⏵ Course guide · North Georgia mountain 50K
Duncan Ridge Trail 50K packs more than 10,000 feet of elevation gain into an out-and-back on the Coosa Backcountry and Duncan Ridge Trails out of Vogel State Park, and it has a reputation as one of the toughest 50Ks in the Southeast. I will walk you through the course and cutoffs first, then give you a pacing and fueling plan built for serious mountain climbing. There are free calculators along the way to dial in your own numbers.
The official race site is not publicly browsable, so the course and cutoff figures above reflect the most recently documented running via UltraSignup. Confirm current details before you register.
Both distances start together at Vogel State Park before splitting onto different turnarounds, and both share the same demanding, climb-heavy character.
The 50K runs out on the Coosa Backcountry Trail and Duncan Ridge Trail to a turnaround at Fish Gap, around mile 15.5, then retraces the same route back to Vogel State Park. In the most recently documented running, this carried more than 10,000 feet of elevation gain over the full distance, serious vert for a 50K by any regional standard.
The 30K shares the same start and early miles as the 50K, then branches off at the White Oak Stomp aid station onto FS 39, returning to the finish via Wolf Pen Gap. It is a shorter day than the 50K, but still on the same demanding North Georgia mountain terrain.
In the most recently documented running, seven aid stations were spread across the course, stocked with water, sports drink, and snacks. All proceeds from the race go back to the park volunteers who help make it happen every year.
With cutoffs described as strictly enforced in the most recently documented running, respect for the clock matters as much as fitness on this course.
The mile 15.5 turnaround carried a 5 hour (12:30 PM) cutoff in the most recently documented running. With more than 10,000 feet of gain likely front-loaded into that outbound stretch, build in real margin rather than planning to arrive right at the deadline. Use the grade-adjusted pace calculator to set an honest climbing pace rather than a flat-ground number.
The 9 hour (4:30 PM) cutoff at aid station 7 near mile 27.5 leaves real time for the final miles once you clear the turnaround, but do not assume the way back is easier just because it is the same trail. Use the race-time calculator to sanity-check your full-distance plan against the published cutoffs.
⏵ Free tools to plan your effort
More than 10,000 feet of gain on a 50K takes real fueling discipline, especially with cutoffs to respect along the way.
Sustained climbing burns through glycogen faster than flat running, so plan your carbohydrate intake around the effort you are putting out, not just your mileage. Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour while moving and sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range, and use the seven aid stations from the most recently documented running as your general restocking plan.
Vogel State Park sits well up in the North Georgia mountains, and late November mornings there can run cold even if the afternoon warms up. Plan your hydration and layering together, since cold-weather races can mask real fluid loss.
⏵ Build your fueling plan
Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight and this much vert with the free ultra fueling calculator. Browse the rest of the free running tools at the tools hub.
⏵ Train for it with Summit Line
Get a training plan built around YOUR fitness and more than 10,000 feet of real North Georgia climbing. Summit Line reads your real training, builds the vert-specific durability this course demands, and rehearses your fueling so race day is something you execute, not guess at.
Very. In the most recently documented running, the 50K carried more than 10,000 feet of elevation gain over an out-and-back route on the Coosa Backcountry and Duncan Ridge Trails, and it is widely regarded as one of the toughest 50Ks in the Southeast. This is not a course that eases you in: expect sustained climbing on rugged North Georgia mountain trail for the entire distance.
In the most recently documented running, the published cutoffs were 5 hours (12:30 PM) at the mile 15.5 Fish Gap turnaround and 9 hours (4:30 PM) at aid station 7 near mile 27.5, described as strictly enforced, with a 10 hour overall course-open window. These figures come from the event's UltraSignup listing rather than a direct fetch of the current-year page, so confirm the exact current cutoffs at registration before you commit to a finish-time strategy.
Both distances share the same out-and-back start on the Coosa Backcountry and Duncan Ridge Trails. The 50K continues to a turnaround at Fish Gap around mile 15.5 before returning the same way. The 30K instead branches off at the White Oak Stomp aid station via FS 39 and returns through Wolf Pen Gap, a shorter route that still shares the bulk of the course's climbing character.
With more than 10,000 feet of climbing packed into the 50K, this is a genuinely demanding fueling day even before you account for the November mountain weather. In the most recently documented running, seven aid stations offered water, sports drink, and snacks along the route. Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour while moving and sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range, and build your own numbers with the free ultra fueling calculator around a realistic finish time for this much vert.
Rugged North Georgia mountain trail with sustained, real climbing rather than smooth, runnable singletrack. With more than 10,000 feet of gain packed into a 50K, expect a technical, foot-intensive day where hiking the steep sections is a normal and often faster strategy than trying to run every climb.
Not really, at least not the 50K. More than 10,000 feet of elevation gain and cutoffs described as strictly enforced make this a serious step up from an entry-level trail ultra, and it has a strong reputation as one of the toughest 50Ks in the Southeast. If you want to experience the race with a smaller first step, the 30K covers a shorter version of the same demanding terrain, but come with real hill training regardless of which distance you choose.
Link this guide
Race directors and clubs: link or embed this guide anywhere. It stays current.
<a href="https://runsummitline.com/guides/duncan-ridge-trail-50k-30k">The Duncan Ridge Trail 50K / 30K course guide</a><iframe src="https://runsummitline.com/embed/race/duncan-ridge-trail-50k-30k" style="width:100%;max-width:420px;height:180px;border:0;" loading="lazy" title="Duncan Ridge Trail 50K / 30K course guide by Summit Line"></iframe>This guide is independent and for planning only. The official race site is not publicly browsable, so the course, start-time, and cutoff details here reflect the most recently documented running and can change year to year. Confirm the current specifics on UltraSignup before you register or run. The fueling and pacing advice is general and not medical advice.
The timeline
Get the week-by-week countdown for this race: when to build, when to peak, when to taper.
One email with the timeline, plus training notes for this race. Unsubscribe any time.