Mount Mitchell Heartbreaker
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Event overview
The Mount Mitchell Heartbreaker is a trail running event held at Camp Grier in Old Fort, North Carolina on March 21, 2026. It offers two distances:
- ~50 miles
- ~55 kilometres
Elevation gain is listed as approximately 12,000 ft for the 50 miler and 7,500 ft for the 55K. Time limits are 16.5 hours for the 50 miler and 12 hours for the 55K. The event will use live GPS tracking; participants must carry the tracking device or run the required app during the race.
Course, aid, gear, and rules
The courses include technical singletrack, grassy double track, gravel, and short sections of pavement. The 50 miler originally includes three major climbs and descents, with named sections such as Snooks Nose, Green Knob, Black Mountain Crest, Bald Knob Ridge, and Heartbreak Ridge; the 55K omits the Mt Mitchell climb. Due to trail closures from Hurricane Helene, the course may be altered and may not summit Mt Mitchell if the parkway or trails remain closed.
Aid stations are placed roughly every 4-7 miles. The minimum on-course provisions are water and Gatorade, with foods such as bananas, orange slices, potato chips, pretzels, PB&J, and M&Ms. Aid station counts are listed as 5 full and 3 fluid stations for the 50 miler, and 4 full and 2 fluid stations for the 55K.
Required gear includes a rain shell, at least 30 oz total water capacity, a whistle, a cell phone, and an emergency blanket. All 50 milers must carry a headlamp at the start and when leaving S Toe River aid station. Race rules require staying on marked trails, checking into all aid stations, using only designated crew-accessible aid stations, no pacers, no crews or spectators on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and returning the tracker after finishing or being billed for replacement. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.