Pelham, AL, United States · Saturday, December 5, 2026

Fixed Distance 50 mi

Blood Rock 50 Mile Endurance Race

80 days away

80 km Distance

3,000 m Climbing

8.5 Grit · Elite / extreme

33.2857° N, 86.8100° W© OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap

What the course asks

Climbing rate 38 m / km Rolling. Moderate undulations. Requires consistent effort across varying grades.

Time limit 22 hours 16:30 min/km average. Generous. Walkable throughout for most of the field. Among the most forgiving 50 mi cut-offs we track. Measured against 455 races of the same distance. Cut-off calculator →

Field size ~67 Mid-sized. Company early, well spread out by halfway.

DUV results for the 2025 edition (50mi) — finishers only. Starters are not published, so the field was at least this big and no finish rate can be given.

Typical conditions, December

Daytime high 13°C

Night low 2°C

Rainfall Showers likely

Daylight 10 h 04 m of light

Regional 2001-2020 average for December — NASA POWER, grid elevation 171 m. Not a forecast.

The Aid Station

Course-specific beta from the community

⛰️ terrain

This is a rolling course. Expect fast, runnable sections where rhythm is key.

By UltraHub Expert

👟 gear

With trail terrain, choose a shoe with moderate cushioning for optimal performance.

By UltraHub Expert

Gear for this race

Chosen for 80 km of trail with 3,000 m of ascent.

Trail Running Shoes38 m of climb per kilometre — grip and rock protection before cushioning.
Race Nutrition80 km of self-supported fuelling between aid stations.
Hydration VestsPole attachment and chest-strap stability on steep ground.
Trekking Poles3,000 m of ascent to walk up.
HeadlampsA 22 h limit puts you out there after dark.

Salomon

Aero Glide 4 Grvl

$159.95 ★★★★★ 4.5

Adidas

Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra

★★★★★ 4.5

Maurten

Gel 100

Hydrogel technology for 25g carbs per gel with minimal GI distress.

$3.5 ★★★★★ 4.7

Salomon

ADV Skin 12

Industry-standard 12L race vest with front flask pockets and minimal bounce.

$180 ★★★★★ 4.8

Komperdell

Carbon Ultralight Vario 4

4-section folding carbon poles with compact pack size for mandatory gear.

$160 ★★★★★ 4.5

Petzl

NAO RL

1500-lumen reactive lighting headlamp with 15-hour runtime. Automatic brightness adjustment.

$150 ★★★★★ 4.7

All gear guides →

Course Notes

This is a very difficult and demanding race with very generous cutoffs. There are some very steep climbs and descents. Some trails are backcountry trails that receive very limited or no use at all.

Similar races

Other 50 mi trail ultras, closest in distance first.