Dam Yeti 50 Miler & 55K
Abingdon, VA
- 50 Miler, 55K, 25K
- Trail (Unpaved)
- Official race website
Down the spine of Virginia’s most legendary trail, where mountain streams whisper tales of speed and a mystical Pepsi machine dispenses trail magic, the Dam Yeti beckons. Known as the fastest ultra course in the country, this point-to-point adventure promises effortless downhills, breathtaking forest views, and a finish line celebration … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Jun 06):
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
| H (°F) | 79 | 81 | 74 | 75 | 85 |
| L (°F) | 57 | 61 | 65 | 50 | 55 |
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Yes, it really will be fine
For months, anytime jkelling mentioned the Dam Yeti Pepsi Challenge 25k, a day after the 50-miler, my response was "It'll be fine". (sigh) If I ever say those words again … MORE
For months, anytime jkelling mentioned the Dam Yeti Pepsi Challenge 25k, a day after the 50-miler, my response was “It’ll be fine”. (sigh) If I ever say those words again about a two-day challenge, remind me to revisit this review. Despite the prior day’s 55k, this point-to-point race definitely had the potential to be an exhilarating, fun, scenic race. Even with my heel pains and extreme levels of mental fatigue, I would love to do this race again, two-day challenge and all. Well, I could do without the pains and fatigue.
With 50 runners, compared to the 360 runners in the prior day, the Pepsi Challenge 25k is definitely the tag-a-long little sister. But unlike the annoying little sister, this race carries its own weight, charm and challenges. Runners meet at the finish line to board shuttle vans for a quick ride to the starting point. After a quick motivation speech by the race director, runners are off. Or in my case…the walking begins.
I had already run the course, so I knew to expect a gradual incline, soft wooden bridges, AMAZING aid station volunteers and a trail worthy of all the beauty it holds. There were no huge surprises. The infamous and mysterious Pepsi machine dispensed much-needed adult electrolytes and a volunteer was on-hand to take photos. I’m not sure what the local running community is like, but I was surprised to not see more runners. This would be perfect for the half marathon road runner wanting a new challenge, which by the looks of the results could be true. A majority of the runners stuck to the 25k challenge.
For those partaking in the 2-day challenge, the Pepsi Challenge was much harder than day 1. My feet were sore, my heels were on fire and my mental push felt non-existent. I’d thank my stubbornness and determination, but I truly would not have been able to finish if it were not for jkelling and our pacer/sweeper Candi. I will never know which was worse, my heel pains or causing jkelling to believe that I was not enjoying myself. Was I tired? Yup. Did I cry out of mental defeat? Absolutely. Was it all worth it because I achieved a greater victory and learned that I am not alone on the road? Without a doubt. I took on a new challenge, learned a lot (about a lot of different things) and didn’t die trying. I cannot express what finishing this race meant. I will also never underestimate the power of my rosary beads as my interval training method. (My final mile was my fastest one. I jogged while praying 10 Hail Marys and walked one Our Father. It took my mind off the pain.)
As the final finisher, seconds behind jkelling and moments before Candi, we were given the full Yeti runner experience. The music was pumping, photos were taken, and the world’s best lemonade was had. Surely the laughing opossum on the wooden medal was laughing with me, and not at me. Either way, I am laughing with it. It’s obvious why there was a 5-hour time limit. The long time is needed for this type of ‘shakeout’ run.
I will be back – at some point. I’d like to book a later flight and take in more of the sights. Abingdon and Damascus are quaint little towns really welcoming to visitors. I want to try the coffee shop by the trailhead, explore Damascus more and even just sit on a bench on the trail to watch the water stream down. Now, let it be known, exploring the two towns after the races will involve ebikes or a car, but three days of walking/running? I’m not sure I an handle all of that. Yet, yes, the Dam Yeti Challenge is worth flying across the country. Yes, it truly was a fine time.
Hard push after a 50M
So this is day two of a challenge. Day 1 was a 50-miler, so going into it, I knew this would be the hardest 25k I've ever done. We started … MORE
So this is day two of a challenge. Day 1 was a 50-miler, so going into it, I knew this would be the hardest 25k I’ve ever done. We started just down the road from the mystical Pepsi machine that dispenses Fireball and headed along the same path as the day before, in reverse, but just short of the last bridge we hung left and exited the park, to run over to a recreation complex to the finish line. There was one aid station (the barn from the prior day) and the refilled mystical Pepsi machine, which actually worked well for this race.
Some people (quite a few based on my random sampling of asking people) had actually not done the 50M/55k the day before and were using this as a standalone race. ccruiz03 and I were not among this category, and it cannot be overstated how hard this race can be after the longer race. The 50 miler took a toll on me, and the 25k today was nearly as long as my marathon time. The trail is beautiful though, and a great opportunity to reflect on whatever you need to in order to stay motivated. When you hear the music of the finish line right before you depart the Virginia Creeper trail for the recreation section of the park you’re almost there, and if anything is going to motivate that last minute boost, the sounds of the staff and other racers cheering you on sure will help. In a fitting manner, despite the fatigue, ccruiz03 and I had our customary sprint to the finish, neck and neck, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
The medal was an adorable wooden medal with a opossum and a pepsi machine on it. Anyone who has read my reviews knows my general distaste for wooden medals, but I have to admit I love this one, and it totally works. This is a large, etched and colored medal, not the low-rent “name on a coin on some yarn” wooden disaster, and will hand front and center along with the prior day’s metal one. Despite being a small town, there are some phenomenal food options for after the race. The Old Mill or the sandwich place, Wilson’s Cafe and Grill, in Damascus are both highly rated and well worth a detour. Or both…you’ve used the calories.
Some races you do once in a lifetime and check that box, but this is not one of them. Honestly, if I lived in Virginia I’d do this race every year. I will be back another year, for both races, and hopefully lower my time a little the second time around.
Gorgeous views, lifetime of memories
Whew…I waited to write this review, not because of procrastination, but for reflection. Whether it’s your first ultramarathon or your 50th, mental reflection is as necessary as is physical recovery. … MORE
Whew…I waited to write this review, not because of procrastination, but for reflection. Whether it’s your first ultramarathon or your 50th, mental reflection is as necessary as is physical recovery. Dam Yeti 55k stretched me to both ends of my limits – and I wouldn’t have it any other way. The moments of painful heels and sore feet are long forgotten (kinda) and the memories of friendly faces and a victorious finish are sealed forever in my mind and heart. These are the memories an ultramarathon should give a runner, and Dam Yeti 55k succeeded in doing so.
Jkelling’s love for critters is to blame for this new adventure. Did I find the opossum medal? Technically, yes. But, I was not the one to suggest a 50-miler in summer. Who decided to fly halfway across the country to a muggy, summer trail race? I will give you one guess. Nearly a month prior to the race, I made the gut wrenching decision to downgrade to the 55k. I made the decision after a particularly hard training run. I was heartbroken. I felt like I had failed. I felt like I had let down the best running partner anyone could ever ask for – ever. I am eternally grateful that I was wrong. (A girl can be wrong once in a while..) After some serious discernment, I knew the downgrade was the right decision. It was solidified when the extremely helpful race director, Jason Green, informed me that any downgrades had to be done prior to the race. I couldn’t risk a DNF. The 14:59:59 time limit for the 50-mile was cutting it a bit too close for this back of the packer. The 10:59:59 time limit for the 55k was much more up my alley. When I finished with a 10:38 time, I knew I made the right decision.
The vibe for the race was set at packet pickup. After a long and delayed flight, we arrived to laidback packet pickup party. We were there for the two-day challenge: 55k and 25k. We walked away with a white, cotton, short-sleeved tshirt, a light blue, tech hoodie, socks, and a large flag/blanket/curtain. I’m still not sure it’s intended purpose, but it’s in the car for emergencies, or bragging rights, or a story piece. There was also a professional photographer onsite that took amazing pictures of our smiling, yet anxious, faces.
The next morning, the 55k started at 7am, one hour after the 50-miler. I joined jkelling for his 6am start and the energy was pumping from the beginning. It felt awkward to not start by his side, but I knew we would be in communication and on the course together. As the first weekend in June, it was clear that summer had arrived. The tree-lined path was already warm and humid at the start.
With a start at the Virginia Creeper Trail head in Abingdon, the next stop was a small pit stop in Watagua, about four miles into the course. Next up is Alvarado, with a turnaround in Damascus. These were the aid stations, along with a few other unofficial ones by the locals and, then, of course, the magical Pepsi machine with firey Fireball. The aid stations volunteers were like no other ones. The 55k was a straight out and back. When I hit the Alvarado Barn for the second time, one of the volunteers didn’t even let me respond for my need for water. She took it off my back, filled it with ice water, and sent me on my way like a mama with her kindergartener on the first day of school. Yup, these volunteers are hands down some of the best ones I have ever encountered in my 300+ race career.
The physical and mental endurance is rewarded with some of the most picturesque trails and streaming waters. The soft gravel path led way to the bouncy wooden bridges. Running across the bridges and listening to the streaming water in the woods kept me motivated. The first 10 miles were a gradually downhill, which allowed me to shave 30 minutes from my scheduled time. It’s a good thing too, because I needed it on the slight uphills coming back. Most of the trail is shaded by trees, but there were some good sections, going into town and across a cow farm (yes, there were cows…and alpacas!) that allowed the sun to remind you summer had arrived.
Technically, I ran by myself, but I was never alone. Whether it was coming upon one of the 50-milers or rubberbanding with a 55k-er, I was never alone. On an ultra, strangers become new intimate friends. On the trail, you learn to share the road, paces, fuel and more importantly, stories. Our whys and how we got there may be different, but the bond is the same. We push ourselves. We support each other. We know that upon finishing, the medals and belt buckles are more than just hardware. They are the hard work of months and months of training. They are the symbols of what we have overcome, whether it is a heart attack, self-doubt or self-destruction. And if it’s a critter, or Yeti, it’s all that much better. I may roll my eyes at long training miles, and reserve the right to reconsider a two-day challenge (the 25k was a whole different experience…kinda), but I like the challenge of an ultra. I get to enjoy the outdoors for a longer period of time. Yes, Dam Yeti was a dam good time.
Worth making a trip for
I flew halfway across the country for this race because it has a opossum medal, and the only person I know who is insane enough to join me on such … MORE
I flew halfway across the country for this race because it has a opossum medal, and the only person I know who is insane enough to join me on such an adventure happened to also be the one who sent it to me. Reap what you sow ccruiz03! Expectations were low, honestly, I just really wanted the medal, so I was going to suck it up and attempt my first 50-miler. We’d trained for four months by the time the day arrived, and it was the first time in a very long time I was sickeningly nervous before a race, but more on that in a moment…
Pre-race communication was just the right amount if you favor the lower end. My inbox was never flooded, but all the relevant and necessary information got to me in a timely manner. While some races I like the hype and whatnot ahead of time, I really appreciated the level of comms from the RD here. The packet pickup was smooth, and there were kittens there for some reason I wasn’t entirely sure on, but having flown out there on a downgraded flight due to weather, it was nice to have something to smile about. In all honestly the swag is not my particular style, but it is high quality so I really wish I could give 4.5 shoes for that, but deducting a whole shoe because “Greatful Dead” just isn’t my thing seemed petty. The medal and belt buckle are gorgeous, richly designed and well-colored, with the 50-miler being a pretty thick raised design and the next day’s 25k being one of only two or three wooden medals that I actually really like. There’s a hoodie, a tshirt, and a big…table runner maybe? that we got, for the 2 races and challenge, and honestly I don’t remember which is what until I get them out of the wash, but the hoodie is lightweight enough that it’ll get some use in the winter.
This course is a modified out-and-back (and back?) that really works to keep people from getting TOO spaced out, as can sometimes happen with longer distances. Abingdon is the start. Then on to Watauga, then Alvarado, then Damascus, then back to Alvarado, turn around back to Damascus, then all the way back to Abingdon. The 55k starts an hour after we headed out, so despite having to do an additional turn around and out-and-back, their delay meant we got to run a lot of the course with them and a lot of us finished together…well…until I had to turn around at the finish line…more on that later. At the start of the race I felt horribly out of my league. I was profoundly happy to have ccruiz03 there with me, even if she was doing the other distance, because I had zero faith in my ability to hang in what was already starting to get a little muggier. The RD gave a great motivational speech and off we were…and everybody was just supremely energized to the point that the energy on the course was palatable, and we all fed off one another. Someone struck up conversation as soon as you fall in stride with them, and whether you fall back or they do, there’s someone else ready to fall in and lockstep with you right around the corner. The trail is called the Virginia Creeper. This is apparently because of the very gradual incline/decline between towns. The overall course is W-shaped, but you won’t really notice until the way back, when those little hills seem bigger than last time, but they never really develop into quad-burners.
Speaking of energy on the course. Justin, if you’re reading this brother, thanks for the company and the conversation, I hope you got the race you wanted. I accidentally PR’ed my half marathon, which, at the time would generally be considered a bad thing to do when you still have 37 more miles to go. I was running with a good group though, and I knew if I fell out I wouldn’t catch them again, so I accidentally PR’ed my 30k as well. At that point I just figured well this is fun, let’s make bad life choices, so I followed a group of runners on some intervals I had no business doing, and shaved over an hour off my marathon. Is the course conducive to such madness? Absolutely. Are the people massive contributors? Absolutely. From the people in the little towns we ran through to the exceptional aid station volunteers who honestly were running shop like it was their job, everybody was on point with the support.
The aid stations are stocked and stacked, and while I thought the turnaround back out to Damascus the second time would be disheartening, it honestly wasn’t, it was something I looked forward to, because that aid station was amazing, as were all the people working it, and all the people along the road who cheered or honked or created their own aid stations. Speaking of, I stopped twice to pose by the mystical Pepsi machine that blesses runners with fireball (and apple fireball), and while I’m sure that cost me 20 minutes, I regret nothing.
The run “home” was psychologically daunting, but the beautiful views and my now familiarity with them made every uphill or sideways bridge somehow move beautiful. The bridges are numbered so “only 13 more to go” and whatnot becomes a rallying cry as runners cross on the return.
When I crossed bridge 1 and entered the home stretch I knew I was in trouble. Not the kind I thought I’d be in, but with my Strava reading just past 47 miles at that point, I knew the course was going to be short. Less than 100m from the finish line I had to turn back out and log some extra miles. I don’t fault anybody who didn’t. The course was what it is and you ran it, but for me it was an integrity check, because I’d told too many people who believed in me that I was going to run 50 miles, I wanted the Strava to prove it. The good news is that allowed me to high five a great number of returning runners when I headed back out, and a couple of them looked like they could really use it. There were a lot of 55k people wrapping up their race as well, and shouting encouragement back and forth kept me going, albeit at a far slower pace. Talking to the people on their first ultra was inspiring. Talking to the people who were absolutely putting in the work and giving it all they had to finish was humbling. I’m so very proud to have shared the course with all of you, and I hope you got the race you wanted. When I passed ccruiz03 on the way out, I knew that the cost in time and money was worth it, and the “chipped but not broken” smile on both our faces meant we knew the end was near, and inevitable, and while the excitement was high enough for me to wish it never ended, the body was quite ready for it to do so. I got the race I wanted, and I hope you did, too.
The finish line had the best hotdogs I’ve ever had in my life. I think they were steamed, whatever, I don’t care, they were delicious. Fight me on it. There were California-style tacos for sale from a food truck, and I think some other snacks, but a short drive away is the Damascus Old Mill which gave us a seat on the river overlooking the ducks with some absolutely great portion sizes and delicious food, so we had to go. Plus with the 25k the next day, had to get some sleep sometime.
Honestly if I was just a short drive away I would do this race every year. I will do it again at some point. I don’t know when. Probably not next year, but not for lack of wanting. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Especially if you like opossums or vending machines.