Beastly trail race returns to test ultra runners

Black Mountain Monster will push tough athletes to their limits

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
May 28, 2024

The Black Mountain Monster Ultramarathon will return to the In-the-Oaks Estate, June 1 and 2, for its 16th year, as 250 runners compete in six-, 12- and 24-hour trail runs on a 3.25-mile course. Photo by Fred McCormick

Most nights, the trails that meander through the In-the-Oaks Estate in the heart of town are eerily quiet, but when the Black Mountain Monster returns, from 10 a.m., Saturday, June 1 through 10 a.m., Sunday, June 2, the determined thud of footsteps and labored breathing of ultramarathon runners will pierce the silence. 

The annual race, which features six-, 12- and 24-hour competitions, is hosting 250 athletes in its 16th year. 

The festival-like event opens to entrants from around the country, Friday, May 31, as runners and supporters set up campsites near the starting line in Pulliam Stadium at the end of Vance Avenue. 

All three races, which follow a 3.25-mile course through fields, along single tracks and over bridges in a dynamic setting, will begin simultaneously. The route is situated around the Terry Estate Manor, built in the 1920s by Franklin Silas Terry, the first vice president of General Electric. The property was purchased by Montreat College in 2001.

Sixty-one athletes will compete in the 6-hour race, while 81 will run until 10 p.m. The Monster will continue through the night for 108 competitors, including four from Black Mountain. 

Black Mountain Monster runners will follow a dynamic 3.25-mile course through the In-the-Oaks Estate, June 1 and 2, when the ultramarathon returns. The event will feature live music in “Tent City,” where runners and supporters camp for the race. Photo by Fred McCormick

Aid stations are situated along the route, while runners can rest and refuel when passing through “Tent City,” where athletes, supporters and observers will find live musical performances by local singer-songwriter Hunter Begley, beginning at 4:15 p.m., followed by James Hammel.

The sold-out race is organized by Relentless Running Events, which coordinates the Black Mountain-based Lookout to Lookout to Lookout, a 10-mile trek from Lookout Brewing Co. to the peak of Lookout Mountain and back, and the annual Gateway 5K and 10K in Old Fort. 

Hundreds of runners will take to the trails in town, June 1 and 2, as the Black Mountain Monster returns to the In-the-Oaks Estate for its 16th year. Photo by Fred McCormick

Runners who reach the 100-mile mark in the 24-hour race will receive custom belt buckles, while top finishers in each event will be presented with hand-carved trophies. Ten competitors reached or eclipsed 100 miles in 2023. The record, set in 2017 by Rob Johnson, is 114.95 miles.

All participants will be given a Black Mountain Monster t-shirt, while Mountain Running Co. will host a packet pick-up on the afternoon before the race and from 7 - 9:30 a.m., the day of the event.