Entry opens on Thursday October 31, 2024

The start/finish of the MMT 100, taken on a brilliant afternoon of the 2017 race.

Keith Knipling

The Course

The MMT is a challenging 100 mile trail ultra over a demanding, rocky course in the Massanutten Mountains of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. The course includes short but rugged mountain climbs that total over 18,500 feet.

Distance
  • 100.6 miles
Total ascent/descent
  • 18,500 feet
Aid stations
  • 15 aid stations
  • 8 with crew access, 10 with dropbags
Time cutoff
  • 36 hours
GPX file

Course map

The course can be thought of two “almost loops” that follow the ridges of the Massanutten Mountains, roughly resembling a top-heavy figure-8. The pins mark aid stations, color-coded by their accessibility to crews. Crew access; No crew access; Drop bag only.

The first loop of the figure-8 starts from the Caroline Furnace Lutheran Camp and runs clockwise north up the western ridge of the Massanuttens to Elizabeth Furnace (Aid Station 5, 33.3 miles). The course then ascends the eastern ridge and follows that, with periodic descents off the ridge to the aid stations, south to Gap Creek I (Aid Station 11, 69.6 miles).

The second, smaller, loop begins at Gap Creek I and goes counter-clockwise, following Kern’s Mountain south to Bird Knob before returning north back to Gap Creek II (Aid Station 15, mile 96.8).

There is a printable map of the course, displayed below and also available as a two-page PDF for printing (2.4 MB download).

Printable map of the MMT 100 course.

Elevation profile

The course features approximately 10 climbs of 750 vertical feet or more. While none of the climbs is terribly long, many are steep and, waiting for you at the top, is a rocky ridgeline. The course is tougher than it looks on paper.

Elevation profile of the MMT 100.

The high point is 2,835 feet (at Bird Knob, mile 81). The low point is 540 feet (mile 39, between Shawl Gap and Veach Gap). The longest individual climb — 1,550 feet in 2.5 miles — comes at mile 55, just after the Habron Gap Aid Station.

Aid stations

MMT features 15 aid stations, 9 of which are crew-accessible. The table below lists mileages for the aid stations as well as crew and drop bag accessibility.

Aid StationSplitCumulativeCrew accessDropbagsCutoffNotesMap
1. Moreland Gap4.1 mi4.1 mi 
2. Edinburg Gap8.0 mi12.1 mi8:50 am
3. Woodstock Tower8.2 mi20.3 mi11:30 am  
4. Powells Fort5.5 mi25.8 mi1:15 pm  
5. Elizabeth Furnace7.5 mi33.3 mi3:40 pm
6. Shawl Gap Parking4.7 mi38.0 mi5:25 pm
7. Veach Gap Parking3.1 mi41.1 mi6:25 pm
8. Indian Grave Trailhead9.0 mi50.1 mi9:25 pm 
9. Habron Gap Parking3.9 mi54.0 mi10:30 pm
10. Camp Roosevelt9.9 mi63.9 mi2:50 am 
11. Gap Creek5.7 mi69.6 mi5:25 am 
12. Visitor Center8.5 mi78.1 mi9:15 am 
13. Bird Knob3.5 mi81.6 mi 
14. Picnic Area6.3 mi87.9 mi12:50 pm 
15. Gap Creek II8.9 mi96.8 mi3:55 pm 

Notes

  • Fluids only.
  • These aid stations are remote and runners may not drop unless they are in serious medical condition.
  • Cutoff is recommendation only and not enforced, but we believe that you will not complete the course if you do not achieve them. If you go on past an optional cutoff, the next aid station may not be in tact.
  • Cutoffs are on Sunday.

The following chart is useful for runners and crews in estimating a runner’s arrival time at the various aid stations. Download a printable PDF (1.4 MB download).

Course markings

The course will be marked with yellow surveyor’s tape. Red tape will bar entry to trails you shouldn’t take. Never cross a red ribbon. There will be reflective markings for the the portions of the course traveled at night. While the VHTRC has an established reputation for a well-marked course, that doesn’t mean you can’t get lost if you don’t pay attention.

Massanutten Trail
Were it not for the orange blaze marking the Massanutten Trail, one might mistake it for a pile of rocks in the woods. Not all of the trail is like this, but enough of it is.

Meteorological information

While the May date usually avoids Virginia’s brutal summer weather, we have had hot years (with corresponding low finishing rates). Other years have been cool, with high temperatures failing to get above 60 °F. In general, typical daytime highs are in the 70s (°F) and the coldest parts of the course dip into the 40s (°F). Temperatures rarely get below freezing, but on the ridges it can get chilly, especially for slow-moving runners late in the race. It often rains at some point during the weekend, and we have had torrential rain and violent storms in prior years.

Historical weather data and finishing rates at MMT
Historical weather data and finishing rates at MMT.

Read the local weather forecast.

PATC Maps

Unless you know the course well, we recommend that you obtain Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC) maps G and H. These are topographic maps that cover the trails in the Massanutten Mountains — north of US 211 (Map G) and south of US 211 (Map H). Both maps are printed on water-resistant, tear-resistance synthetic stock in six colors. Most of the course is on map G. Only the Bird Knob section of the MMT course is on map H. The PATC also has a Guide to the Massanutten Mountains updated in 2013 (available as a separate item or in a set with maps G and H). There are discounts for PATC members.