PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONUS / RACE GUIDE

Chattanooga Mountains Stage Race

Name: 3 Day Trail Running Race Video! 60-mile Chattanooga running race.
Uploaded: 2012-07-06
Description: This is a three-day stage race held in the mountains surrounding Chattanooga. Day 1 is a technical 20-mile route on Signal Mountain, Day 2 is an 18-mile route along North Chickamauga Creek, and Day 3

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

USOct 16, 202660M

Jeff Gunn from Atlanta, USA, CC BY 2.0

Race date in 2 days: Oct 16, 2026 Fri
City · Distance: Chattanooga · 60M
Entry fee: $185Varies by event and entry period
Status: OpenTBD ~ Wed, October 14, 2026See how to enter ↗

Official website ↗D-day as of Oct 14, 2026

About the race Runner stories How to enter Course Race Prep Travel

Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

ABOUT THE RACE

A day you'll remember,
long past the finish line.

This is a three-day stage race held in the mountains surrounding Chattanooga.

Day 1 is a technical 20-mile route on Signal Mountain, Day 2 is an 18-mile route along North Chickamauga Creek,

and Day 3 is a gentler 22-mile route on Lookout Mountain.

The road to your own record

Picture the course in advance
and find the pace that fits you.

When the city cheers

Streets lined with cheers, runners all around.
You'll be part of that scene.

The trip that follows the run

Take it slow with the finish still in you,
and meet the city all over again.

Stories from runners who've been there.

From the joy of finishing to the tough moments — read what runners wrote themselves.

Race reports: 2

JasonRan in 2013

“My race was over, but my weekend was fortunately far from over.”

Despite left-heel pain, the runner finished day one's 18 miles at Chattanooga Mountains Stage Race. Missing the time limit ended their race, but they returned the next day to support friends.

Read the original on Best Pace Scenario

Urban Mountain Goat

“As soon as I got out on that trail, all my nervousness, all my worry, all my doubt disappeared.”

On day one of Chattanooga Mountains Stage Race, congestion forced the runner to walk soon after starting. Once the trail cleared, following other runners eased their nerves and made for a happy first-stage finish.

Read the original on Urban Mountain Goat

We translated a short line from each public race report and summarized the experience. Finish times are as stated by the author, and past editions may differ from this year's weather and operations.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

Preview the course and read what runners who went before you wrote.

3 Day Trail Running Race Video! 60-mile Chattanooga running race.

Rock/Creek Videos

View on YouTube

This may be from a past edition. Check the organizer for this year's course and operations.

The way in that fits you

YOUR ENTRY

How to reach the start line —
start with what fits you.

Here are the ways to enter and what each requires.
Check the organizer's page for whether entries are open.

Ultra

Entry cost $185

60M Stage Race · subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

Official race website Entry options

From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Your 60M

Know the course and time limit, and race day comes into focus.

From the 2025 edition

Time limit6h

City center · not the start line

We have not confirmed the start line coordinates yet. The map shows the host city.

START

Chattanooga

Cutoff
Day 1: 6 hours · Day 2: 5 hours · Day 3: 5 hours 45 minutes

This is a three-day stage race. Day 1 covers 22 miles on Lookout Mountain, Day 2 is an 18-mile out-and-back on the Cumberland Trail, and Day 3 covers 20 miles on Signal Mountain.

Course is set at a difficulty level that requires holding a steady 15-minute-per-mile pace over a 20-mile stretch to finish.

The organizers state that they do not recommend participating if you cannot maintain this pace.

Each stage links mountain trails around Chattanooga, with some run as point-to-point course and others as loop course.

The local trail-protection nonprofit Wild Trails is involved in organizing the event.

Typical race-season temperature: around 16°C (61°F): Short sleeves — hydrate for the warmth

Participant benefits

Not yet confirmed in the official race guide

To the start line,
step by step.

Pick up your bib, check your wave.
So on race morning, you can just run.

From the 2025 edition

Pick up your bib at the expo

A three-day stage race covering three mountains (Lula Lake, Cumberland, and Signal Mountain), with advance pickup on Thursday afternoon and same-day pickup on Friday morning.
Confirm the venue in the organizer’s announcement.

Stations & transport near the venue

Getting to the startNo transit station; nearest is CARTA (Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority) downtown…
Getting to the finishNo transit station near Signal Mountain finish
Transit cardChattanooga's local bus system, CARTA, accepts cash fares plus a 24-hour unlimited pass for $6…

Source · checked Aug 24, 2026

More details

Getting to the start

No transit station; nearest is CARTA (Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority) downtown Chattanooga service, ~20-30 min drive away

Day 1 starts at Lula Lake Land Trust on Lookout Mountain, ~30 minutes from downtown Chattanooga by car. The land trust explicitly does not permit large passenger vehicles, vans, buses, or motor coaches due to parking limitations, so no shuttle/bus access is possible.

Rural/mountain trail stage race around Chattanooga, TN with multiple point-to-point mountain venues. No public transit serves any of the venues; car access only.

Organized by Wild Trails.

Map

Getting to the finish

No transit station near Signal Mountain finish

Day 3 finishes on Signal Mountain after a loop course; this is a residential mountain community outside Chattanooga with no CARTA bus service.

Map

Transit card

Chattanooga's local bus system, CARTA, accepts cash fares plus a 24-hour unlimited pass for $6 (also mobile fares via the CARTA GO app); it's useful for getting around downtown. The stage race's mountain trailheads, however, sit outside CARTA's fixed-route network, so a car or rideshare is needed to reach the actual venues each day.

Source · checked Aug 24, 2026

READY TO RUN

From race morning to after the finish.

Your start time, fuel and bag drop.
Know them ahead and the run feels easier.

Chattanooga in October — with an average temperature of 16°C, it is ideal for chasing a personal best.

Your body temperature can drop quickly while waiting at the start, so wear a disposable outer layer and remove it just before the race begins.

Entry fee uses a tiered pricing system, with fees increasing over time.

Prices start at $185 and rise to $200 as the deadline approaches.

The payment processing fee ($15.52) is charged separately.

Ultras are decided by fueling and foot care, not speed.

Break in your shoes and socks well before race day, and if there are any night sections, prepare spare batteries for your headlamp.

Registration is open through October 16, 2026.

Times are local to Chattanooga. Check the latest official information before the race.

A trip built around the race

STAY A LITTLE

MAKE IT A RUNTRIP

The race is one day,
the trip can be longer.

From a hotel that makes race morning easy,
to the meals and views you'll enjoy with the medal on.

Hotel Indigo Chattanooga - Downtown, An Ihg Hotel

Hotel · 517m

9.2/10(503)

View on Booking.com

Chattanooga car rental (EconomyBookings)

Compare rates from various rental car companies, self-drive (price confirmed at time of reservation) · Make reservation after checking price

View on EconomyBookings

Chattanooga: City Centre Food Tour with 3-4 Tastings

$141

Chattanooga Mountains Stage Race

About Chattanooga Mountains Stage Race — what makes it special

A day you'll remember,long past the finish line.

The road to your own record

When the city cheers

The trip that follows the run