Captain Thurmond's Challenge
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Captain Thurmond's Challenge 2026
Captain Thurmond’s Challenge 2026 is a three-sport, 32 mile loop event held on June 27, 2026, in Fayetteville, West Virginia, inside New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. The course starts and finishes downtown in front of the county court house at 125 North Court Street and passes through park trails, cliffs, and river sections. The event order is mountain biking, a river section, then trail running.
Course, divisions and logistics
- 16 miles mountain bike
- 7 miles river
- 9.5 miles run
The mountain bike leg is a point-to-point route from downtown Fayetteville to the Cunard River Access, using Town Park Loop, Fayetteville Trail, Dalton, Craigs Branch, and Kaymoor Trail. The river leg runs from Cunard to Fayette Station on the New River and includes Class III-IV rapids, wave trains, and technical features; safety teams will be at key points. Allowed river craft include kayaks, packrafts, canoes, and rafts. Required river gear includes a helmet and a minimum Type III PFD, and competency in whitewater environments. The run leaves the Fayette Station take-out, climbs to Kaymoor Top, completes the Clovis Loop, then follows Timber Ridge and Town Park Loop back to downtown.
Divisions include Men’s and Women’s Solo, 3-person relays (men, women, mixed), and raft teams of 4–6 participants (men, women, mixed). Raft team registration may include a raft, certified guide, and safety gear, or teams may bring their own. Organizers provide gear transport for bikes, kayaks/canoes, rafts, and personal gear, and shuttle reservations must be submitted by the specified deadline to allow logistical planning. Spectator points are listed for downtown Start/Finish, Kaymoor Miners Trail parking, Cunard River Access, and Fayette Station River Access. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
