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PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONUS / RACE GUIDE

In the Heat of the Night

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Anniston
US

Race date Aug expected: August 2027
City · Distance: Anniston · 100km
Entry fee: $165From the 2026 edition
Status: SoonSee how to enter ↗

2027Date August 2027 · expected · Soon

2026Date Aug 8, 2026

Official website ↗D-day as of Oct 19, 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.

Start line is Frog Pond Overlook in Anniston, Alabama.

All four events start together at 6:00 PM on Saturday.

This is a night race run from sunset to sunrise.

Course is a loop on forest roads in Talladega National Forest, with maintained dirt and gravel surfaces throughout.

The events are 100K, 50K, 25K, and 10K.

The organizers describe it as the first 100K trail race held in Alabama.

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: 1

Kyle DickersonRan in 2025 · Finish time 8:34:49

“For those last 3 miles, I just opened up and let it eat, and thankfully had something to give.”

In the In the Heat of the Night 50km, they controlled their early pace and managed fluids and electrolytes through the night. They accelerated over the last 3 miles to finish in 8 hours 34 minutes 49 seconds, improving on the previous year by 11 minutes.

Read the original on Kyle Dickerson

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.

Full recap

Ty Smith · Full recap

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.

From the 2026 edition

100K

Entry cost $165

subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

50K

Entry cost $95

subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

10K

Entry cost $65

subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

25K

Entry cost $80

subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

Official race website Entry options

From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Your 100km

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

From the 2026 edition

Runners start · local timeFrom 18:00

not the start line

We have not confirmed the start line coordinates yet.

START

Frog Pond Overlook

Start · Google Maps

FINISH

Frog Pond Overlook

Finish · Google Maps

The start and finish are at Frog Pond Overlook.

Despite the name, it is a birdwatching overlook, not a place associated with frogs.

The start/finish coordinates are 33.714045° N, 85.6643037° W.

Course is a loop on forest roads in Talladega National Forest, surrounded by the forest and Pinhoti Trail.

The entire course uses maintained dirt and gravel roads.

The direction changes each year: in even-numbered years, runners go counterclockwise;

in odd-numbered years, clockwise.

Only the 10K is not a loop.

It climbs 3.1 miles before turning around and descending to the start, with 596 feet of elevation gain and a time limit of 4 hours.

The 25K is one loop, with approximately 1,980 feet of elevation gain and a time limit of 6 hours.

The 50K is two loops, approximately 3,950 feet, and 10 hours.

The 100K is four loops, approximately 7,920 feet, and 18 hours.

Runners who complete the 100K clockwise and counterclockwise in two consecutive years receive a Double Down coin.

The Alabama Pinhoti Trail around course is a 335-mile long-distance trail through the southern Appalachian Mountains,

and part of Entry fee goes to Talladega National Forest.

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 2026 edition

Stations & transport near the venue

Getting to the startNo public transit — car access only
Transit cardNo dedicated transit card system; Anniston, Alabama has no meaningful public transit network relevant to…

Source · checked Aug 24, 2026

More details

Getting to the start

No public transit — car access only

Start/finish is at Frog Pond Overlook, Talladega National Forest, Anniston, AL, per the official UltraSignup event page. All distances start at 6:00 PM Saturday.

No date conflict.

Map

Getting to the finish

Same as start — Frog Pond Overlook, Talladega National Forest

Loop course on maintained dirt/gravel Talladega Forest roads near the Pinhoti Trail; race ends noon Sunday.

Map

Start shuttle

None mentioned on the official listing.

Transit card

No dedicated transit card system; Anniston, Alabama has no meaningful public transit network relevant to visitors. In the Heat of the Night is a car-access rural/trail race requiring a personal or rental vehicle.

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.

The 2026 race starts at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 8, with all events starting together.

Registration closes on August 3rd at 11:59 PM (Central Time).

In August, Anniston's average high is 32.1°C and average low is 21.1°C, with 89mm of monthly rainfall.

As a night race, it requires a headlamp and reflective gear.

Bib pickup is at the start area on race day from 3:45 to 5:45 p.m.

This is a cupless race.

Aid is available at the start/finish and at two points on course, and 50K and 100K runners can leave drop bags at both aid station on course.

Music, food and drinks await in the finish area.

Finishers receive a handmade amulet, and 100K finishers get a BOCO trucker hat included with registration.

The T-shirt order deadline is July 13.

The field is capped at 200 with no waitlist.

Once sold out, a spot reopens only if another runner cancels, with no separate notice.

Refunds, deferrals and transfers are not allowed;

entries roll over to the next year only if the race is canceled due to wildfire or natural disaster.

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

A trip built around the race

STAY A LITTLE

MAKE IT A RUNTRIP

Atlanta: Martin Luther King Historical Park Walking Tour

Martin Luther King Historical Park Walking Tour · $42

View on GetYourGuide

Hotels that make race morning easyDistances are straight-line from the start.View on map Eating well is part of the tripA meal before the race, a dinner to celebrate the finish.View on map

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

Trip prep too,
light and in one place.

Checklist Local eSIM · Trip.com Flight delay or cancellation compensation · AirHelp Pace calculator

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

RUN TOGETHER

With runners who dream of
the same start line.

Be the first runner
Leave this room's first post

Anniston runners' room

MORE RACES.

FAQ

When does In the Heat of the Night 2027 take place?

Not officially announced yet.

It's expected in August 2027;

the 2026 race was held on Sat, August 8, 2026.

How much is the In the Heat of the Night 2027 entry fee?

Not announced yet. The 2026 race entry fee was about $165.

What distances does In the Heat of the Night 2027 offer?

Ultra. (From the 2026 edition)

What time does In the Heat of the Night 2027 start?

The race starts at 18:00. (From the 2026 edition)

What is the In the Heat of the Night 2027 course like?

The start and finish are at Frog Pond Overlook.

Despite the name, it is a birdwatching overlook, not a place associated with frogs.

The start/finish coordinates are 33.714045° N, 85.6643037° W.

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In the Heat of the Night

About In the Heat of the Night — 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