Grindstone 100M

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 1006m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• The finish is runnable. Save your legs to run it all the way.
• Long race. Control your HR and effort. Early mistakes cost the most.
• Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 113km, then run your race pace.
• Start · 0.0km–1.6km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.6km–27.8km · Climb of 631m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Work · 27.8km–85.6km · Descent of 1006m averaging 9%, descent of 553m averaging 6%, descent of 386m averaging 9%. Plus 2 more climbs. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Fade · 85.6km–148km · Descent of 727m averaging 9%, high point 1329m, descent of 478m averaging 10%, climb of 629m. Plus 2 more climbs and 1 descent. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 148km–167km · 19.3km of runnable trail. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.

Course

By gradient, 37% of the distance is uphill, 34% downhill and 29% flat. The longest climb runs 10.1km at an average 5.2% grade (526m of vertical). The longest descent runs 11.0km at an average 9.3% grade (1024m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 28.7% over 0.4km. The steepest descent drops at 27.3% over 0.3km. Surface: 64% trail, 29% smooth, and 7% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 228.5 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Little Bald Knob (1320m), 137km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Hankey Mountain (1051m). The course also passes close to Door Knob (1038m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 15.8km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 62 of 100), with 44% of the load in the first half: 5 critical descents, the last of them run on already damaged legs. Downhill-specific preparation and a controlled early pace pay off here.

• Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 113km, then run your race pace.
• #1 · 42.0–52.7 km · 1006 m D−, -9.4% · 114.6 km ahead → control
• #3 · 66.3–75.6 km · 553 m D−, -6.0% · 91.7 km ahead → control
• #4 · 81.1–85.6 km · 386 m D−, -8.5% · 81.7 km ahead → control
• #2 · 89.8–97.7 km · 727 m D−, -9.2% · 69.7 km ahead → control
• #5 · 107.8–112.5 km · 478 m D−, -10.2% · 54.8 km ahead → control
• 137.0–148.0 km · 1024 m D−, -9.3% · 19.3 km ahead → your pace

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 14°C to 23°C, with around 10°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 30%.

Results

109 finishers completed the 2025 edition. Men's winner: Christopher Sobie (United States) in 21:47:22. Women's winner: Isabelle Danforth (United States) in 26:36:23.