pacertrip.Races
PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONUS / RACE GUIDE
Frozen Head Ultra Marathon race photo

Frozen Head Ultra Marathon

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Frozen Head Ultra Marathon race photo
Frozen Head Ultra Marathon race photo
Frozen Head Ultra Marathon race photo
Wartburg
US
aurélien.sanchez · CC BY-SA 4.0Metilsteiner · CC BY 3.0Johann Wolfgang von Goethe · Public domainTraveler100 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Race date Sep expected
September 2027
City · Distance
Wartburg · 50km
Entry fee
Fee TBDVaries by event and entry period
2027Date September 2027 · expected · Soon
2026Date Sep 6, 2026 · Entry ~ Feb 19, 2026 · Start 07:20
Official website ↗D-day as of Oct 9, 2026
Frozen Head Ultra Marathon race photo
aurélien.sanchez · CC BY-SA 4.0
Frozen Head Ultra Marathon race photo
Metilsteiner · CC BY 3.0
Frozen Head Ultra Marathon race photo
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe · Public domain
Frozen Head Ultra Marathon race photo
Traveler100 · CC BY-SA 3.0
About the raceHow to enterCourseRace PrepTravel
Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

About Frozen Head Ultra Marathon — what makes it special

ABOUT THE RACE

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

Held at Frozen Head State Park in Wartburg, Tennessee.

A certified trail loop course through the rugged Cumberland Mountains.

The park has over 60 miles of maintained trails across 24,000 acres of steep forest.

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.

Frozen Head Ultra Marathon runner reviews and race reports

Stories from those who ran it first.

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

No runner reports yet. We'll add them here as they come in.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

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

We haven't found a video for this race yet. We'll add one when we do.

The way in that fits you

YOUR ENTRY

How to enter Frozen Head Ultra Marathon — registration routes

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.

From the 2026 edition

We'll fill this in once the official entry rules are out.

Official race websiteEntry options
From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Frozen Head Ultra Marathon course map and elevation

The 50km I'll run

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

From the 2026 edition
Runners start · local timeFrom 07:20
Time limit10 hours
Show more

10 hours (6:00 PM time limit)

START · FINISH

Old Mac Trailhead, 964 Flat Fork Rd, Wartburg, TN

Start · Google Maps
Show more

The start is at the Old Mac Trailhead in Wartburg.

Half marathon consists of two laps (approximately 21 km, with about 1,016 m of elevation gain) of the Old Mac Trail loop course,

while the 50K covers five laps (approximately 50 km, with about 2,541 m of elevation gain) of the same loop course.

Participant benefits

Not yet confirmed in the official race guide

Where and when to collect your Frozen Head Ultra Marathon race bib

To the start line,
step by step.

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

From the 2026 edition

Stations & transport near the venue

  • Getting to the startNo public transit exists in Morgan County/Wartburg, TN; nearest any transit service is in Knoxville,…
  • IC cardNo dedicated transit card system; Wartburg, TN (Frozen Head State Park, also home to the Barkley Marathons)…

Source · checked Aug 24, 2026

More details

Getting to the start

No public transit exists in Morgan County/Wartburg, TN; nearest any transit service is in Knoxville, roughly 1 hour's drive away.

Start/finish is at the Old Mac Trailhead, Frozen Head State Park, 964 Flat Fork Rd, Wartburg, TN. Deep rural state park in the Cumberland Mountains; car access only, no public transit whatsoever.

Map

Getting to the finish

Same as start (Old Mac Trailhead).

Packet pickup 5:00-7:00 AM race day; 10-hour cutoff (6:00 PM).

Map

Start shuttle

None mentioned.

IC card

No dedicated transit card system; Wartburg, TN (Frozen Head State Park, also home to the Barkley Marathons) is a rural East Tennessee venue with no public transit. Car access only for the Frozen Head Ultra Marathon.

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.

September brings an average of 22°C.

At Wartburg, mornings and afternoons feel noticeably different.

It is cool in start line, but you will face direct sun later, so a hat can change your final 5 km.

The 50K starts at 7:20 a.m., half marathon starts at 7:40 a.m., and the common time limit for all events is 10 hours (6:00 p.m.).

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

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

The 07:20 start is early.

Working backward from wake-up, breakfast, and travel, staying near start line the night before is more convenient.

Times are local to Wartburg. 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.

Where runners eat in Wartburg

Eating well is part of the trip

View all →

A meal before the race, a dinner to celebrate the finish.

What to see in Wartburg after the race

Seeing Wartburg with the medal on

View all →

The city you ran — this time, a little slower.

Hotels that make race morning easyDistances are straight-line from the start.View on map

Hotel distances are straight-line from the start. Experiences, food and sights are travel products in Wartburg.

Total cost and budget for Frozen Head Ultra Marathon

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

Trip prep too,
light and in one place.

ChecklistLocal eSIM · Trip.comFlight delay or cancellation compensation · AirHelpPace calculator

Once saved, you can open this page without an internet connection

Runner stories and questions about Frozen Head Ultra Marathon

RUN TOGETHER

With runners who dream of
the same start line.

Be the first runner
Leave this room's first post

Wartburg runners' room

Frequently asked questions about Frozen Head Ultra Marathon

FAQ
When does Frozen Head Ultra Marathon 2027 take place?

Not officially announced yet.

It's expected in September 2027;

the 2026 race was held on Sun, September 6, 2026.

What is the time limit for Frozen Head Ultra Marathon 2027?

10 hours (6:00 PM time limit). (From the 2026 edition)

What distances does Frozen Head Ultra Marathon 2027 offer?

Ultra. (From the 2026 edition)

What time does Frozen Head Ultra Marathon 2027 start?

The race starts at 07:20. (From the 2026 edition)

Where does Frozen Head Ultra Marathon 2027 start?

Old Mac Trailhead, 964 Flat Fork Rd, Wartburg, TN. (From the 2026 edition)

PacerTrip connects you to races, stays, flights and tours. You book and pay on each service; when you go through these links we earn a commission.