Toughest Trail Races in the Northeast: 50k Division
Much of the mediasize and romance with trail running over the past decade + has circled around ultra. The press, the sponsorship dollars, where the bar is set for a sense of challenge and achievement. The 50k distance represents that gateway. It’s long enough to reach the mythical wall and have nearly half your distance left to go. In the lineup of toughest rankings it may be the deepest in offerings. In the lineup we have mild classics such as HAT (bonus for those who know what HAT stands for). #BeastCoast originals such as Mt. Masochist and Promise Land. Beautiful new kids on the block such as Megunticook.
For those arriving directly here, check out our lineup of the Toughest Trail Races in the Northeast across distances. We also have related articles on Most Scenic, Historic, Flat & Fast, and others to come. For now, let’s checkout the ranking of the Toughest Trail 50k’s in the Northeast.
#39
HAT Run 50k
Havre de Grace, MD
Month:
March
Distance:
29.5 miles
Elevation Gain:
4,111′
Gain / Mile:
139′
#38
Patapsco Valley 50k
Baltimore, MD
Month:
October
Distance:
33 miles
Elevation Gain:
4,420′
Gain / Mile:
134′
#37
Kanawha Trace 50k
Ona, WV
Route map for Kanawha Trace 50k by Ian Golden on plotaroute.com
Month:
August
Distance:
30.4 miles
Elevation Gain:
4,366′
Gain / Mile:
158′
#36
Haulin’ In the Holler
Eleanor, WV
Month:
November
Distance:
30.4 miles
Elevation Gain:
4,818′
Gain / Mile:
158′
Route map for Haulin’ In the Holler 25k by Ian Golden on plotaroute.com
#35
Pisgah Mountain Race
Winchester, NH
Month:
September
Distance:
28.4
Elevation Gain:
4,440′
Gain / Mile:
156′
#34
Vermont 50k
Brownesville, VT
Month:
September
Distance:
32 miles
Elevation Gain:
5,777′
Gain / Mile:
181′
#33
Fire On the Mountain 50k
Little Orleans, MD
Month:
November
Distance:
32.7 miles
Elevation Gain:
5,119′
Gain / Mile:
157′
#32
Grayson Highlands 50k
Mouth of Wilson, VA
Month:
May
Distance:
28.5
Elevation Gain:
4,829′
Gain / Mile:
169′
#31
Big A 50k
York, ME
Month:
May
Distance:
30.9 miles
Elevation Gain:
5,268′
Gain / Mile:
170′
#30
Coopers Rock 50k
Bruceton Mills, WV
Month:
August
Distance:
31 miles
Elevation Gain:
4,896′
Gain / Mile:
158′
#29
Catamount Ultra
Stowe, VT
Month:
June
Distance:
29.8 miles
Elevation Gain:
5,126′
Gain / Mile:
172′
#28
Catoctin 50k
Frederick, MD
Month:
July
Distance:
32.6 miles
Elevation Gain:
5,400′
Gain / Mile:
166′
#27
Oil Creek 50k
Titusville, PA
Month:
October
Distance:
30.4 miles
Elevation Gain:
4,878′
Gain / Mile:
160′
#26
Eagleton Trail Challenge
Lock Haven, PA
Month:
April
Distance:
30 miles
Elevation Gain:
5,088′
Gain / Mile:
170′
#25
Cloudsplitter 50k
Norton, VA
Month:
October
Distance:
29.7
Elevation Gain:
6,021′
Gain / Mile:
203′
#24
UROC 50k
Raphine, VA
Month:
May
Distance:
30.2 miles
Elevation Gain:
5,004′
Gain / Mile:
166′
#23
Eastern Divide 50k
Pembroke, VA
Month:
June
Distance:
30.8 Miles
Elevation Gain:
5,418′
Gain / Mile:
176′
#22
Lost Turkey Trail 50k
Blue Knob, PA
Route map for Lost Turkey Trail 50k by Ian Golden on plotaroute.com
Month:
June
Distance:
33.6 miles
Elevation Gain:
4,962′
Gain / Mile:
148′
#21
Hungry Mother 50k
Marion, VA
Month:
April
Distance:
30.4 miles
Elevation Gain:
7,300′
Gain / Mile:
240′
#20
Virgil Crest 50k
Cortland, NY
Month:
September
Distance:
30.8
Elevation Gain:
5,992′
Gain / Mile:
195′
#19
Mt. Masochist 50k
Montebello, VA
Month:
November
Distance:
32.5 miles
Elevation Gain:
6,117′
Gain / Mile:
188′
#18
Jarmans Invitational Marathon
Crozet, VA
Month:
August
Distance:
28.6 miles
Elevation Gain:
7,808′
Gain / Mile:
273′
#17
Terrapin Mountain 50k
Sedalia, VA
Month:
March
Distance:
31 miles
Elevation Gain:
7,558′
Gain / Mile:
244′
#16
Iron Mountain
Damascus, VA
Month:
September
Distance:
29.3 miles
Elevation Gain:
6,155′
Gain / Mile:
210′
#15
Cayuga Trails 50k
Ithaca, NY
Month:
May
Distance:
31.6 miles
Elevation Gain:
6,882′
Gain / Mile:
218′
#14
Green Monster 50k
Wellsboro, PA
Month:
October
Distance:
31.9 miles
Elevation Gain:
7,053′
Gain / Mile:
221′
#13
West Virginia Trilogy 50k
Circleville, WV
Month:
October
Distance:
29.5 miles
Elevation Gain:
4,977′
Gain / Mile:
169′
#12
Ragged 50k
Danbury, NH
Month:
August
Distance:
35.1 miles
Elevation Gain:
6,468′
Gain / Mile:
184′
#11
Macedonia 50k
Kent, CT
Month:
September
Distance:
30.9 miles
Elevation Gain:
7,144′
Gain / Mile:
231′
#10
Traprock 50k
Bloomfield, CT
Month:
April
Distance:
32.5 miles
Elevation Gain:
5,596′
Gain / Mile:
172′
#9
Promise Land
Bedford, VA
Month:
April
Distance:
34.2 miles
Elevation Gain:
8,520′
Gain / Mile:
249′
#8
World’s End 50k
Forksville, PA
Month:
June
Distance:
30.6 miles
Elevation Gain:
5,313′
Gain / Mile:
174′
#7
Hyner Trail Challenge
Hyner, PA
Month:
April
Distance:
32.1 miles
Elevation Gain:
7,838′
Gain / Mile:
244′
#6
Megunticook 50k
Camden, ME
Month:
September
Distance:
29.8 miles
Elevation Gain:
6,814′
Gain / Mile:
229′
#5
Elizabeth Furnace 50k
Fort Valley, VA
Month:
March
Distance:
30.6 miles
Elevation Gain:
6,332′
Gain / Mile:
207′
#4
Blue 2 Blue Trail Challenge
New Haven, CT
Month:
September
Distance:
32.9 miles
Elevation Gain:
5,595′
Gain / Mile:
170′
#3 (* If under winter snow, ~#26 if not)
Frozen Branch
Bath, NY
Month:
February
Distance:
31.7 miles
Elevation Gain:
5,073′
Gain / Mile:
160′
#2
Call of the Wilds 50k
Waterville, PA
Month:
October
Distance:
29.2 miles
Elevation Gain:
8,933′
Gain / Mile:
306′
#1
Jay Peak 50k
Jay Peak, VT
Month:
September
Distance:
33 miles
Elevation Gain:
11,849′
Gain / Mile:
368′
| Rank | Event | Town | State | Month | Strava | Plotaroute | Hello,Drifter | TopoFusion | Avg Elevation | Mileage | Gain Per Mile | Division |
| 39 | HAT Run 50k | Havre de Grace | MD | March | 4432 | 3444 | 4272 | 4296 | 4111 | 30 | 139 | 50k |
| 38 | Patapsco Valley 50k | Baltimore | MD | October | 4269 | 3963 | 4321 | 5128 | 4420 | 33 | 134 | 50k |
| 37 | Kanawha Trace 50k | Ona | WV | August | 5242 | 4101 | 4357 | 3764 | 4366 | 30 | 144 | 50k |
| 36 | Haulin’ In the Holler | Eleanor | WV | November | 4340 | 4316 | 4666 | 5950 | 4818 | 30 | 158 | 50k |
| 35 | Pisgah Mountain Race | Winchester | NH | September | 4388 | 4094 | 4869 | 4407 | 4440 | 28 | 156 | 50k |
| 34 | Vermont 50k | Brownsville | VT | September | 5610 | 5042 | 6988 | 5466 | 5777 | 32 | 181 | 50k |
| 33 | Fire On the Mountain 50k | Little Orleans | MD | November | 5313 | 4379 | 5988 | 4795 | 5119 | 33 | 157 | 50k |
| 32 | Grayson Highlands 50k | Mouth of Wilson | VA | May | 5017 | 4580 | 5079 | 4640 | 4829 | 29 | 169 | 50k |
| 31 | Big A 50k | York | ME | May | 5634 | 4761 | 4932 | 5745 | 5268 | 31 | 170 | 50k |
| 30 | Coopers Rock 50k | Bruceton Mills | WV | August | 4807 | 4504 | 5102 | 5171 | 4896 | 31 | 158 | 50k |
| 29 | Catamount Ultra | Stowe | VT | June | 4632 | 4250 | 5688 | 5934 | 5126 | 30 | 172 | 50k |
| 28 | Catoctin 50k | Frederick | MD | July | 5787 | 5137 | 5906 | 4771 | 5400 | 33 | 166 | 50k |
| 27 | Oil Creek 50k | Titusville | PA | October | 4521 | 4543 | 5394 | 5053 | 4878 | 30 | 160 | 50k |
| 26 | Eagleton Trail Challenge | Lock Haven | PA | April | 5454 | 4455 | 5449 | 4992 | 5088 | 30 | 170 | 50k |
| 25 | Cloudsplitter 50k | Norton | VA | October | 6205 | 5187 | 6073 | 6618 | 6021 | 30 | 203 | 50k |
| 24 | UROC 50k | Raphine | VA | May | 5018 | 4947 | 5581 | 4468 | 5004 | 30 | 166 | 50k |
| 23 | Eastern Divide 50k | Pembroke | VA | June | 5410 | 5173 | 6020 | 5067 | 5418 | 31 | 176 | 50k |
| 22 | Lost Turkey Trail 50k | Blue Knob | PA | June | 4757 | 5003 | 4961 | 5127 | 4962 | 34 | 148 | 50k |
| 21 | Hungry Mother 50k | Marion | VA | April | 6048 | 6514 | 7860 | 8778 | 7300 | 30 | 240 | 50k |
| 20 | Virgil Crest 50k | Cortland | NY | September | 5,832 | 5568 | 6339 | 6230 | 5992 | 31 | 195 | 50k |
| 19 | Mt. Masochist 50k | Montebello | VA | November | 6292 | 5866 | 6348 | 5961 | 6117 | 33 | 188 | 50k |
| 18 | Jarmans Invitational Marathon | Crozet | VA | August | 7680 | 7680 | 8081 | 7791 | 7808 | 29 | 273 | 50k |
| 17 | Terrapin Mountain 50k | Sedalia | VA | March | 6763 | 7286 | 8261 | 7922 | 7558 | 31 | 244 | 50k |
| 16 | Iron Mountain 50k | Demascus | VA | September | 5136 | 5088 | 6283 | 8111 | 6155 | 29 | 210 | 50k |
| 15 | Cayuga Trails 50k | Ithaca | NY | May | 6,305 | 5393 | 8471 | 7359 | 6882 | 32 | 218 | 50k |
| 14 | Green Monster 50k | Wellsboro | PA | October | 7477 | 6896 | 7444 | 6393 | 7053 | 32 | 221 | 50k |
| 13 | West Virginia Trilogy 50k | Circleville | WV | October | 4979 | 5052 | 5121 | 4754 | 4977 | 30 | 169 | 50k |
| 12 | Ragged 50k | Danbury | NH | August | 6484 | 5800 | 7001 | 6588 | 6468 | 35 | 184 | 50k |
| 11 | Macedonia 50k | Kent | CT | September | 8011 | 7224 | 8005 | 5334 | 7144 | 31 | 231 | 50k |
| 10 | Traprock 50 | Bloomfield | CT | April | 6310 | 4317 | 5725 | 6030 | 5596 | 33 | 172 | 50k |
| 9 | Promise Land 50k | Bedford | VA | April | 7573 | 8018 | 9522 | 8967 | 8520 | 34 | 249 | 50k |
| 8 | World’s End 50k | Forksville | PA | June | 6019 | 5295 | 5259 | 4679 | 5313 | 31 | 174 | 50k |
| 7 | Hyner View Trail Challenge 50k | Hyner | PA | April | 8165 | 7051 | 8232 | 7902 | 7838 | 32 | 244 | 50k |
| 6 | Megunticook | Camden | ME | September | 7258 | 6440 | 7136 | 6423 | 6814 | 30 | 229 | 50k |
| 5 | Elizabeth Furnace 50k | Fort Valley | VA | March | 6164 | 5862 | 6496 | 6807 | 6332 | 31 | 207 | 50k |
| 4 | Blue 2 Blue Trail Challenge | New Havent | CT | September | 6387 | 5026 | 6742 | 4225 | 5595 | 33 | 170 | 50k |
| 3 | Frozen Branch 50k | Bath | NY | February | 5177 | 4,547 | 5843 | 4723 | 5073 | 32 | 160 | 50k |
| 2 | COTW 50k | Waterville | PA | October | 9,111 | 9140 | 10,295 | 7185 | 8933 | 29 | 306 | 50k |
| 1 | Jay Peak Trail Festival 33m | Jay Peak | VT | September | 12,600 | 11,208 | 11673 | 11916 | 9479 | 32.2 | 294 | 50k |
