Course map, elevation profile & surface
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Follow the route over 3D terrain, mile by mile.
Race-day light
For a 8:30 finish (an estimate) · starting 7:00 AM May 15. Dark means the sun below civil twilight.
Climbs
7 climbs · 11,053 ft totalbiggest firstAid stations as published on the course file
| Aid station | Mile | km |
|---|---|---|
| Start | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| A Spring | 4.0 | 6.5 |
| A Bowlens AS 1 | 7.3 | 11.7 |
| A Spring | 14.9 | 24.0 |
| A Colberts AS 2 | 17.9 | 28.9 |
| A Buncombe AS 3 | 20.4 | 32.8 |
| A Spring | 22.3 | 36.0 |
| A spring | 24.7 | 39.8 |
| A Mt Mitchell AS 4 | 26.7 | 43.0 |
| A spring | 29.0 | 46.7 |
| Finish / pre race shuttle pick up | 34.4 | 55.3 |
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Conditions typical race-day weather for May 15 at the start
Typical = the median of 2016–2025 for May 15 ±3 days at the start line; a wet day has 1 mm of rain or more. Historical weather from Open-Meteo.
Race almanac the sky on race day
Next race day Sat, May 15, 2027 · 7:00 AM start
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 EARLY START 50k Option — 2027 covers 34.4 mi (55.3 km) with 11,466 ft of elevation gain. That is about 334 ft per mile of climbing, and 11,304 ft of descent. The course tops out at 6,657 ft and bottoms out at 2,848 ft. There are 9 aid stations on course; the longest stretch between aid is 7.6 mi. The profile has 7 sustained climbs; the biggest is the climb to Mt Mitchell AS 4, +3,543 ft over 5.5 mi at 12.2% on average (steepest stretch 38%). Race day is May 15, 2027, starting at 7:00 AM; the sun rises at 6:25 AM and sets at 8:28 PM. Typical race-day weather at the start: a high of 70°F and a low of 53°F, with a 51% chance of a wet day. 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
- Oct 21, 2026Added to the catalog
Races like this one close in distance, climbing, terrain, altitude, weather and season
- Quest for the Crest 50k34 mi · 334 ft/mi · NCSame distance · Similar climbing · High altitude
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- Val d Aran by UTMB Peades d'Aigua 55K — 2027Jul · 33 mi · 326 ft/miSame distance · Similar climbing · Similar weather
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