Georgia Death Race

Blairsville, Georgia · March · 74 mi

Georgia Death Race: the stairway beside amicalola falls, the 600-plus step climb that finishes the racePhoto is not from race dayBill Golladay, CC BY-SA 4.0
The stairway beside Amicalola Falls, the 600-plus step climb that finishes the race. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Distance
74 mi (119 km)
Point to point
Climbing
4,877 m (16,000 ft)
Mountain: 41 m per km (216 ft per mi)
Overall cutoff
25 hours
20:18 per mi (12:37 per km) average
Finish rate
66%
of starters in 2026

Why runners love it

  • Point-to-point 119 km (74 mi) with 4,877 m (16,000 ft) of climbing, finishing at Amicalola Falls.
  • Spike carried the whole way and dropped in a coffin at the finish.
  • A finish under 24 h earns a Western States lottery ticket.
  • Hard cutoffs at every aid station keep the pace honest and clearly published.
  • Heavily marked ridge single track with views from Coosa Bald.

Watch out for

  • No pacers allowed and drop bags at only 2 stations: Point Bravo and Jake Bull.
  • Last real aid is Nimblewill at mile 62.25 (100.2 km), 18.9 km (11.75 mi) from the finish.
  • Hard cutoffs at every station run at about 20 min per mile (12 per km) through steep terrain.
  • The 2027 race sold out far ahead; a 6 hour volunteer rule or $20 fee applies.
  • Bus to the start leaves around 03:00 and a Friday 7 pm meeting is mandatory.

Race

2.4Below par

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: Extreme

  • Runner satisfactionLoved4.2

    Reports from 2015 to 2024 mostly rave about the course and finish tradition despite heat and cutoffs on 119 km (74 mi). · Medium confidence

  • OrganizationWell run3.7

    Detailed aid matrix and handbook, but a 2019 route shortcut led to penalties and a 2023 shuttle bus broke down on a climb. · Medium confidence

  • Community and vibeWarm4.0

    Spike-and-coffin ritual and aid with grilled cheese and whiskey in reports; few first-person accounts describe the community. · Low confidence

Support

2.4Below par

Aid stations, crew access, drop bags and pacer rules. Counts for 25% of the overall score.

  • Aid stationsStandard3.2

    10 stations, 8 with full food, but 18.9 km (11.75 mi) from the last aid to the finish. · Medium confidence

  • Crew accessSome points3.3

    Crew at Skeenah Gap and Point Bravo (paid pass), Winding Stair, Jake Bull, Visitors Center and the finish; two points are split into groups. · High confidence

  • Drop bagsSome stations2.6

    Drop bags only at Point Bravo (mile 27) and Jake Bull (mile 51), per the 2026 aid matrix. · High confidence

  • PacersNot allowed1.0

    Pacers are not allowed, per the event page. · High confidence

Course

3.6Very good

Course marking, scenery, and how runners rate the trail itself. Counts for 15% of the overall score.

  • Course markingClear4.0

    A 2019 runner found it marked more heavily than any race she had run; one new-trail shortcut near Mulky Gap caused confusion. · Medium confidence

  • SceneryBeautiful4.3

    Appalachian ridge lines, Coosa Bald and a finish by Amicalola Falls; runners describe a remote, beautiful setting. · Medium confidence

  • Trail experienceGreat4.1

    Steep single track ridges that runners rate highly for vertical; the 600-plus stairs to the finish divide opinion. · Medium confidence

Course traits, not part of the score

  • FootingTechnical2.4

    Mostly single track and forest road, with rocky and rooty sections and steep, loose descents on a ridge course. · Medium confidence

  • RunnabilityLots of hiking2.4

    1,070 m (3,500 ft) of climb in the first 12 km (7.5 mi) and a steep 11 km (7 mi) climb after mile 50. · Medium confidence

  • ClimbingHilly1.7

    Climbs 216 ft per mi (41 m per km), from the official elevation gain. · High confidence

Conditions

3.4Good

Race-day temperature and how predictable the weather is. Counts for 14% of the overall score.

  • Race-day temperatureWarm or cold3.2

    Ranges from hot sun in 2019 and humid rain in 2023 to freezing ridge nights. · Medium confidence

  • Weather reliabilityVariable2.8

    Reports show hot, rainy and freezing years in the same late-March window. · Medium confidence

Course traits, not part of the score

  • AltitudeModerate3.4

    Coosa Bald tops 1,280 m (4,200 ft) per a 2015 report; the race gives no high point. · Low confidence

Cutoffs

2.6Good

How generous the overall and intermediate cutoffs are for the terrain. Counts for 13% of the overall score.

  • Overall cutoffNormal2.9

    25 h for 119 km (74 mi) with 4,877 m (16,000 ft) is about 20 min per mile; 66% finished in 2026. · High confidence

  • Intermediate cutoffsReasonable2.5

    Hard cutoffs at 11 points, each at about 20 min per mile (12 per km); a 2019 runner missed Point Bravo by 7 minutes. · High confidence

Intermediate cutoffs (2026)

WhereDistanceCutoff
White Oak (mile 7.5)12 km (7.5 mi)2:50 elapsed (7:50 AM)
Mulky Gap (mile 12.5)20 km (12 mi)4:20 elapsed (9:20 AM)
Skeenah Gap (mile 21)34 km (21 mi)7:00 elapsed (12:00 PM)
Point Bravo (mile 27.25)44 km (27 mi)9:05 elapsed (2:05 PM)
Sapling Gap (mile 32)52 km (32 mi)11:20 elapsed (4:20 PM)
Long Creek (mile 37.75)61 km (38 mi)12:50 elapsed (5:50 PM)
Winding Stair (mile 43.75)70 km (44 mi)14:45 elapsed (7:45 PM)
Jake Bull (mile 51)82 km (51 mi)17:00 elapsed (10:00 PM)
Halfway House (mile 56)90 km (56 mi)18:55 elapsed (11:55 PM)
Nimblewill (mile 62.25)100 km (62 mi)21:00 elapsed (2:00 AM)
Visitors Center (mile 69.25)111 km (69 mi)24:00 elapsed (5:00 AM)

Not part of the score

  • First timer friendlyDemanding2.3

    Hard cutoffs, heat and a 54 to 66% finish rate; a 2018 briefing warned that most runners would not finish. · Medium confidence

  • Getting inHard2.3

    The 2027 race sold out far ahead with a waitlist, and entry needs 6 hours of volunteering or a $20 opt-out. · High confidence

Stay and travel

2.8Good

Getting there, places to stay, race-day logistics and value. Counts for 8% of the overall score.

  • Travel easeFair3.0

    Remote north Georgia mountains with a point-to-point shuttle; the race gives no airport details, and Atlanta is the nearest large one. · Low confidence

  • Places to stayGood3.6

    Blairsville is 15 minutes from the start, with cabins at Vogel State Park and Amicalola Lodge near the finish. · Medium confidence

  • LogisticsFiddly2.0

    Point to point: park at the finish, ride a pre-dawn bus on a 90 minute drive to the start, and attend a Friday meeting. · High confidence

  • ValueGood value3.5

    $265 plus a 6 hour volunteer rule or $20 fee; reports praise aid, but only 2 stations take drop bags. · Low confidence

Key facts

Checked against the 2026 edition on the official race site. Rules change, so confirm before you enter. Blank means the race does not publish it.

Location
Blairsville, North Georgia mountains (Chattahoochee National Forest), United States
Region
Southeast US
Typical month
March
Latest or next date
27 March 2027
Start time
05:00
First held
2013
Distance
74 mi (119 km)
Course shape
Point to point
Surface
Trail: Single track, forest roads and the Benton MacKaye and Duncan Ridge trails, finishing with about 600 stairs up the Amicalola Falls trail.
Footing
Official: 16,000 ft (4,877 m) of climbing and 16,000 ft of descent, start at the Byron Herbert Reece Heritage Center in Blairsville, finish at Amicalola Falls State Park. Runner reports: about 3,500 ft (1,070 m) of climbing in the first 7 to 8 mi, the biggest climb is Coosa Bald (about 2,300 ft or 700 m (2,300 ft) over 3.8 mi), a steep 7 mi climb after mile 50, and 600-plus stairs at the end. Mostly single track ridge running with some rocky technical sections. High point is not stated by the race (Coosa Bald is over 4,200 ft or 1,280 m (4,200 ft) per a 2015 report).
Elevation gain
4,877 m (16,000 ft)
Climbing rate
41 m per km (216 ft per mi)
Overall cutoff
25 hours
Pace to make the cutoff
20:18 per mi (12:37 per km)
Cutoff notes
Hard cutoffs at every aid station per the 2026 aid station matrix (clock times from a 5:00 AM start). Visitors Center, about 4.75 mi (7.6 km) before the finish at mile 69.25, is a cutoff only with no aid. A 2019 runner called the first three cutoffs the hardest and missed Point Bravo by about 7 minutes.
Aid stations
10
Longest gap between aid
19 km (12 mi)
Drop bags
Some stations
Crew access
Some points
Pacers
Not allowed
Support notes
2026 matrix: White Oak (light aid), Mulky Gap, Skeenah Gap, Point Bravo, Sapling Gap, Long Creek, Winding Stair, Jake Bull, Halfway House (water only), Nimblewill; Visitors Center has no aid. Segments are 4.75 to 8.5 mi (7.6 to 13.7 km), but the last real aid is Nimblewill at mile 62.25, about 11.75 mi (18.9 km) from the finish at 74 mi, and Jake Bull to Nimblewill is 11.25 mi (18.1 km) with only water at Halfway House. Drop bags only at Point Bravo and Jake Bull. Crew: Skeenah Gap and Point Bravo with a paid pass, Winding Stair (group 1), Jake Bull (group 2), Visitors Center and the finish. Pre-race shuttle from Amicalola on race morning is extra (buses left about 2:45 to 3:15 am in 2019 and 2023).
Water crossings
A few
Water notes
Streams and one creek crossing near the finish reported; not a wading race.
Night running
Most runners run through one night
Mandatory gear
1 lb (0.45 kg) railroad spike carried the whole way and dropped in a coffin at the finish; full list in the Runner Handbook. A 2019 report listed headlamp, spare batteries, waterproof jacket, space blanket, whistle and collapsible cup.
Entry
Open
Qualifies for
Western States
Entry fee
About $265
Field size
About 280 runners
Entry notes
UltraSignup 2027 registration price is 265 USD (285.72 USD with taxes and fees). 2027 sold out well before the race and ran a waitlist. A 2027 rule asks runners to volunteer 6 hours at a trail race or do trail maintenance, or pay a 20 USD opt-out. The 2027 page says a finish under 24 h earns one Western States lottery ticket; earlier editions awarded Golden Tickets. Field size 280 is the number of 2026 UltraSignup result rows; no official cap was stated. Mandatory runner and crew meeting Friday 7 pm from 2027. No refunds or transfers except limited exceptions.
Finish rate
66% of starters in 2026
Weather notes
Late March in the Blue Ridge swings widely: about 20 C (68 F) in 2018, hot and sunny in 2019, hot and humid with rain in 2023, and a freezing, windy ridge night in an earlier edition.
Nearest airport
ATL (Atlanta)
Stay notes
Airport distance not given by the race. Blairsville is about 15 minutes from the start; Vogel State Park has cabins and camping; packet pickup is Friday night at Amicalola Lodge, about 90 minutes by car from the start. Runners park at the finish and shuttle to the start.
Course record (men)
11:26:54 (Andrew Miller, current 74 mi course)
Course record (women)
13:31:29 (Aliza Lapierre, current 74 mi course)

Official race website (runbumtours.com)

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What runners and reviewers say

  • Believe in the Run (2019 Georgia Death Race review)Raced 2019 · blog · Mixed

    Finished in 20:07 on a very hot day, reaching the last cutoff before midnight. Notes a new unmarked-text trail near Mulky Gap that shortened the course by about 0.2 mi (0.3 km) and a one-hour penalty for the top five men and women who took it. Gear check at the Friday meeting, 2:45 am shuttle, finish rate about 54%. The author later added a note withdrawing support for the race director over later allegations.

    “hotter than hell and half of Georgia”

    Believe in the Run
  • Relentless Forward Commotion (Heather Hart)Raced 2019 · blog · Mixed

    DNF at Point Bravo (mile 27) after missing the 1:50 pm cutoff by under 7 minutes. Unusually warm for March, and she calls the first three cutoffs the tightest. Says the course was marked more heavily than any trail race she had run. Crew met her at Skeenah Gap; drop bags start at Point Bravo.

  • Crystal Seaver (30th birthday edition)blog · Positive

    Race year not stated (post dated Sept 2018, 68+ mi course). Finished in about 23 hours with a running partner. Cool start, rain later, freezing wind on the exposed ridge at night. Volunteers at mile 41 supplied jackets and headlamps and a final aid station had a fire; pink polka-dot tape marked the route; 600 steps at the finish. Called it life-changing.

  • Midlife Races (Jeff Rowthorn)Raced 2018 · blog · Positive

    Finished in 18:45 in near-perfect weather of about 20 C (68 F). Aid stations were about 2 hours apart, volunteers cleaned feet and joined whiskey shots, and food included grilled cheese and quesadillas. He ran out of water a few times and stayed in a cabin near the start at Vogel State Park. 33% of the field finished that year.

  • Mountain Peak Fitness (Mike Siudy)Raced 2018 · blog · Positive

    16:30 finish, 27th of 259 starters. His watch showed 74 mi (119 km) and 16,300 ft (4,970 m) of ascent; aid signs and turn sheet gave inconsistent mileages. Aid mile 65 offered grilled cheese, potatoes, whiskey and beer. Recommends it for single track and vert with a remote beautiful setting.

Show 5 more
  • Blue Ridge Outdoors (2015 recap)Raced 2015 · article · Positive

    Second-place finisher's recap of the 68 mi (109 km) 2015 edition (then run from Amicalola to Vogel): steep climbs, few switchbacks, rugged footing. A 600-plus step start and about 2,000 ft (610 m) in the first 3.5 mi (5.6 km); the hardest climbs after mile 40 (64 km) reach over 4,200 ft (1,280 m) at Coosa Bald. Crew could meet runners at Mulky Gap.

  • Virginia Happy Trails Running Club (Jana Fridrichova)Raced 2023 · blog · Positive

    Finished in 15:37, the second spike in the coffin. Hot and humid with rain at the start making trails slick and little shade late. One of four shuttle buses caught fire on a climb and runners were moved to others. The finish adds 607 stairs up to Amicalola Falls. She was highly positive and thanked volunteers.

    “Stairway To Heaven”

    Jana Fridrichova
  • MassUltra roundup (2024)Raced 2024 · article · Mixed

    12th edition on 29 to 30 March 2024: 260 started and 141 finished inside the 25 h limit (54%), with 74 mi (119 km) and about 16,000 ft (4,877 m) of climbing. Winners were Brendan Connell in 13:25 and Shannon Wheeler DeBoef in 16:50.

  • Weeviews (race reviews)Raced 2025 · aggregator · Positive

    Two short 5 out of 5 reviews for 2025 and 2026. One calls it one of the hardest races in the East with about 16,000 ft (4,877 m) of climbing on single track; the volunteer reviewer says aid was well supplied but saw her runner only at miles 21, 27 and 43 and the finish.

  • UltraSignup results and event pagesRaced 2026 · aggregator · Mixed

    2026 results: 184 finishers, 95 DNFs, slowest finisher 24:34:56 against the 25 h limit. 2027 registration is 265 USD and sold out with a waitlist. Event page confirms pacers not allowed, spike requirement and Western States ticket for a sub-24 h finish.

Ran Georgia Death Race? 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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