Panoramic view from Duncan Knob during the 2021 Waterfall 50K. The entire course is visible, including the antennas on Bird Knob off in the distance to the left.

Keith Knipling

Waterfall 50 km

WTF. Since I’m here, I’ll climb it again.

Date
  • Sun Jan 19, 2025
Start location
Start time
  • 8:00 am
Distance
  • 31.2 miles
Total ascent/descent
  • 7,500 feet
Aid stations
  1. Gap Creek (8.7 miles)
  2. Massanutten Visitors Center (19.8 miles)
Entry
  • Entry opens on Sunday December 15, 2024 at 9:00 am. Entry will be limited to 75 runners.
GPX file
Print or download
In charge
Reports
Course records
  • Lance Dockery
    5:04 (in 2018)
    Sheila Vibert Martin
    6:34:40 (in 2021)
Waterfall 50k sticker
The coveted Waterfall 50k sticker.

The 9th annual Waterfall 50k will be held on Sunday, January 19, 2025. Start time for what is affectionally known as the WTF 50k is 8 am, so you can sleep in for the full day on the trails that will await. Waterfall is a tough, rocky, winter-time run in the central Massanutten Mountains near US Route 211.

In the past, this slot on the trail running calendar was filled with a variant of the “Gap to Gap” run at the southern end of the Massanuttens. This 50 km is yet another variant on that theme, but with a mighty kick. And oh what a kick it is…

Course description

Runners should refer to the turn sheet for detailed directions, but this will give you the big picture.

The course is a figure-8, the centerpiece of which is the chin-scraper climb up Waterfall Mountain, which runners do early in the run and then again about halfway through.

Starting from the parking area on US Route 211, the course follows the white-blazed Massanutten Connector Trail to the orange-blazed Massanutten Trail at the base of Waterfall Mountain. From there, runners make the 700 foot climb up to Crisman Hollow Road and continue on the Massanutten Trail to Kerns Mountain, which they follow north for a little less than 5 miles to Jawbone Gap. Along the way, note the prominent peak off to your right, Duncan Knob, and the saddle below it. You will be there soon enough.

Duncan Knob, viewed from Kerns Mountain
Duncan Knob to the right, viewed from Kerns Mountain.

At Jawbone Gap the course leaves the Massanutten Trail, descending the east side of Jawbone Gap on the blue-blazed Gap Creek Trail down to the first aid station at Gap Creek (also an aid station at MMT).

Aid Station Split Cumulative Cutoff Map
Gap Creek 8.7 mi 8.7 mi
Massanutten Visitors Center 11.1 mi 19.8 mi 2:30 pm

From the aid station, runners continue on the Gap Creek Trail, crossing the footbridge over Passage Creek, and begin the climb up to Peach Orchard Gap for the 0.5-mile total out-and-back to the spectacular view from Duncan Knob.

Climb up Duncan Knob
This is the last blaze on the climb up to Duncan Knob. From here it is a rock scramble.

After taking in the view, return back to Peach Orchard Gap and then take a left, continuing on the Gap Creek Trail to the orange-blazed Massanutten Trail. You will take a right on orange, which ascends Duncan Hollow. After topping out on the ridge, runners stay on orange and descend a short way down to a four-way trail junction at Scothorn Gap.

At this four-way intersection, runners take a hard left and continue on the orange Massanutten Trail, descending along Big Run (a creek) down to the base of Waterfall Mountain.

Climbing Waterfall Mountain (the second time) during the 2020 event
Climbing Waterfall Mountain (the second time) during the 2020 event.

With the northern loop done, runners stay on orange and climb Waterfall again, this time turning left at the top onto Crisman Hollow Road and taking that down to the Massanutten Visitors’ Center and the second aid station.

If you’re not feeling it, this is a good place to cut the run short and take an easy 2 mile downhill jog back to your car.

From the Visitors’ Center, runners climb Bird Knob on the white-blazed Wildflower Trail and the orange-blazed Massanutten South Trail to a spectacular view of the Shenandoah Valley from Bird Knob.

View of the Shenandoah Valley from Bird Knob
View of the Shenandoah Valley from Bird Knob.

After the overlook, runners bear right on the white-blazed Bird Knob Trail and do not take “Ant Road” as they would during MMT.

Bird Knob Trail
Bear right on the white-blazed Bird Knob Trail.

The southern loop is completed by taking Big Mountain Road to the purple-blazed Roaring Run Trail and then the pink-blazed Browns Hollow Trail all the way back to the orange-blazed Massanutten South Trail and your car.

Browns Hollow Trail
Coming up on the the turn from the purple-blazed Roaring Run Trail to the pink-blazed Browns Hollow Trail.

King and Queen of Waterfall

The “run within the run” — The King and Queen of Waterfall. The first 5 km covers from the starting gate up Waterfall to Crisman Hollow Road. We will be tracking the splits of everyone from the start to Crisman and the fastest male and female will be declared the King and Queen of Waterfall. These runners also need to go on to complete the whole course in order to be King/Queen.

Entry

Entry is open to VHTRC members only and is limited to 75 runners. If you cannot make it please let us know; a runner on the waitlist will be grateful.

Volunteers - 2024

  • Mike Bur - Race Director
  • Kevin Bligan - Gap Creek Aid
  • Dan Fogg - Gap Creek Aid
  • Carl Bligan - Gap Creek Aid
  • Jeremy Holder - Visitor’s Center Aid
  • Jamey Dubinsky - Visitor’s Center Aid
  • Tonnie Warfield - Visitor’s Center Aid/211 East Finish
  • Jon Jester - Visitor’s Center Aid/211 East Finish
  • Chef Jeff Best - 211 East Finish Aid
  • Sous Chef Elaina Stanton - 211 East Finish Aid
  • Quatro Hubbard - Crisman Hollow Rd Donut Distribution/Visitor’s Center Aid/Results

Last updated January 16, 2024

Club Event Participant Medical Policy

This is an event with very real risks to your well being. The VHTRC does not provide medical care for runners at this event. Runners are responsible for their own health, safety, and well being at this event. No doctors, nurses, or emergency medical technicians, or anyone with any medical training are available along the course, at any aid station, or at the finish. The club does not supply any medical goods or services, including bandages, splints, antiseptic, or Ibuprofen or any other drugs to maintain the health of runners. Physical, medical, and emergency care is the runners' responsibility. In case of an emergency, we will endeavor to get local emergency personnel to an injured runner as soon as possible. Since most of our events are in remote areas, medical care may be far away in distance or time. Each year, runners finish — or are forced to drop out — with scrapes, deep cuts, hematomas, dislocations, and sprains. Runners have experienced cuts, bruises, bee stings, and asthma attacks. This is an event with very real risks.