VHTRC Membership Issues
If you wish to be a member of the VHTRC please check your member profile and/or the Club membership roster. Because of a membership system glitch, your membership may have inadvertently expired.
Read moreThe Virginia Happy Trails Running Club
Promoting trail running in the D.C. area for more than 25 years.
Welcome to the Virginia Happy Trails Running Club
We are a fun group of trail runners of all abilities centered in northern Virginia. Many but not all of us run ultramarathons. Come play with us at our races and training runs!
Latest news
2022 VHTRC Summer Party
The VHTRC Summer Party will be on Sunday, September 25. This is a true highlight of the VHTRC social calendar and all club members, their families, and volunteers at our events are invited. This is our chance to raise a glass to those members and volunteers who are so instrumental in making this club work.
Read moreUpcoming stuff
Here’s what we have coming up. See our calendar for a full list of our (and others’) events
The VHTRC was founded to put on races. We are mighty proud of our courses and hospitality.
Sat Feb 25
50 km
Westminster, MD
Entry opens: Jan 3, 2022
31 miles of trails, old woods roads, open fields, and plenty of hills with a couple of stream crossings thrown in just for fun.
Sat Apr 15
50.2 miles
Clifton, VA
Entry opens: Nov 19, 2021
A 50 mile trail run that parallels the Bull Run and the Occoquan River in northern Virginia, just outside of Washington, DC. The course traverses forested, rolling terrain during the height of Virginia’s spring beauty. The run’s unique character includes a Civil War theme that honors the battles that occurred here over 150 years ago. The 13 hour time limit makes Bull Run Run an excellent first 50 miler.
Entry opens Oct 30
Sat May 20
100.6 miles
Fort Valley, VA
Entry opens: Oct 30, 2022
A challenging, rocky 100 miler on the trails of the Massanutten Mountains in the George Washington National Forest in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. The course includes short but rugged mountain climbs with more than 18,000 feet of total ascent. There is a 35 hour cutoff.
Sat Sep 9
13.6 miles
Fairfax Station, VA
Entry opens: Jun 3, 2022
A challenging yet chill race for women only … built for new trail runners and veterans alike.
Events are open to the public and free to enter, but do require prior registration and many have entry limits.
Didn’t get in? Consider volunteering.
Entry is open
Sat Oct 22
44.8 miles
Pen Mar, PA
Entry opens: Sep 12, 2022
Entry closes: Oct 19, 2022
You run in four states in one day, traditionally held on the Saturday the weekend before the Marine Corps Marathon. It’s a long run over challenging trail - you will have to move with dispatch to finish in daylight. Entry is limited to VHTRC members.
Entry is open
Sat Oct 29
50 km
Quantico, VA
Entry opens: Sep 15, 2022
Entry closes: Oct 20, 2022
A runnable 25k or 50k run comprised on a looped course comprised of the rolling trails of Prince William Forest Park.
Entry is open
Sun Nov 6
30.5 miles
Washington, DC
Entry opens: Sep 6, 2022
Entry closes: Nov 4, 2022
The event that proves that there are beautiful trails inside the Beltway. Entry opens a few weeks before the race.
Thu Nov 24
2 hours
Potomac, MD
Entry opens: Nov 14, 2021
The VHTRC version of this traditional fall running classic. Thanksgiving morning on the C&O Canal and the trails around Great Falls, on the Maryland side. Hosted by Mike Bur.
Low-key runs with no formal sign-up. Just show up and run.
Wed Oct 5
Varies
McLean, VA
Runs every Wednesday at 6:00 pm in Great Falls National Park, in partnership with DC Capital Striders.
Sun Oct 9
7-10 miles
Washington, DC
Explore the trails of Rock Creek Park on these low-key runs. We leave at 8:00 am from either Peirce Mill or Theodore Roosevelt Island and the runs are roughly 7–10 miles long.
Fri Nov 25
25.3 miles
Nethers, VA
Often referred to as “Shenandoah’s National Park’s greatest hits,” this 25-mile loop’s highlights include White Oak Canyon, Hawksbill, Stony Man, all connected by beautiful ridge running on the Appalachian Trail.
View our available SWAG More information
Featured run
Vicki’s Death March
Now that Shenandoah National Park is largely reopened, we can recommend Vicki’s Death March! Often referred to as “Shenandoah National Park’s greatest hits,” this 25-mile loop’s highlights include White Oak Canyon, Hawksbill, Stony Man, all connected by beautiful ridge running on the Appalachian Trail. Just be sure to get an early start, as Old Rag is an especially popular trailhead… especially now.
On top of the world on Little Stony Man during the 2011 Vicki’s Death March.