DETAILED Course description
The Rim to River 100 is a 100-mile “out-and-back” ultramarathon through the New River Gorge in West Virginia. The race will begin and end at ACE Adventure Resort, with the first and last 14 miles of the course taking place on ACE’s property.
The start/finish is in the main parking area at ACE Adventure Resort, directly in front of the Lost Paddle Bar & Grill. From the starting line, the course will head out of the main parking area, following a paved road leading up towards Mtn. Top Campground. After about one half mile, turn right on the Froghopper Trail and follow it for 2.5 miles. Cross the paved road and join the Thurmond Mountain Loop Trail. Follow the Thurmond Mountain Loop Trail for approximately 2.5 miles before dropping steeply down a trail to the left which will bring you to a paved road.
Turn left on the paved road and follow to the junction with Spring Hollow Trail on the left. The course heads back near the start/finish area, alongside ACE Lake and then out of the resort’s main entrance where the Thurmond Overlook Trail is joined near mile 6.5.
Thurmond Overlook Trail is followed to the Concho Rim Aid Station(mile 7.5). From the aid station, head up through the parking area and turn right on the dirt road. Follow the dirt road to around mile 9 and turn left to join East Froghopper Trail. At mile 10, turn right to climb up the Roy’s Ridge Trail. At top of the climb, turn right to continue on the Sunset Trail to mile 11 where it will take you under some of ACE’s zip line course. The trail will cross a dirt road(River Rd) and will then soon meet with the same dirt road again further down. Turn right on the dirt road. At the Erskine Trail near mile 11.75, turn right again. Pass multiple abandoned mine shafts along the Erskine Trail before its junction with the Waterfall Trail near mile 13.25. Turn right and follow the trail for .3 miles. Take a sharp left on the Julie’s Jaunt Trail for a steep descent to Arbuckle Creek and Finn’s Falls. After passing Finn’s Falls, follow the Waterfall Trail along Arbuckle Creek until the Arbuckle Creek crossing.
Around mile 14, the course will cross Arbuckle Creek. This is the largest creek that is crossed without a bridge. **There are numerous wooden bridges along the course, and caution should be used while crossing them. Often they are extremely slippery and can have broken boards. It is recommended that they are not run across at a fast pace.**
After crossing Arbuckle Creek , the course will travel through the ruins of Wee-Win, a late-1800s coal mining community. Just before the small creek, turn right (mile 14) and head up the Arbuckle Connector Trail to its junction with the Rend Trail. Course then travels left(south) on the Rend Trail to the trailhead at Dunloup Creek. Course turns left to follow Thurmond Road (paved)to the historic town of Thurmond. **While on Thurmond Road, please use caution with vehicles. The creek side of the road has the largest shoulder and is recommended for runners.** After crossing over the New River to reach the Thurmond Aid Station (mile 17), retrace the route back up Thurmond Road, turn right on the Rend Trail and right on the Arbuckle Connector.
**The Thurmond out-and-back section of the course will only be utilized on miles 14-20 of the course. It will not be retraced on the back-half of the course.**
At the bottom of the Arbuckle Connector Trail(mile20), turn right to get to the junction with the Southside Trail. **Pay close attention to mileage markers and directional markings at this trail junction area.** Turn left on the Southside Trail which will be followed all the way to Cunard and the Cunard Aid Station (mile 27). Multiple ghost town ruins exist along this six mile section of the course, with remnants of buildings, mine shafts, coke ovens, and mining structures from the towns of Rush Run, Red Ash, and Brooklyn found throughout.
From the Cunard Aid Station, the course travels up the Cunard River Access Road(paved) to the Kaymoor Trailhead on the right(mile 28.5). **Please use caution concerning vehicular traffic on this road. Expect traffic due to crew vehicles accessing the Cunard Aid Station.** On the Kaymoor Trail, the course travels about 6.5 miles to its junction with the Kaymoor Miners Trail(mile 35). Kaymoor was one of the largest coal mining communities in the New River Gorge. Multiple ruins exist along this section. Turn left on the Kaymoor Miners Trail, traveling up the wooden steps. This is the steepest section of trail on the entire course. Near the top of the climb, turn right on a narrow single-track trail that follows the cliffline for about half a mile until it joins with the Butcher Branch Trail. Turn right on the Butcher Branch Trail and follow to its intersection with the Long Point Trail at mile 36.4. Turn right on the Long Point Trail to find the Long Point overlook at mile 37. At the overlook, runners must take one of the colored plastic keychains from the yellow Rim to River 100 labeled box. This keychain will be turned in at the Long Point Aid Station at mile 38 as proof that you went all the way to the overlook. From the overlook, follow the Long Point Trail back to the Long Point Trailhead Aid Station (mile 38).
**The Long Point Overlook out-and-back section of the course will only be utilized on miles 37-38 of the course. It will not be retraced on the back-half of the course.**
From Long Point Aid Station, the course will follow the Timber Ridge Trail to Fayetteville Trail. Near mile 39.6, turn left on the Park Loop Trail. This will be followed for about one mile. Take a left at the Fayetteville Trail junction at mile 40.5 and follow until its junction with Fayette Station Road(mile 42). The course will travel down Fayette Station Road(paved) to the Fayette Station Aid Station(mile 43). **Please use caution while on the road concerning vehicular traffic. Fayette Station Road is the busiest park road on the course.**
From Fayette Station Aid Station, the course will travel across the Tunney Hunsaker Bridge over the New River and back up the north side of Fayette Station Road to a dirt road turnoff on the left(mile 44.5). About one half mile down this dirt road, the Hawks Nest Connector Trail(mile 45) is on the right. Follow the Hawks Nest Connector Trail to its junction with the Hawks Nest Rail Trail(mile 48.25). Turn right, traveling alongside Mill Creek and up to the Ansted Aid Station and turnaround point at mile 50.5.
The route is backtracked from the turnaround point in the same reverse progression to the Long Point Aid Station(mile 62). From here, follow the Long Point trail for .75 miles to the junction with Butcher’s Branch Trail. Turn right and follow Butcher’s Branch Trail to its trailhead(mile 64).
Travel through the trailhead parking area and follow the dirt road straight ahead. While on the dirt road, take a right at the junction with the Dalton Trail. Follow the trail markers along the loop using the Dalton, Le Croix, Adena, and Clovis trails which will bring you to the Arrowhead Trails Parking area and the Arrowhead Aid Station(mile 71). ***This section of the course is only utilized on the way back(mile 64-71).***
From the Arrowhead Aid Station, follow the Craig’s Branch Trail down to its junction with the Kaymoor Trail. Turn right on the Kaymoor Trail and follow it to its junction with the Cunard Access Road and down to Cunard Aid Station(mile 80).
From the Cunard Aid Station, follow the dirt road for approximately one mile before reaching the gate and Southside Trail Trailhead. Follow the Southside Trail along the New River to the Erskine Aid Station(mile 85.5). When leaving Erskine, follow the dirt road and then turn right on the Southside Trail and cross the bridge over Arbuckle Creek. Immediately after crossing the bridge, turn right and then follow the trail straight through the junction to then cross over Arbuckle Creek again. The remainder of the course is on ACE’s property and the route is backtracked in the same reverse progression to the finish.