The Tough Mudder: Trail running with a side of sadistic torture. 

It takes strong legs and an iron will to get you over the hills and through the woods at these toughest trail races in the Blue Ridge.

The Gauntlet — 5 Mi
Boone, N.C. • September 24
The length of this extreme trail race at Cooper’s Farm in Boone is actually 4.3 miles, but what time you save in distance you’ll most certainly lose trying to conquer daunting man-made obstacles along the course. Runners battle wooden walls, a massive mud pit, and giant hay bales, as well as multiple creek crossings and a lung-busting hill climb known as “The Monster.”
thegauntletrun.com
Also try: Gunter’s Grunt and Grind Guntersville, Ala. • October 15

Rock 2 Rock — 10K
Black Mountain, N.C. • May 2012
Add 60 percent to your typical 10K time on this course, which climbs literally straight uphill for the first three miles. In addition to the punishing elevation gain, the terrain tests runners with gnarly terrain filled with roots, rocks, and low limbs.
rock2rockrun.com 
Also try: Hickory Mountain 10K Brevard, N.C. • October 1

Battle at Big Creek — 15k
Roswell, Ga. • November 5
The elevation gain of the Big Creek Park trails is relatively mild, but the Battle’s technical course promises to keep you guessing. You’ll scamper around plenty of rocks and sneaky roots along this nine-mile course at one of metro Atlanta’s most scenic escapes.
dirtyspokes.com
Also try: Paris Mountain 15K Greenville, S.C. • November 5

Conestoga Trail Run — 10 mi
Holtwood, Pa. • September 25
Branded a trail race with 10 “hillish” miles— the toughest on the East Coast—the Conestoga Trail Run gains a breathtaking 3,000 feet as it traverses the rugged rural hill country of south-central Pennsylvania.
lrrclub.org
Also try: Mountwood 10-Mile Challenge Parkersburg, W.Va. • September 17

Shut-In Ridge Run — 18 mi
Asheville, N.C. • November 6
Runners climb over 5,000 feet on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail from the North Carolina Arboretum near Asheville to the Mount Pisgah trailhead on a burly 17.8-mile course of insanely technical singletrack. Expect to walk.
shutinridgerun.com 
Also Try: Big South Fork 17.5 Mile Trail Race Oneida, Tenn. • September 24

Mystery Mountain — Marathon
Chattanooga, Tenn. • October 9 
Flat is not a word associated with the Mystery Mountain Marathon, which takes place at Fort Mountain State Park. Over 26.2 miles, runners endure 15,000 feet of elevation change through a relentless course that’s rewarded with vast panoramic North Georgia mountain views.
getguts.com
Also Try: Twisted Ankle Marathon Summerville, Ga. • May 2012 

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