Races
Umstead State Park. Eight 12.5 mile loops. Eight thousand feet of rollers. Thirty hours. The hundred you can actually run.
Geometryderived
The cruxLoop eight when the rollers refuse to end (near mile 65)
Course DNA
Umstead 100 runs 100 mi through Raleigh, North Carolina. +1,749 ft gain and -1,831 ft loss. Surfaces skew 95% gravel bridle path / 5% single lane road. Loop eight when the rollers refuse to end. High point near 528 ft. Low near 406 ft. April temps run 40°F to 75°F. The course rewards patience early and punishes rushed descents after mile 50.
Train for 1,749 feet of climbing across 100 mi. Back-to-back long runs on similar surfaces. Practice power-hiking grades above 15 percent. 30 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.
April in Raleigh, North Carolina: plan for 40°F to 75°F. Mandatory shell if rain is in forecast. Headlamp with spare batteries if 30 hours pushes past dark. Poles help on sustained climbs above mile 25. Vest capacity for 2 liters minimum. Shoes matched to 95% gravel bridle path: lugs for mud, rock plate if the course turns technical after mile 50.
Hold effort through mile 25. The field often splits on the first big climb after mile 50. Loop eight when the rollers refuse to end 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.
Results
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