⏵ Course guide · Northwest Georgia institution
The Twisted Ankle Trail Race has sent runners up Becky's Bluff at James H. "Sloppy Floyd" State Park for 20 years, with a 5K, 10 mile, and half marathon lineup, plus a one-time 20-mile "Double the Fun" distance for the 2026 anniversary. I will walk you through the climb and the course first, then give you a pacing and fueling plan for Northwest Georgia terrain, plus free tools to dial in your own numbers.
These facts come from the official Twisted Ankle Trail Race site. Check the current year details and registration window before you commit. Race logistics change year to year.
All distances share the same start and a trip toward Marble Mine, then split based on whether you are climbing Becky's Bluff or not.
The 5K heads toward the Marble Mine Trail, past Marble Mine itself, down toward the lake trail, and onto the Primitive Campsite Trail, following red course markers the whole way. It is the introductory option, no Becky's Bluff climb, ideal if you want a feel for the park's wide trails and singletrack without the signature ascent.
The 10-mile course heads toward the lower lake via a paved service road and the Blueberry Trail, then climbs to Becky's Bluff via the Marble Mine Trail before descending off the ridge, following blue course markers. The half marathon runs the same 10-mile course and then returns to finish the 5K loop as well, for 13.1 total miles and two very different trail experiences stacked together.
New for the 2026, 20th-anniversary race, the 20-mile "Double the Fun" option runs the 10-mile course twice, meaning two full climbs of Becky's Bluff in one day. It is offered for 2026 only, a special way to mark two decades of the race's signature climb.
Whether you climb the bluff once or twice, how you pace the approach and the climb itself decides how the rest of your race feels.
A grade-adjusted pace target for the Becky's Bluff climb gives you an honest number for the effort rather than guessing from feel on a course you may not have run before. If you are running the 20-mile double, this matters even more: your first trip up the bluff sets the tone for whether the second one is manageable or miserable.
If this is your first Twisted Ankle, the 5K or 10-mile options let you learn the Marble Mine and Becky's Bluff terrain at lower stakes before committing to the half marathon or the special 20-mile double in a future year.
⏵ Free tools to pace this course
Most distances here are short enough that hydration matters more than a structured carbohydrate plan, with one exception.
Northwest Georgia in September still runs warm and often humid. For these distances, arrive well hydrated and drink to thirst on course rather than worrying about a per-hour carbohydrate target.
Two trips up Becky's Bluff over 20 miles crosses into short-ultra territory. Aim for roughly 30 to 50 grams of carbohydrate per hour and plan your hydration around both climbs, not just the first one, since the second trip up the bluff will hit differently on tired legs and lower reserves.
⏵ Build your fueling plan
If you are tackling the 20-mile double, get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight and goal time 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 race-day plan built around YOUR fitness and this exact Becky's Bluff course profile, whether you are racing the 5K or taking on the 20-mile double. Summit Line reads your real training and builds a plan for a real climb so race day is something you execute, not guess at.
The signature challenge is Becky's Bluff, a climb that every distance except the 5K takes on, with the 20-mile "Double the Fun" option taking it twice by running the 10-mile course loop back to back. Expect wide trails mixed with singletrack, rocks and roots, and a real climb rather than gentle rolling terrain. It is a grassroots race, not a mountain ultra, but Becky's Bluff has earned its reputation over 20 years for a reason.
Becky's Bluff is the defining climb of the Twisted Ankle Trail Race, a bluff that the 10-mile, half marathon, and 20-mile "Double the Fun" runners all summit, with a short stretch on the Pinhoti Trail at the top. The 2026 race marks 20 years of Becky's Bluff, and the special 20-mile distance being offered that year exists specifically to let veteran runners climb it twice in one day.
The core lineup is a 5K, a roughly 10-mile race, and a half marathon (13.1 miles), all at James H. "Sloppy Floyd" State Park. For 2026 only, celebrating 20 years of Becky's Bluff, the race adds a one-time 20-mile "Double the Fun" distance that completes the 10-mile course twice, meaning two full trips up the bluff.
Most runners here are racing the 5K, 10 mile, or half marathon, distances that rarely require a structured carbohydrate plan beyond normal race-day hydration. If you are running the new 20-mile "Double the Fun" option, treat it more like a short ultra: aim for roughly 30 to 50 grams of carbohydrate per hour and hydrate deliberately, since Northwest Georgia in September still runs warm and humid.
Expect wide trails and some singletrack through the 561-acre park's forested terrain, with a run up to Marble Mine on every distance and, for the 10-mile, half, and 20-mile runners, the climb up Becky's Bluff with a short stretch on the Pinhoti Trail at the top. It is rocky and root-strewn in places, the kind of course that rewards trail-savvy footwork over flat-ground speed.
Yes, especially the 5K or 10-mile options, both approachable distances at a well-established, grassroots, community event now in its 20th year. If you want a taste of Becky's Bluff without committing to the half marathon or the special 20-mile double, the 10-mile course gives you the signature climb in a shorter, more forgiving package.
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<a href="https://runsummitline.com/guides/twisted-ankle-trail-race">The Twisted Ankle Trail Race course guide</a><iframe src="https://runsummitline.com/embed/race/twisted-ankle-trail-race" style="width:100%;max-width:420px;height:180px;border:0;" loading="lazy" title="Twisted Ankle Trail Race course guide by Summit Line"></iframe>This guide is independent and for planning only. The course details, dates, and registration windows 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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