Welcome to the Continental Divide Trail Race website.  This is our first year, and we are excited to be hosting the 10Km Trail National Championship.   As in any championship race, there will be elite runners, but this does not mean that it is only open to elite runners.  This race is for everyone.  Regardless of speed or fitness level, this race is for any runner who loves the thrill of the race, the beauty of the trail and the satisfaction of meeting a challenge head on, and it will be a challenge.

The race is set in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, an area known for its terrific mountain trails, panoramic views, and deep-rooted Appalachian culture. Our course begins in a grassy clearing overlooking some of the oldest mountains on our planet and snakes its way up and down technical and primitive trails for a total elevation change of 3100 feet.  The course is a challenging one with very steep climbs and plenty of rocks, roots and stumps to make the experience an interesting one.  The course climbs a total of 1550 feet, and 10K runners will loop the course twice before finishing in the same grassy field where the race began. 

Comments from 2009:

“I must say, I came away with a feeling that the course is one of my all time favorites for it’s style: the constant terrain changes, and relentlessly up and down nature (I never enjoy the flats, and there were none on this course!)  I think the wetness and softness was actually a treat for me as well coming from the hardness of the Rocky Mountain trails…

 

I thoroughly enjoyed coming to North Carolina for my first time and seeing the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains – we took a detour drive on the Blue Ridge Hwy on our way to Charlotte – spectacular.  Our small Colorado contingent had a good time!”

- Lisa Goldsmith