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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
Trail work on the Massanutten Trail
Come join us for some low-key trail-work outings in the Massanuttens in September.
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Upcoming 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 27
50 km
Westminster, MD
Entry opens: Jan 3, 2020
31 miles of trails, old woods roads, open fields, and plenty of hills with a couple of stream crossings thrown in just for fun.
Entry opens Nov 15
Sat Apr 10
50.2 miles
Clifton, VA
Entry opens: Nov 15, 2020
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 is open
Sat May 15
100.6 miles
Fort Valley, VA
Entry opens: Jun 2, 2020
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.
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.
Sat Oct 3
50 km
Quantico, VA
A runnable 50 km run comprised of two loops on the easy rolling trails of Prince William Forest Park, directed by the VHTRC’s Sarah Curtis. A final decision on the 2020 event will be made later this summer.
Sat Oct 17
44.8 miles
Pen Mar, PA
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; and will open a few weeks prior to the run.
Thu Nov 26
2 hours
Potomac, MD
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.
Sun Sep 27
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.
Wed Sep 30
Varies
McLean, VA
Runs every Wednesday at 6:00 pm in Great Falls National Park, in partnership with DC Capital Striders.
Fri Nov 27
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.
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.