Eight 12.5-mile loops on the wide, well-groomed multi-use trails of William B. Umstead State Park in Raleigh — purpose-built to help 50-mile runners make the leap to their first 100, with severe topography, heat, and getting lost all deliberately removed as obstacles.
Quick facts
- Location: Camp Lapihio, William B. Umstead State Park, Raleigh, NC (start/finish)
- Date: Early April annually (2027 edition: April 3); start 6:30am Saturday
- Distance: 100 miles — eight 12.5-mile loops; 30-hour cutoff (soft cutoff 26 hours at mile 87.5)
- Website: umstead100.org
- Contact: Race Directors Chris Squires & Rhonda Hampton, via umstead100.org — organized by the North Carolina Ultra Running Association (NCURA)
- Registration: Via the official race website; a 50-mile finisher option is also available within the same event.
Course description
Eight repeats of a 12.5-mile loop entirely within William B. Umstead State Park, on wide (8-15 foot) multi-use running, biking, and horse trails with excellent footing. Each loop includes a short Headquarters Spur and a brief Airport Spur run only on the outbound leg. Race Headquarters, the start/finish, and the main aid station sit at Camp Lapihio, a Boy Scout group camp with a dining hall, showers, and primitive cabins. The course is explicitly designed to remove the usual obstacles to finishing a 100 — no severe topography, no extreme heat, and essentially no risk of getting lost — making it a common stepping stone many runners use before tackling races like Massanutten, Western States, Leadville, or Wasatch.
Elevation change
Approximately 8,000 feet of cumulative climb over the full 100 miles — a rolling-hills Piedmont course rather than a flat one, but gentle by mountain-ultra standards and consistent lap to lap.
Aid stations
Two full-service aid stations per loop — the Headquarters Aid Station at Camp Lapihio and “The Ptomaine Tavern” (AS#2) at the 7.15-mile mark — plus a “deluxe” water point at the Graylyn & Reedy Creek trail junction, passed twice per loop. With the aid stations and water point combined, runners are never more than 3.8 miles from a fluid stop. There are no medical checks before, during, or after the race; runners are responsible for their own health.
Special conditions & average temps
Early April in the North Carolina Piedmont typically brings mild, comfortable running weather — one of the reasons the race is considered such an approachable first 100. There is no formal awards ceremony; finisher mementos are handed out at the finish line, and 100-mile certificates and race statistics are mailed afterward.
Recent results — top 3, men & women
2026
- Men: 1. Brendan Connell 13:58:34 · 2. Caleb Clark 14:09:35 · 3. Jim Sweeney 14:52:12
- Women: 1. Sierra Degroff 16:32:12 · 2. Danielle Andolina 16:47:26 · 3. Amy Johnson 17:41:11
2025
- Men: 1. Brian Zickefoose 15:28:22 · 2. Christopher Miller 15:31:04 · 3. Silas Thompson 15:46:19
- Women: 1. Kate Pallardy 18:16:01 · 2. Jana Grindheim 18:46:52 · 3. April Bailey 19:06:00
2024
- Men: 1. Jim Sweeney 15:23:43 · 2. Brian Zickefoose 15:35:24 · 3. Brian Marshburn 15:56:37
- Women: 1. Tara Dower 14:58:21 (overall winner) · 2. Christina Marshall 19:16:38 · 3. Jamie Gurtov 21:22:21
Registration deadline & how to get in
Registration is handled through the official race website; check umstead100.org for the current year’s opening date and field cap, as this popular first-100 option tends to fill. No qualifying race is required to enter.
Traveling to this race? Find lodging near the venue via Hotels.com.