Pilot Mountain to Hanging Rock Ultra & Relay
Danbury, NC
- 50 Miler, 50 Mile Relay, 50K
- Road (Paved), Trail (Unpaved)
- Official race website
The Pilot Mountain to Hanging Rock Ultra & Relay is more than a race—it’s a journey through two of North Carolina’s most beautiful state parks, a test of endurance, and a celebration of trail running community. Whether you’re in it for the challenge, the camaraderie, or the breathtaking scenery, PM2HR … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Sep 19):
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| H (°F) | 87 | 80 | 78 | 83 | 87 |
| L (°F) | 60 | 67 | 51 | 57 | 63 |
Find Nearby Lodging (hotel, rental, etc.):
Tough climbs
Overall Rating: Excellent. Course Difficulty: This course is moderately technical, but was very hard. Lots of steep climbs for a 50k and plenty of rocks and roots. It was dry … MORE
Overall Rating: Excellent.
Course Difficulty: This course is moderately technical, but was very hard. Lots of steep climbs for a 50k and plenty of rocks and roots. It was dry out, but if it had rained, there would have been 10-12 creek crossings where you would have e gotten to wade through, as it was we could rock hop across.
Course scenery: Good. A lot of shaded forest. Awesome run along the creek and bluffs. There were several road sections, but they also had good scenery.
Race Production: Great.
The race logistics on this one are challenging, no parking at the start or finish, but the shuttles were timely as explained beforehand. I have not run on a better marked course; never felt lost or confused. Packet pickup was at the finish line, which was way out there, but no issues. Aid stations didn’t have a ton of food options, but had tailwind and huma gels as expected….all good.
Race Swag: Nice hoodie, free photos, nice medal.
My Performance: This race was really hard for me, just the amount of power it took wore me out. With the heat I was figuring on an 8-9 hour finish and came in really close to that, so all good. I was able to get in the truck and drive 8hrs to an campsite afterward, but I was extremely tired.
Final notes: This is a hard race. I am surprised there weren’t more DNF’s, because it was hot. Even if it wasn’t hot, this race is a real challenge. Forget your PR, forget your plan, forget your training. If you decide to enter this one, focus on finishing and you can do it!