Promoting trail running in the D.C. area for three decades.
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!
The first “Grindstone Trail Running Festival by UTMB” was held over the weekend of September 22-24, 2023. Sophie Speidel has written a post-race report from her perspective as a pacer for fellow Charlottesvillian Steve Combs, with a focus on pacing as an experience.
Read more
Fresh off a 31 hour finish at the MMT 100 in 2023, Deb Cawthorn made plans to tackle her annual Western 100 miler. For this year, that was the Pine to Palm 100 in the Siskiyou Mountains of southwestern Oregon. Deb had an outstanding race and shares her story with us here.
Read moreHere’s what we have coming up. See our calendar for a full list of our (and others’) events
Sat Feb 24
50 km
Westminster, MD
Entry opens: Jan 3, 2023
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 6
50.2 miles
Clifton, VA
Entry opens: Nov 15, 2022
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.
Sat May 18
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 36-hour cutoff.
Sat Oct 14
24 hours
Mason Neck, VA
Entry opens: Aug 1, 2023
Entry closes: Oct 1, 2023
Sat Oct 21
44.8 miles
Pen Mar, PA
Entry opens: Sep 11, 2023
Entry closes: Oct 18, 2023
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.
Sat Oct 28
50 km
Quantico, VA
Entry opens: Sep 11, 2023
Entry closes: Oct 25, 2023
A runnable 25k or 50k run on a looped course comprised of the rolling trails of Prince William Forest Park.
Sun Nov 5
30.5 miles
Washington, DC
Entry opens: Sep 5, 2023
Entry closes: Nov 3, 2023
The event that proves that there are beautiful trails inside the Beltway. Entry opens a few weeks before the run .
Thu Nov 23
2 hours
Potomac, MD
Entry opens: Oct 24, 2022
Entry closes: Nov 21, 2022
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.
Sun Oct 8
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 24
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.
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.
