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North Carolina · Old Fort
Hellbender
May 14, 2027(projected)WSHR
Qualifier status per the 2026 lists
Founded in 2018 at Camp Grier in Old Fort, North Carolina, Hellbender 100 covers 102.3 miles through the Black Mountains — 75.7 miles of trail, 15.4 of gravel, and 9.4 of pavement — with 20,000+ feet of gain over East Coast technical rocks and roots. Starting and finishing at 1,500 feet, the route climbs to 5,408 feet at Graybeard Mountain, with Mt. Mitchell, the highest summit east of the Mississippi, visible beyond. Entry requires an 8-hour volunteer commitment. The 40-hour cutoff and dual Hardrock and Western States qualifier status draw serious mountain runners. In 2025, 138 finished.
The numbers
Race statistics
- Distance
- 100 mi
- Vertical gain
- 25,000 ft
- Course
- Out & back
- Unique miles
- 79 mi
- Entry fee
- $400
- Lottery
- No
- Sub-24 hr
- 1%
- Avg finishers
- 95
250 ft / mi
of finishers
per year
◈ From the runners