Grindstone 100M

Results: 2026

UTMB's result list includes entries without a finish time, so no finisher count is recorded here. iRunFar's weekly roundup reports the same winners.

Source: UTMB World — Grindstone by UTMB 2026, 100M results. Checked September 24, 2026.

Next edition: September 24, 2027. The 2027 festival runs September 23–26, with the 100-mile starting Friday, September 24; priority registration opens November 3, 2026, and general registration November 5, both at noon ET.

Event Overview

A 104-mile mountain loop west of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley with roughly 21,000 ft of climbing and a 36-hour limit.

Course & Terrain

Mountain loop from Natural Chimneys Park using forest roads, ridgelines, and technical singletrack.

Key course features to know before comparing this race:

• Reddish Knob, reached by a 3,012-ft climb from Wolf Ridge on the first night
• The Wild Oak National Recreation Trail over Grindstone, Lookout and Hankey Mountains
• Elliott Knob, the course high point, followed by a 2,000-ft drop in 2 miles on Cold Springs Trail
• The steep Horse Trough climb late in the race
• A finish beneath the limestone spires of Natural Chimneys

Grindstone is a big loop with out-and-back spurs through the George Washington National Forest. After an easy opening over Narrow Back Mountain, the course climbs 3,012 ft in 9 miles from Wolf Ridge to Reddish Knob, picks up the Wild Oak National Recreation Trail over Grindstone, Lookout and Hankey Mountains to Dowells Draft, then crosses Crawford Knob to climb Elliott Knob, the course high point, before dropping about 2,000 ft in 2 miles on Cold Springs Trail. The return passes Dowells Draft again, descends Magic Moss, follows a short gravel stretch, climbs the steep Horse Trough to rejoin the Wild Oak Trail and crosses Narrow Back Mountain once more on the Tillman Trail before running down Lick Run to the finish. Expect rocky ridgeline singletrack and dirt roads that may carry OHV and 4x4 traffic. The 100-mile course is marked with pink flags and ribbons, reflective at night, and GPS watches can read up to a mile off under the tree canopy.

The organizer warns that late-September conditions here range from hot to snow on the summits and may require a Hot or Cold Weather Kit, decided a few days before the race. Because of the 6 PM start, most runners spend two nights on course. Race reports show the swing: in 2014 rain fell for a few hours after the start and Saturday night turned windy, with temperatures in the low 30s°F at elevation (VHTRC), and in 2023 Tropical Storm Ophelia brought sideways rain, fog, strong gusts and mid-30s temperatures on the exposed summits.

Format & Support (as run)

Why This Race Matters

Clark Zealand founded Grindstone in 2008, and Krissy Moehl’s 21:54:09 at that first race stood as the fastest women’s time for 18 years. Through 2022 the race was based at Camp Shenandoah, a Boy Scout camp in Swoope, and ran a roughly 101.85-mile out-and-back over Elliott Knob and Reddish Knob with a 38-hour limit and a 6 PM Friday start that was rare among North American 100s. In 2023 it became the Grindstone Trail Running Festival by UTMB, part of the UTMB World Series, and moved to Natural Chimneys Park on a 104-mile course. Karl Meltzer’s 17:13:04 from 2012 is still the fastest time at any Grindstone, and in 2026 Katti Jackson placed fourth overall in 21:46:37, the fastest women’s run in race history.

Historical benchmark notes in the directory record (verify current records with the linked official sources):

• Men: Karl Meltzer, 17:13:04, 2012 (former Camp Shenandoah course)
• Women: Katti Jackson, 21:46:37, 2026
• Men, Natural Chimneys course (since 2023): Mike McMonagle, 19:10:06, 2023

Preparing for a Race Like Grindstone 100M

The 100-mile race guide covers the format as a whole. These guides go deeper:

• Walking strategy for ultramarathons: When and how to walk by terrain, effort and cutoffs.
• Crew and aid-station strategy: Crew tables, aid stops, drop bags and runner preferences.
• Gut training for ultrarunners: A six-week practice sequence for race-day fueling.
• Tapering for ultramarathons: Plan the taper and race week around your own recovery.

Best Fit

• Experienced 100-mile runners ready for about 21,000 ft of climbing on rocky Appalachian ridgelines
• Runners chasing UTMB Running Stones and a Western States qualifier in one East Coast race
• Night runners: the 6 PM Friday start keeps most of the field out for two nights

Planning Notes

• Prepare for sleep decisions, weather swings, and aid-station discipline. The distance is only one part of a multi-day fixed-distance race.
• Treat intermediate cutoff gates as part of the course. Build enough margin for aid stops and late-race slowdown, and verify every current gate in the official rules.
• Train for terrain-specific fatigue. Technical trails and mountain courses demand downhill durability, hiking efficiency, and reliable night lighting.
• The directory does not mark this as having simpler logistics. Confirm qualification, terrain, support, registration, medical, and withdrawal requirements before planning around it.

Event FAQs

Related Preparation

• Compare verified US 100-mile races
• Compare this race in the full 2026 calendar
• Open the 100-Mile format guide
• Open the Fixed-Distance format guide
• Compare all race formats
• Use the timed-race pace calculator
• Plan checkpoint arrivals and cutoff buffers
• Print a pace band for your goal time
• Estimate race calories and plan fueling
• Build a crew and drop-bag plan
• Build a race-specific gear checklist