contain numerous rocks. There are sections that when wet... are quite muddy. There are sections that are flat but yet have rocks on the trail that require you to lift your feet. There are sections that are very runnable. There are sections that might require you to run more cautiously. There are hill sections that have rocks that will slow some down. There are sections of hills that don't have a lot of rocks. The entire loop is "runnable" with no steep or long climbs but there are some up's that "course blistering" elite runners will slow down on. This is a TRAIL run. All trail intersections on the course are well marked. Confidence markers are not placed on sections where it is obvious there are no alternatives. The loop course is logistically agreeable to runners and crews but it is NOT a "dial it in and you're done" kind of race... you must TRAIN.. Click HERE For MAP

Difficulty

Attempting to "rate" a course on "Technical Difficulty" is extremely subjective because it's based on personal experience on where you train and what races you favor or have run. In regards to Greenbrier there are runners on both sides of the easy vs difficult spectrum in classifying this course. With a "one" being the easiest and a "five" being the hardest... the collective opinion of a group of finishers have rated the course as a 3 out of 5. When it rains it's a 4 (+/-). Facts... Have never received a comment from a 50k or 50 miler that the course was too technical. In 2022 sixty percent (60%) of the 100 mile finishers were first time 100 mile runners. Some of those runners had never run trail and / or never had run over 50k.

Cut Offs:

None! Wait! What? No cutoffs? Did I read that right? Yes... that's correct! You won't be pulled if you don't do a certain number of miles by a certain time. We want you to finish or run as many miles as you can. However, runners who arrive at the Aid Station at or after 10:00 p.m. Saturday night will not be allowed to continue. The rational is... that if you're in the last hour of any of the races then you won't be able to finish x.x miles in 60 minutes. Lastly, the time limits are based on being generous in order to allow runners to finish.

Aid Station:

There's only one Aid Station... and it also serves as our HQ, Bib pickup, Start / Finish, Timing, Moral Support and any other stuff we can think of. It's located in the picnic table area next to the North Parking lot. It's a heated 20' x 60' tent with chairs and tables. There's an area for Drop Bags for the 100 and 50 milers. The number of 100 and 50 milers will determine the amount of space available to the 50k runners. If there's no room then there's more than enough room and picnic tables outside the tent. You can also aid out of your car in the parking lot or set up your own tent in the adjacent field. We know how to manage aid stations and won't skimp on food or supplies. We'll have "real" food and don't supply any b.s. stuff that fills the table and doesn't help you finish a race. Click HERE For the Food/Ingredient List TAILWIND NUTRITION supplies Mandarin flavored sports drink. SUCCEED! e-Caps are plentiful. We do NOT supply gels. Our awesome crew of volunteers, led by Dave Hartman, know how to cook and serve food so we'll make sure you're fat, happy and content... well... at least with the food.

Pacers and Crew:

Crews are encouraged but may only crew a runner at the Aid Station or along the aid station side of the lake. Crews are not permitted "in the woods". Only one Pacer per runner allowed on the course at a time. Pacer Schedule:

Accommodations:

There's plenty of paved parking spaces for cars and RV's. Pitching a tent is no problem. The restrooms and showers near the Start / Finish are scheduled to be opened a week prior to the race. If not then we'll have port-a-pots and the lake for showers. We're sure the lake will be warm enough in March (ha ha!) to take a dip and rinse off the ultra slime! The park does not open up the camp area until after the race. Ideally we'd not like to ask but if at least 6 runners (six camp sites) show interest it's possible to open up some sites early. Weather can be a factor and if it snows (oh please... not like the first year) then sites will not be opened early.

Awards:

100 milers will receive a silver belt buckle for under 24 hours and a bronze buckle for over 24 hours. There will be no post race awards ceremony.

Swag:

Definitely! Each entrant will receive a premium and possibly other "stuff". Our fashion buyers are currently consulting with top NYC and Frederick, Maryland fashion designers for the latest trends and styles in the ultra running community.

About the Race Director:

Hi, My name is Kevin Sayers and I'm the Race Director. The year was 1994, and I ran across an article about ultrarunning in a magazine and said "I just gotta do that".  One hundred miles in 24 hours?  What's not to like? Since that time I enjoyed a 39,000 mile running adventure throughout North America. Now, I’m a race director and have made it my mission “to conduct and promote fun and rewarding running events for entrants, crews and volunteers alike”.

As the Race Director I consider my myself a cheerleader who encourages and inspires all to reach their goal. My commitment is to be available at all times during a race and greet every runner at the finish with a smile, hand shake, high five, fist bump or a combination there of.