The East Coast’s oldest 100-miler, run every June since 1979 — a mix of pavement, gravel, singletrack, ATV trail, and stream crossings through the Massanutten and Blue Ridge mountains out of Woodstock, Virginia. Started as a runner’s alternative to a horse endurance ride, it’s been “a reason to get strong” ever since.
Quick facts
- Location: Shenandoah County Fairgrounds, Woodstock, VA (start/finish)
- Date: First weekend of June annually (2027 edition: June 5); start 4:00am
- Distance: 100 miles; 28-hour cutoff (sub-24-hour finish earns the sterling silver buckle)
- Website: olddominionrun.com
- Contact: Olddominionrun@gmail.com, 540-933-6901
- Registration: Via the official race site. 100% volunteer-run, no sponsors.
Course description
Starting at 4am from the Shenandoah County Fairgrounds, the first six miles wind through historic Woodstock before reaching the Shenandoah River at Burnshire Dam, crossed by bridge en route to the course’s first major ascent — a steep gravel switchback climb to Woodstock Gap into the George Washington National Forest. From there the course covers a genuine mix of terrain: pavement, gravel roads, singletrack trail, ATV trails, logging roads, rocks, and streams, with seven significant climbs threaded through the Massanutten and Blue Ridge mountains. Notable sections include Sherman Gap and Veach Gap, with runners passing through a final medical checkpoint at Elizabeth Furnace by midnight. Founded in 1979, it’s the East Coast’s oldest 100-mile race and the second-oldest 100-miler in the country after Western States.
Elevation change
Approximately 13,000 feet of total elevation gain and loss across seven significant climbs — demanding but more moderate than some of its Massanutten-area neighbors, with a genuine mix of runnable road and technical mountain trail.
Aid stations
23 aid stations support the course, with crew access points throughout and an array of volunteers — a well-supported race despite its all-volunteer, no-sponsor roots.
Special conditions & average temps
Early June in the Shenandoah Valley typically brings warm, humid days and mild nights, with the mixed pavement-and-trail terrain testing a different set of muscles than a pure trail course. The race has run nearly every year since 1979, with only the 2020 edition canceled. The event proudly keeps its 1980s-and-90s ultrarunning roots — “just like our fellow ultrarunners… but with better gear.”
Recent results — top 3, men & women
2026
- Men: 1. Olivier Leblond 17:33:28 · 2. Siqi Wu 17:42:00 · 3. Shawn McDermott 19:18:04
- Women: 1. Tatiana Rypinski 20:40:29 · 2. Victoria Haynes 20:47:05 · 3. Laura Trissel 21:26:59
2025
- Men: 1. Andrew Simpson 15:33:55 · 2. Scott Gleason 18:34:50 · 3. Michael O’Rourke 18:59:08
- Women: 1. Whitney Richman 18:39:22 · 2. Justyna Wilson 19:10:36 · 3. Laura Dukes 23:14:47
2024
- Men: 1. John Kelly 15:44:49 · 2. Butch Slabach 16:56:59 · 3. Benjamin Linne 18:20:53
- Women: 1. Steph Hill 20:11:38 · 2. Bridget Donaldson 20:54:14 · 3. Anna Curtis 21:17:00
Registration deadline & how to get in
Registration is handled through the official race website; check olddominionrun.com for the current year’s opening date and entry process. As one of the sport’s founding 100-milers, it draws a mix of history-minded veterans and runners chasing the East Coast’s original silver buckle.
Traveling to this race? Find lodging near the venue via Hotels.com.