Course map, elevation profile & surface
Fly the course
Follow the route over 3D terrain, mile by mile.
Climbs
4 climbs · 4,603 ft totalbiggest firstElevation gain, measured two ways
| Source | Gain | vs lidar |
|---|---|---|
| Course file (GPX) | 5,317ft | +14% |
| USGS lidar, 1 m | 4,682ft | reference |
They differ because a GPS file picks up noise on every wiggle and often takes its heights from a coarse terrain model, while lidar maps the ground itself to about a metre. We sampled this route every 98 ft against USGS 3DEP and counted each rise of 10 ft or more, on Oct 23, 2026. The planner still uses the course file.
Aid stations as published on the course file
| Aid station | Mile | km |
|---|---|---|
| Start | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| A Spring | 3.6 | 5.8 |
| A Spring | 6.1 | 9.8 |
| A Mitchell Aid Station | 8.0 | 12.9 |
| A Spring | 10.4 | 16.7 |
| A Spring | 11.5 | 18.6 |
| Finish line / pre race parking for shuttle | 15.7 | 25.3 |
Badge colours match the markers on the map above — always confirm locations and cutoffs with the race organizer.
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Race almanac the sky on race day
Next race day Sat, May 15, 2027
First and last light are civil twilight, the sun 6° below the horizon. The moon is lit as at midnight after the start; headlamp hours count a typical finish from the start while the sun is below civil twilight. Worked out for the start line.
Reviews what runners who have been there say
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About this course
Quest for the Crest 25k covers 15.7 mi (25.3 km) with 5,317 ft of elevation gain through North Carolina, United States. That is about 338 ft per mile of climbing, and 5,151 ft of descent. The course tops out at 6,657 ft and bottoms out at 2,900 ft. The surface is 98% trail and 2% gravel. There are 5 aid stations on course; the longest stretch between aid is 4.2 mi. The profile has 4 sustained climbs; the biggest is the climb to Mitchell Aid Station, +3,543 ft over 5.5 mi at 12.2% on average (steepest stretch 53%). The interactive map above shows the full route with its elevation profile and aid stations, built from the course's GPS file.
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Course history
- Jul 22, 2026Added to the catalog
Races like this one close in distance, climbing, terrain, altitude, weather and season
- Broken Arrow Skyrace 23K — 2027Jun · 14 mi · 316 ft/miSame distance · High altitude · Similar climbing
- Backcountry Rise Half Marathon — 2026Aug · 13 mi · 322 ft/mi · WAMostly trail · Similar climbing
- Val d Aran by UTMB Experiència d'Aran 32K — 2027Jul · 20 mi · 348 ft/miSimilar climbing · High altitude
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