Devil Dog Ultras 100 Mile
Triangle, Virginia · December · 100 mi
- Distance
- 101 mi (163 km)
- Loop course
- Climbing
- 3,139 m (10,300 ft)
- Rolling: 19 m per km (102 ft per mi)
- Overall cutoff
- 32 hours
- 19:00 per mi (11:48 per km) average
- Finish rate
- 56%
- of starters in 2025
Why runners love it
- Single-track loops in a national park forest: 23 mi (37 km), then four of 19.5 mi (31.4 km)
- Three staffed stations and three water points on every loop
- Bunkhouse beds on site at $30; crew allowed at two stations
- 32 h limit; 54 to 60% of starters finished in 2023 to 2025
- Pacers allowed from loop 3 (about mile 42, 68 km (42.3 mi))
Watch out for
- Cutoffs start only at mile 81 (131 km): 07:30 Sunday, then Gunny 09:00 and Toofy 11:30
- About 3,139 m (10,300 ft) of gain on roots, rocks and leaf-covered single-track
- December cold: highs near 8 C (46 F), lows near -1 C (30 F), freezing rain in 2016
- Own light needed from about 16:30 to just after 07:00, roughly 14 h of darkness
- Needs a 50 mi finish in the past two years; no refunds or deferrals
Race
How runners feel about it, how well it is run, and the community around it. Counts for 25% of the overall score.
Toughness for its distance: Very tough
- Runner satisfactionLoved4.0
Runners call it punishing but friendly and well supported, and many return; evidence is club reports and the race's own testimonials. · Medium confidence
- OrganizationWell run4.2
Volunteers are praised for doing anything to help, with a safety briefing and clear crew and pacer rules. · Medium confidence
- Community and vibeWarm4.3
Small and friendly, run by a local trail community with club volunteers and a post-race meal for several diets. · Medium confidence
Support
Aid stations, crew access, drop bags and pacer rules. Counts for 25% of the overall score.
- Aid stationsGood3.8
Three staffed stations and three water points per loop; staffed stations are up to 8 mi (12.9 km) apart. · Medium confidence
- Crew accessGood3.8
Two crew points per loop (Remi, Toofy), none at Gunny or the water points; crew parks 1.2 km (0.75 mi) from Remi. · High confidence
- Drop bagsMany stations4.3
Bags at Remi, Gunny and Toofy, each visited every loop; bags left at Gunny cannot be collected. · Medium confidence
- PacersMuch of the race3.7
Pacers allowed from loop 3, about mile 42 (68 km), not before; they cannot carry the runner's gear. · High confidence
Course
Course marking, scenery, and how runners rate the trail itself. Counts for 15% of the overall score.
- Course markingClear4.2
The race calls the course well marked and no reports of lost runners turned up; few reviews mention marking. · Low confidence
- SceneryPleasant3.2
Hardwood forest and the Quantico Creek valley, pleasant rather than scenic, and run in leaf-off December. · Medium confidence
- Trail experienceFine3.4
Mostly single-track with leaf-covered roots and rocks, mud in wet years and five repeated loops; runners say it beats you up but is fun. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- FootingModerate2.8
Single-track with roots, rocks, leaf-hidden hazards and a brief technical section; some fire road. · Medium confidence
- RunnabilityMostly runnable3.5
The race says rolling hills with no substantial climbs, but mud and leaf cover slow many runners; 3,139 m (10,300 ft) over 5 loops. · Medium confidence
- ClimbingGently rolling3.7
Climbs 102 ft per mi (19 m per km), from the official elevation gain. · High confidence
Conditions
Race-day temperature and how predictable the weather is. Counts for 14% of the overall score.
- Race-day temperatureWarm or cold2.7
Highs about 8 to 9 C (mid 40s F), lows near -1 C (30 F); ice in 2016, cold rain in 2018 and 2022. · Medium confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable2.5
Three of the first seven editions had freezing rain, cold rain or heavy mud. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- AltitudeSea level4.9
Virginia piedmont forest; the official profile shows the course between about 30 and 120 m (100 and 400 ft). · Low confidence
Cutoffs
How generous the overall and intermediate cutoffs are for the terrain. Counts for 13% of the overall score.
- Overall cutoffNormal3.0
32 h for about 162 km (101 mi), roughly 19 min per mile, on cold, dark single-track; 54 to 60% finished. · High confidence
- Intermediate cutoffsReasonable3.1
Cutoffs apply only from mile 81 (131 km), at about overall pace; a 2022 finisher reached Gunny on loop 5 with 20 min spare. · High confidence
Intermediate cutoffs (2026 (official site read 2026-10-17))
| Where | Distance | Cutoff |
|---|---|---|
| Camp Remi, mile 81.25 (start of loop 5) | 131 km (81 mi) | 07:30 Sunday (25.5 h elapsed) |
| Camp Gunny, mile 86.5 | 139 km (86 mi) | 09:00 Sunday (27 h elapsed) |
| Camp Toofy, mile 94.5 | 152 km (95 mi) | 11:30 Sunday (29.5 h elapsed) |
Not part of the score
- First timer friendlyDoable2.8
A 50 mi qualifier is required, and 40 to 46% of starters do not finish; December cold and late cutoffs are real hurdles. · Medium confidence
- Getting inSells out3.1
Needs a 50 mi finish in the past two years; all distances share 300 places and a waitlist. Sell-out speed is not stated. · Low confidence
Stay and travel
Getting there, places to stay, race-day logistics and value. Counts for 8% of the overall score.
- Travel easeEasy3.8
Northern Virginia, about 6.4 km (4 mi) from I-95; the race does not name an airport. · Low confidence
- Places to stayGood4.0
An on-site bunkhouse has 75 beds at $30 a night, and there are hotels along the I-95 corridor. · Medium confidence
- LogisticsSimple3.7
One start/finish at Camp Remi, but remote parking with a shuttle, crew parking 1.2 km (0.75 mi) away, $20 per crew car. · Medium confidence
- ValueGood value3.7
$275 to $320 for a 161 km (100 mi) race; bunkhouse beds are $30 and post-race food covers several diets. · Medium confidence
Key facts
Checked against the 2026 (official site read 2026-10-17) edition on the official race site. Rules change, so confirm before you enter. Blank means the race does not publish it.
- Location
- Triangle, Virginia, United States
- Region
- Mid-Atlantic US
- Typical month
- December
- Latest or next date
- 5 December 2026
- Start time
- 06:00
- First held
- 2016
- Distance
- 101 mi (163 km)
- Course shape
- Loop course, 5 laps of 31 km (20 mi)
- Surface
- Trail: Primarily single-track with occasional roots, rocks and a brief technical section, plus some fire road and rolling hills (official page).
- Footing
- Distance is derived from the official loop lengths: a 23 mi (37.0 km) first loop then four 19.5 mi (31.4 km) loops, about 101 mi (162.5 km); the official elevation profile labels the 100 mi at about 101.5 mi. That profile gives about 10,300 ft (3,139 m) of gain for the 100 mi: 2,300 ft (700 m) on loop 1 and 2,000 ft (610 m) on each of loops 2 to 5. The official page says there are no substantial climbs. A runner reported fallen leaves hiding rocks and roots. Elevations on the profile run from about 30 to 120 m (100 to 400 ft).
- Elevation gain
- 3,139 m (10,300 ft)
- Climbing rate
- 19 m per km (102 ft per mi)
- Overall cutoff
- 32 hours
- Pace to make the cutoff
- 19:00 per mi (11:48 per km)
- Cutoff notes
- Official aid station chart (an image linked from the race information page, dated 2019): the 100 mi has no cutoffs before mile 81.25. The finish closes at 14:00 Sunday (32 h) after the 06:00 Saturday start. Chart distances are approximate. Aid station captains can enforce cutoffs and remove runners. A 2022 finisher said the Camp Gunny cutoff on loop 5 was the tightest.
- Aid stations
- 3
- Longest gap between aid
- 6.8 km (4.2 mi)
- Drop bags
- Every lap
- Crew access
- Some points
- Pacers
- Allowed from the start of loop 3 (pacers do not carry runner gear)
- Support notes
- Per loop: 3 staffed stations (Camp Remi start/finish, Camp Gunny, Camp Toofy) and 3 water-only points (RP Alpha, Bravo, Charlie). From the official chart, the longest gap between staffed stations is Gunny to Toofy, 8 mi (12.9 km), and between any two stops it is 4.25 mi (6.8 km). Drop bags go to Camp Toofy, Camp Gunny and Camp Remi (Gunny bags cannot be collected; Remi bags held until 11:30 Sunday for 100 mi runners). Crew only at Camp Remi (parking about 0.75 mi, 1.2 km, away; one car per runner) and Camp Toofy; not allowed at Gunny or the water points; $20 park entry per crew car. The race can be run without crew.
- Water notes
- Official page mentions no water crossings; a 2022 runner mentions an arched bridge near the start/finish.
- Night running
- Most runners run through one night
- Mandatory gear
- Headlamp or flashlight from sundown (about 16:30) to sunup (just after 07:00); a pack or handheld holding at least 12 oz (355 ml) or you are disqualified; bib on front at all times.
- Entry
- Qualifier
- Qualifier needed
- A completed 50 mi race within the past two years
- Entry fee
- About $275
- Field size
- About 300 runners
- Finish rate
- 56% of starters in 2025
- Air temperature
- -1–9 °C (30–48 °F)
- Weather notes
- Official page: December highs mid to upper 40s F (about 8 to 9 C), lows near 30 F (-1 C). Freezing rain and ice hit the 2016 race, and cold rain and mud the 2018 and 2022 editions.
- Nearest airport
- DCA or IAD (not stated by the race)
- Stay notes
- Camp Remi bunkhouse has 75 beds at $30 per night (Friday and Saturday), with shuttle from remote parking. Race site is about 4 mi (6.4 km) off I-95 via Joplin Road per the crew page.
- Course record (men)
- 16:03:57 (Ryan Clifford, 2021)
- Course record (women)
- just over 20 h (Tara Dower, 2022)
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What runners and reviewers say
- VHTRC newsRaced 2016 · blog · Mixed
Inaugural 100 mi: freezing rain made the first loop a skating rink and only 39% of 105 starters finished. Course was about 80% single-track and 20% gravel road; each loop had three full stations and three water points, drop bags were plentiful, and a pacer joined at loop 4.
“The volunteers here were incredible.”
- VHTRC newsRaced 2018 · blog · Mixed
Drizzle then colder rain turned the 2018 course muddy and slick; about 43% of 117 starters finished the 100 mi and nearly 75% of 109 finished the 100K inside its 20 h limit. Staff and volunteers were credited with strong support.
- VHTRC newsRaced 2022 · blog · Positive
Finished in 31:36:56 after a 2019 DNF, chasing cutoffs all day; the loop 5 cutoff at Camp Gunny was tightest and he arrived with 20 minutes spare. Pouring rain at the start, headlamp trouble on loop 4, crew and a pacer for each late loop, and volunteers who would do anything to help.
“a lot of suffering but really fun”
- zhurnaly.comRaced 2017 · blog · Positive
Runner who had DNF'd the 100 mi the year before finished the 100K in the dark on single-track where fallen leaves hid rocks and roots; rolled an ankle and fell a couple of times. Called it a great ultramarathon with great people; 83 finished and 19 DNF'd in that field.
- MassUltraRaced 2017 · article · Mixed
2017 roundup: 55 of 103 starters finished the 100 mi within 32 h; the course is one 23 mi (37 km) loop then 19.5 mi (31.4 km) loops of single-track, 'some technical, some smooth', plus fire road. Winner ran 19:58:03.
Show 3 more
- MassUltraRaced 2021 · article · Mixed
2021: 37 of 83 starters finished the 100 mi within 32 h; winner ran 16:03:57, nearly seven hours clear. Course described as rocks, roots and plenty of flowing single-track.
- MassUltraRaced 2019 · article · Positive
2019 edition drew fast fields: Karl Meltzer won in 19:21:07 and the top woman ran 24:56:23 on five roughly 20 mi (32 km) loops. No weather or conditions given.
- Devil Dog Ultras testimonials pagearticle · Positive
Race-curated quotes praising the RD, the vegan and special-diet post-race food, a RD who paced a runner through the night, and a runner calling it the best 100 mi in a region of highways. All positive, so treat as promotional.
Ran Devil Dog Ultras 100 Mile? Your notes on the footing, cutoffs and aid stations help the next runner decide.
Sources
Pages we used for facts and ratings.
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