Iron Mountain Trail Run
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About the race
The Iron Mountain Trail Run is organized by IMTR and starts and finishes at Damascus Town Park in Damascus, VA. The event is usually USATF sanctioned and offers four distance options:
- 16 miles
- 30 miles
- 40 miles
- 50 miles
The route follows much of the Iron Mountain ridgeline through Jefferson National Forest along trail sections that formerly were part of the Appalachian Trail. Footing varies from open running on the VA Creeper Trail and forest service roads to technical single track. The 50 mile course has about 8000 feet of total climb. Official time limits are 8 hours for 16 miles, 10 hours for 30 miles, and 12 hours for the 40 and 50 mile distances.
Due to damage from Hurricane Helene, the Creeper Trail through Damascus is not open for use. Runners will initially follow streets and sidewalks through town before accessing the Iron Mountain Trail, and the race will be an out and back this year except for the easternmost portion of the 40 and 50 mile routes. This adjustment makes the course about 2 miles shorter than normal. Trail conditions may be worse than in previous years and further changes are possible.
For 2026 the organizer planned registration to open on June 1. Early fees and refund, transfer, and deferral policies are stated for that year; race fees include on-course aid and a post race meal and race shirts are an additional fee. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
