Races
No Business
Tennessee Big South Fork. Eighteen thousand feet. Gorge trails. October leaves on sandstone.
- Start879 ft
- High1,732 ft
- Low817 ft
- Finish879 ft
- Tennessee at mile 0.0
- No Business mile 20 at mile 20, cutoff 6.800000000000001 hours
- No Business mile 40 at mile 40, cutoff 13.600000000000001 hours
- No Business mile 60 at mile 60, cutoff 20.4 hours
- No Business mile 80 at mile 80, cutoff 27.200000000000003 hours
- Finish Tennessee at mile 100, cutoff 34 hours
Geometrycourse math
The cruxBig South Fork gorge descent on tired quads (near mile 65)
Course DNA
The Course
No Business runs 100 mi through Tennessee. Surfaces skew 80% trail / 20% dirt road. Big South Fork gorge descent on tired quads. High point near 1,759 ft. Low near 797 ft. October temps run 40°F to 80°F. The course rewards patience early and punishes rushed descents after mile 50.
The Work
Train for the climbing across 100 mi. Back-to-back long runs on trail. Practice power-hiking grades above 15 percent. 34 hours total means limited margin: rehearse fueling every 45 to 60 minutes and downhill eccentric work weekly. Technicality 5/10. Build a block that simulates the crux near mile 65.
Kit
October in Tennessee: plan for 40°F to 80°F. Mandatory shell if rain is in forecast. Headlamp with spare batteries if 34 hours pushes past dark. Poles help on sustained climbs above mile 25. Vest capacity for 2 liters minimum. Shoes matched to 80% trail: lugs for mud, rock plate if the course turns technical after mile 50.
Race Day
Hold effort through mile 25. The field often splits on the first big climb after mile 50. Big South Fork gorge descent on tired quads near mile 65 is where time is won or lost. Walk the steep pinches. Run the flats and gentle downhills. Crew at major aids: socks, calories, ice if hot. Transitions under 5 minutes when possible. Final third is 33 miles of fatigue management. Finish with reserve for the last descent.
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Sources (1)
- Qualifier: wser: https://www.wser.org/qualifying-races/