Best Trail Races in the Northeast: Flat and Fast
Some days you just want to flow, unencumbered by elevation gain, rock gardens, or root jungles. The opportunity to keep shuffling after the wheels have fallen off without kicking rock after rock and cursing into the wilds while questioning your life decisions. In the lineup below you’ll find flat and fast options broken out by distance division, and, in the case of most, additional distance offerings within the event.
For those arriving directly here, we also have related articles on Toughest, Most Scenic, Historic, and others to come. For now, let’s dig in to some of the flattest and fastest trail races in the Northeast.
10K’ish Division
Trap Pond Trail Runs
Location:
Laurel, DE
Month:
April
Distance(s):
10K (13.1 & 26.2M, 50k)
Gain / Mile:
26′
Half Marathon Division
Hancock Half
Brookhaven Trail Half
TARC Spring Classic
Location:
Ridge, NY
Month:
November
Distance(s):
13.1M (+ 5M)
Gain / Mile:
45′
Location:
Hancock Marathon and Half
Month:
October
Distance(s):
13.1M (+ 26.2M)
Gain / Mile:
12′
Location:
TARC Spring Classic
Month:
April
Distance(s):
13.1M (+ 6.3M, 25.2M)
Gain / Mile:
51′
25K Division
Dirty German Endurance Festival
TARC Ghost Train
Location:
Philadelphia, PA
Month:
May
Distance(s):
25k (+ 50k, 50M)
Gain / Mile:
93′
Location:
Brookline, NH
Month:
October
Distance(s):
25k (+ 30M, 45M, 60M, 75M, 90M, 100M)
Gain / Mile:
45′
Marathon Division
Endless Mountain Marathon
Greenbrier River
NCR Marathon
Location:
Forest City, PA
Month:
April
Distance(s):
26.2M (+ 13.1M)
Gain / Mile:
51′
Location:
Marlington, WV
Month:
October
Distance(s):
26.2M (+ 13.1M)
Gain / Mile:
67′
Location:
Glencoe, MD
Month:
November
Distance(s):
26.2M (+ 13.1M)
Gain / Mile:
70′
50k Division
Dahlgren Heritage Rail Trail 50k
Shore2Shore
High Bridge Ultra
Location:
King George, VA
Month:
August
Distance(s):
31.1M (+ Half Marathon)
Gain / Mile:
50′
Location:
East Islip, NY
Month:
April
Distance(s):
25k (+ 50k)
Gain / Mile:
39′
Location:
Pamplin, VA
Month:
October
Distance(s):
32.2M (+ 30k)
Gain / Mile:
53′
50M Division
Batona Trail Races
JFK
Viaduct Trail Ultra
Location:
Tuckerton, NJ
Month:
October
Distance(s):
54.1 M (+ 33M, 55M)
Gain / Mile:
23′
Location:
Boonsboro, MD
Month:
November
Distance(s):
50.6 M
Gain / Mile:
66′
Location:
Lanesboro, PA
Month:
July
Distance(s):
50.75 M (+ 100M)
Gain / Mile:
62′
100k Division
Pine Creek Challenge
Tesla Hertz Run
Location:
Marsh Creek, PA
Month:
September
Distance(s):
100k (+ Marathon, 50M, 100M)
Gain / Mile:
35′
Location:
Rocky Point, NY
Month:
October
Distance(s):
100k (+ 10k, 50k, 50M, 100M)
Gain / Mile:
32′
100 Mile Division
C&O Canal
TARC Ghost Train
Yeti 100
Location:
Knoxville, MD
Month:
April
Distance(s):
101.8M
Gain / Mile:
53′
Location:
Brookline, NH
Month:
October
Distance(s):
99.4M ( +15M, 30M, 45M, 60M, 75M, 90M)
Gain / Mile:
45′
Location:
Abingdon, VA
Month:
September
Distance(s):
100.7M
Gain / Mile:
80′
Event | Town | State | Month | Plotaroute | Hello,Drifter | TopoFusion | Avg Elevation | Mileage | Per Mile | Subcategory | Other Distances? |
Trap Pond Trail Run | Laurel | DE | April | 219 | 85 | 80 | 128 | 5 | 26 | 10k | 13.1M, 26.2M, 50k |
Brookhaven Trail Half | Ridge | NY | November | 482 | 1093 | 212 | 596 | 13.1 | 45 | Half Marathon | 5M |
Hancock Marathon and Half | Hancock | MD | October | 1076 | 741 | 311 | 709 | 26.2 | 27 | Half Marathon | Marathon |
TARC Spring Classic | Weston | MA | April | 351 | 285 | 328 | 321 | 6.3 | 51 | Half Marathon | 6.3,25.2 |
Dirty German Endurance Festival | Philadelphia | PA | May | 3530 | 5827 | 3512 | 4290 | 46 | 93 | 25k | 50k, 50M |
Shore 2 Shore | East Islip | NY | April | 1482 | 1482 | 624 | 1196 | 30.8 | 39 | 25k | 50k |
TARC Ghost Train | Brookline | NH | October | 45 | 25k | 30M,45M,60M,75M,90M,100M | |||||
Endless Mountains Marathon | Forest City | PA | April | 1528 | 1644 | 865 | 1346 | 26.2 | #DIV/0! | Marathon | Half Marathon |
Greenbrier River | Marlinton | WV | October | 2532 | 1693 | 1022 | 1749 | 26.2 | 51 | Marathon | Half Marathon |
NCR Marathon | Glencoe | MD | November | 2293 | 2287 | 947 | 1842 | 26.2 | 70 | Marathon | Half Marathon |
Dahlgren Heritage Rail Trail 50k | King George | VA | August | 1827 | 2133 | 694 | 1551 | 31.1 | 50 | 50k | Half Marathon |
Frozen Heart 50K | Lusby | MD | February | 1824 | 2142 | 1974 | 1980 | 31.8 | 62 | 50k | 17K, 34K, 50K |
High Bridge Ultra | Pamplin | VA | October | 1981 | 2500 | 622 | 1701 | 32.2 | 53 | 50k | 30k |
Batona Trail Races | Tuckerton | NJ | October | 1515 | 1289 | 968 | 1257 | 54.1 | 23 | 50M | 33M, 55M |
JFK | Boonsboro | MD | November | 4002 | 3524 | 2515 | 3347 | 50.6 | 66 | 50M | |
Viaduct Trail Ultramarathon | Lanesboro | PA | July | 7388 | 5344 | 6283 | 6338 | 101.5 | 62 | 50M | 100M |
Pine Creek Challenge | Marsh Creek | PA | September | 3959 | 1302 | 1087 | 2116 | 60.5 | 35 | 100k | 100M |
Tesla Hertz Run | Rocky Point | NY | October | 3562 | 2697 | 3388 | 3216 | 101.4 | 32 | 100k | 10M, 50k, 50M, 100M |
C&O Canal | Knoxville | MD | April | 5718 | 5374 | 5238 | 5443 | 101.8 | 53 | 100M | |
TARC Ghost Train | Brookline | NH | October | 5823 | 3202 | 4390 | 4472 | 99.4 | 45 | 100M | 15M,30M,45M,60M,75M,90M |
Yeti 100 | Abingdon | VA | September | 9475 | 6220 | 8581 | 8092 | 100.7 | 80 | 100M |
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