Rocky Raccoon 100 Endurance Trail Race
Huntsville, Texas · February · 100 mi
- Distance
- 100 mi (161 km)
- Loop course
- Climbing
- 1,905 m (6,250 ft)
- Rolling: 12 m per km (62 ft per mi)
- Overall cutoff
- 32 hours
- 19:12 per mi (11:56 per km) average
- Finish rate
- 57%
- of starters in 2026
Why runners love it
- Five 32.2 km (20 mi) loops on soft pine-needle trail with no rocks.
- Four stations per lap and crew access to all of them.
- 32 h limit (30 h for Western States) at a slowest pace of 19:12 per mile (11:56 per km).
- Pacers allowed after 79 km (49 mi), free registration.
- Drop bags delivered to two stations plus a start and finish bag every lap.
Watch out for
- Roots trip tired runners in the dark and mud puddles can be ankle deep in wet years.
- Humidity near 93% and a frigid 2022 show the weather range; 57% finished in 2026.
- Limited parking at three stations; the race advises a bike or good shoes for crew.
- Entry sells out and a waitlist opens; the fee is not on the race page.
- Start time changed between listings (5:00 or 6:00 AM); confirm before booking.
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: Moderate
- Runner satisfactionBucket list4.5
Reports call it a great first 100 with a friendly feel; the usual complaints are roots, mud and humidity. · Medium confidence
- OrganizationFlawless4.7
Detailed aid chart, mass start briefing, free pacer registration, clear marking and a published slowest-pace cutoff table. · High confidence
- Community and vibeWarm4.3
Friendly volunteers and crews cheer runners through the pines each lap; a field of about 415 dilutes it slightly. · Medium confidence
Support
Aid stations, crew access, drop bags and pacer rules. Counts for 25% of the overall score.
- Aid stationsSuperb4.7
Four stations per 32.2 km (20 mi) loop, longest gap 9.5 km (5.9 mi), full hot and cold food at all. · High confidence
- Crew accessEvery lap4.5
Crew can reach every station each 32.2 km (20 mi) lap; parking is limited at three stations, so bikes or walking help. · High confidence
- Drop bagsMany stations4.3
The race delivers bags to Gate and Dam Nation, you can self-drop at others, and a start and finish bag is available each lap. · High confidence
- PacersMuch of the race3.5
Pacers allowed after 79 km (49 mi), about half the race, with free registration; runners 60 and older may have one all race. · High confidence
Course
Course marking, scenery, and how runners rate the trail itself. Counts for 15% of the overall score.
- Course markingImpossible to miss4.8
The race promises distance signs at every split and reports mention few wrong turns. · High confidence
- SceneryBeautiful3.6
Pine forest, lake and wooden bridges in a state park; pleasant and shaded rather than spectacular. · Medium confidence
- Trail experienceGreat3.9
Runners like the soft needle footing and predictable loops; roots, mud and five repeats of the same lap are the trade-off. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- FootingMostly smooth3.7
Soft pine needles and no rocks, but frequent roots that cause falls, plus muddy patches and some sand in wet years. · Medium confidence
- RunnabilityRunnable4.6
Race reports call the whole course runnable; hills are about 30 m (100 ft) at most. · High confidence
- ClimbingFlat4.5
Climbs 63 ft per mi (12 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 temperaturePleasant3.5
February runs from 0 °C (32 °F) at night to 21 °C (70 °F) by day, with up to 93% humidity and rain. · Medium confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable2.9
Past years show freezing, humid, foggy and heavy-rain races, and the race runs rain or shine. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- AltitudeSea level4.9
East Texas pine forest at low elevation; the race lists no high point. · Medium confidence
Cutoffs
How generous the overall and intermediate cutoffs are for the terrain. Counts for 13% of the overall score.
- Overall cutoffVery generous4.5
32 h for 161 km (100 mi) is a 19:12 per mile (11:56 per km) slowest pace on flat trail. · High confidence
- Intermediate cutoffsRarely bite4.7
No cutoffs on the first four laps; the first is mile 80 (129 km) at 25 h 36 min, the slowest overall pace. · High confidence
Intermediate cutoffs (2027 (race page published for the 6 February 2027 race; results and finish rate are from 2026))
| Where | Distance | Cutoff |
|---|---|---|
| Tyler's Last Resort, mile 80 (last-lap cutoff, must be on final lap) | 129 km (80 mi) | 7:36 am Sunday (25 hr 36 min; race page also prints 7:41 am as the Sunday last-lap cutoff) |
| Gate, mile 84 | 135 km (84 mi) | 8:48 am Sunday (26 hr 48 min) |
| Nature Center, mile 89 | 143 km (89 mi) | 10:30 am Sunday (28 hr 30 min) |
| Dam Nation, mile 94 | 151 km (94 mi) | 12:06 pm Sunday (30 hr 6 min) |
| Finish, mile 100 | 161 km (100 mi) | 2:00 pm Sunday (32 hr; course closed) |
Not part of the score
- First timer friendlyIdeal first race4.8
Widely cited as the classic first 100: loops, crew access and generous cutoffs, though 43% did not finish in 2026. · High confidence
- Getting inSells out2.8
Open entry on RunSignUp but it sells out and runs a waitlist; popular as a Western States qualifier. · Medium confidence
Stay and travel
Getting there, places to stay, race-day logistics and value. Counts for 8% of the overall score.
- Travel easeEasy3.5
Huntsville, Texas lies north of Houston; the race lists no airport details, so plan on a rental car from Houston. · Low confidence
- Places to stayGood3.5
Hotels in Huntsville with a race block, plus campsites, cabins and shelters inside the park. · Medium confidence
- LogisticsSimple4.4
One race hub on a loop course with drop bag service and parking; arrive very early because the park fills before the start. · Medium confidence
- ValueGood value4.2
The fee is not on the race page (about $220 to $265 per a listing); the park fee is covered and support is heavy. · Low confidence
Key facts
Checked against the 2027 (race page published for the 6 February 2027 race; results and finish rate are from 2026) edition on the official race site. Rules change, so confirm before you enter. Blank means the race does not publish it.
- Location
- Huntsville, Texas, United States
- Region
- Texas and South
- Typical month
- February
- Latest or next date
- 6 February 2027
- Start time
- 06:00
- First held
- 1993
- Distance
- 100 mi (161 km)
- Course shape
- Loop course, 5 laps of 32 km (20 mi)
- Surface
- Trail: Pine-needle covered single-track and doubletrack through East Texas pines, with wooden bridges and tree roots. The race says there are no rocks.
- Footing
- Mostly runnable pine-needle trail. Roots are the main hazard and trip tired runners in the dark; reports mention ankle-deep mud puddles in wet years and some sand.
- Elevation gain
- 1,905 m (6,250 ft)
- Climbing rate
- 12 m per km (62 ft per mi)
- Overall cutoff
- 32 hours
- Pace to make the cutoff
- 19:12 per mi (11:56 per km)
- Cutoff notes
- No cutoffs are published for laps one to four; the aid station chart lists times only for the final lap. Western States qualification needs a finish within 30 hours, but the course stays open to 32 hours, so a slower 'Complete' still gets a finisher result (29 of 238 finishers in 2026 were between 30 and 32 hours).
- Aid stations
- 4
- Longest gap between aid
- 9.5 km (5.9 mi)
- Drop bags
- Every lap
- Crew access
- Many points
- Pacers
- Allowed after 49 mi (79 km); runners aged 60 and older may have a pacer the whole race
- Support notes
- Four station locations (Tyler's Last Resort at start/finish, Gate, Nature Center, Dam Nation) on a 20 mi loop; the longest gap on the official chart is 5.9 mi (9.5 km). All have full hot and cold food. Crew access at all stations but parking is limited to a few cars at Gate, Nature Center and Dam Nation, so the race advises a bike or good shoes. Drop bags: race delivers to Gate and Dam Nation (one each, not shared); you may self-drop at others; bags return by 2 pm Sunday. Pacers must start and finish at an aid station and sign up free in advance.
- Water crossings
- None
- Water notes
- Wooden bridges cross creeks and wet areas; no wading reported.
- Night running
- Most runners run through one night
- Mandatory gear
- No formal list. Race is cupless (bring a cup or bottle) and runners carry a baggie and wipes for waste; the timing chip goes on the ankle.
- Entry
- Open
- Qualifies for
- Western States
- Fee notes
- The race page does not list the fee; an Endorphins listing shows $220 to $265 for the 2026 race (aggregator, not official).
- Field size
- About 415 runners
- Finish rate
- 57% of starters in 2026
- Air temperature
- 0–21 °C (32–70 °F)
- Weather notes
- Race reports range from frigid wet years (2022) to 70 F (21 C) days and 93% humidity with rain (2014). iRunFar says overnight lows can drop below freezing and daytime highs are usually in the 60s F (15 to 20 C). Range comes from race reports.
- Nearest airport
- IAH
- Stay notes
- Distance not given by the race site. The race has a hotel block through Halo; camping, cabins and shelters inside the park are bookable and the park day-use fee is covered for registrants.
- Course record (men)
- 12:44:33 (Ian Sharman, 2011; later editions not checked)
- Course record (women)
- 14:57:18 (Jen Shelton, 2007; later editions not checked)
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What runners and reviewers say
- I Run Alaska (Brandon)Raced 2014 · blog · Positive
Second 100, finished in 25:32 with a 58% race finish rate, the lowest in 22 years because of humidity near 93% and temperatures in the low 60s F (about 17 C). Roots caused two falls and sand got into shoes, with three aid stations per loop up to 6 mi (10 km) apart. Drop bags at the start and Damnation, crew swapping bottles, pacers allowed after 60 mi (97 km) then. He praised the organization and recommends it as a first 100.
“There is no such thing as an 'easy' 100 miler.”
- Team RunRun (Alan V)Raced 2019 · blog · Positive
Finished 36th in 22:19 and gave the race 5 out of 5. Fast and rooty with no big climbs; mud was ankle deep in places and humidity was high with rain feeling close all night. Crews see runners often thanks to the loop. Praised Tejas Trails and volunteers and says the 'Rocky' name is misleading since roots, not rocks, dominate.
- Team RunRun (race report hub)Raced 2021 · blog · Positive
Collection of reports from several runners on the 100 and 50. Describes soft pine needles, wooden bridges and minimally technical but rooty trail with little elevation change. Weather ranged from heavy rain and fog to cool, dry days to heat in the 80s F (27 C+). One runner found it a friendly, approachable race and a good place for a personal best; another nearly quit in the heat.
- Blake Wood 2002 reportRaced 2002 · blog · Positive
A 14:51 finish in 2002 on five flat 20 mi (32 km) loops. Aid was adequately stocked and well run, crew could reach three stations a few minutes apart, and the 30 hour cutoff felt generous. His daughter paced him for 11 mi (18 km). Course details may have changed since 2002.
“A good place to run a PR.”
- iRunFar (2014 results)Raced 2014 · article · Mixed
Race report from the 2014 edition: relatively cool air but very high humidity and raindrops caused many dropouts and pace changes. Matt Laye won in 13:17:42 on his 100 mi debut and several top runners, including Michele Yates, dropped at mile 72 (116 km). Five 20 mi (32 km) circuits.
Show 4 more
- iRunFar (2013 preview)Raced 2013 · article · Positive
Preview calling it a great first 100: about 5,500 ft (1,676 m) of climbing, mostly flat wide dirt doubletrack with short rooty single-track sections that trip tired runners. The course drains well, lows can dip below freezing and highs are in the 60s F (15 to 20 C). 30 hour cutoff, with a faster buckle for under 24 hours.
“Generally considered to be a great first 100-miler”
- Texas Endurance NewsRaced 2022 · article · Mixed
2022 recap calling the weather absolutely frigid and the mud less fun, compared with a 70 F (21 C) day and low 40s F (5 C) night the author ran in 2019. Winners went 14:50 (men) and 17:47 (women) and Nick Bare ran 19:13.
- Event Data Solutions 2026 results (official timing)Raced 2026 · aggregator · Mixed
Official live results for 7 February 2026: 238 finishers and 177 DNF among 415 listed 100 mile runners, a 57% finish rate. Median finish was about 26:19 and 209 finished inside the 30 hour Western States window; the winner ran 14:38:37.
- Endorphins Running listingRaced 2026 · aggregator · Mixed
Aggregator listing for the 2026 race: trail surface, 1,638 m (5,374 ft) of climbing, price $220 to $265, mild climate, with a companion 100K the same day. No runner reviews were on the page.
Ran Rocky Raccoon 100 Endurance Trail 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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