⏵ Course guide · Fraziers Bottom to Ona, West Virginia
Kanawha Trace is a point-to-point single-track race on a historic trail dating to 1962, running from Fraziers Bottom to BSA Camp Arrowhead in Ona, West Virginia, across 50K, 25K, and 10K distances. I will walk you through the terrain and the point-to-point logistics, then give you a pacing and fueling plan with free calculators to dial in your own numbers.
These facts come from the official WVMTR race page. Check the current year details before you commit. Race logistics can change year to year.
The race runs point-to-point from Fraziers Bottom to BSA Camp Arrowhead in Ona, crossing Putnam, Mason, and Cabell counties along mostly single-track trail.
The official course description reads like a checklist of classic Appalachian trail features: ridges and bridges, creek crossings, a tunnel, meadows, and a scenic waterfall. That variety keeps the miles interesting, but it also means constantly shifting terrain rather than one consistent surface.
The Kanawha Trace itself dates to 1962 and follows former bison and Native American trails through the region. Running this race means covering ground with genuine historical depth, not a modern-cut race-only route.
Because the race finishes at BSA Camp Arrowhead rather than looping back to the start, plan your parking or shuttle logistics ahead of time by checking the current official page rather than assuming a simple single-lot setup like a loop course would have.
With no elevation gain figure or cutoff published as of this guide, build your pacing plan around the varied single-track terrain and confirm hard numbers once the current year's page is live.
Features like a tunnel and multiple creek crossings are natural spots to lose time if you are not expecting them. Build a small time buffer into your pace plan for these terrain features rather than pacing off flat-mile math alone.
⏵ Free tools to plan your effort
Aid station detail was not published on the official race page, so plan to carry more of your own nutrition than you might on a heavily aided course until you can confirm current aid spacing.
Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour and sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range across the 50K, adjusted for late-March West Virginia temperatures, which can still run cool. Carry a bit more buffer than usual on the point-to-point sections between confirmed aid.
⏵ Build your fueling plan
Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight, your goal time, and a late-March West Virginia day 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 the varied single-track terrain of Kanawha Trace. Summit Line reads your real training, builds toward the distance you choose, and rehearses your fueling so race day is something you execute, not guess at.
The course is mostly single-track winding through Putnam, Mason, and Cabell counties, crossing ridges and bridges, through creeks, a tunnel, and meadows, and past a scenic waterfall. Elevation gain was not published on the official page, so treat the terrain description itself as your main guide: expect real single-track technicality over 31 miles rather than a flat, runnable course.
Cutoff times were not published on the official WVMTR race page as of this guide. Check wvmtr.org directly once registration opens for the current year to confirm cutoffs before you build your pacing plan.
Yes. The race starts in Fraziers Bottom and finishes at BSA Camp Arrowhead in Ona, West Virginia, crossing three counties along the way. Point-to-point logistics mean you need a plan for parking or a shuttle rather than the simpler single-lot setup of a loop course, so check the official page for the current transportation details.
West Virginia Mountain Trail Runners (WVMTR) organizes the race, with Bob Luther listed as race director. WVMTR is the same club behind other regional trail races in the state, so their events tend to share consistent organization and volunteer support.
The single-track terrain and point-to-point format ask for more logistics planning than a loop course, but the historic Kanawha Trace itself, dating to 1962 and following former bison and Native American trails, makes for a genuinely scenic first ultra if you are comfortable navigating creek crossings, a tunnel, and varied single-track without repeated aid-station familiarity.
For the 2026 edition, registration opened December 1, 2025 through UltraSignUp. Expect a similar early-December opening for future editions, though you should confirm the exact date on wvmtr.org once it is published.
The Kanawha Trace itself was created in 1962 and follows former bison and Native American trails through the region. Running the race means covering a route with real historical depth, not just a modern-built race course.
Link this guide
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<a href="https://runsummitline.com/guides/kanawha-trace-50k-25k-10k">The Kanawha Trace 50K / 25K / 10K course guide</a><iframe src="https://runsummitline.com/embed/race/kanawha-trace-50k-25k-10k" style="width:100%;max-width:420px;height:180px;border:0;" loading="lazy" title="Kanawha Trace 50K / 25K / 10K course guide by Summit Line"></iframe>This guide is independent and for planning only. The format, date, and course come from public sources and can change year to year, so confirm the current specifics with the official race before you register or run. The fueling and pacing advice is general and not medical advice.
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