StumpJump 50k
Encyclopedia
Ultramarathon
An ultramarathon is any sporting event involving running longer than the traditional marathon length of .There are two types of ultramarathon events: those that cover a specified distance, and events that take place during specified time...
in the Southeastern United States
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
that features a grueling course of extreme elevation changes and technical trail sections. The annual event takes place the first Saturday in October on the Signal Mountain
Signal Mountain
Signal Mountain may refer to:*Signal Mountain, Tennessee, a town in Hamilton County, Tennessee**Because of the proximity of this town to it, Walden Ridge is often mistakenly called Signal Mountain....
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, portion of the Cumberland Trail
Cumberland Trail
The Cumberland Trail is a hiking trail following a line of ridges and gorges along the eastern escarpment of the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee. The trail begins at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park and ends at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park and Prentice Cooper Wildlife...
. In 2007 the race field was limited to 400 participants to limit the impact on this wilderness area. The race benefits the Cumberland Trail Conference, and in 2007, raised $4,000 for CTC's for trailbuilding and maintenance programs.
Course
The course is shaped like a lollipop, with a total elevation gain of several thousand feet. Runners leave the stick of the lollipop at mile 10.3, then run a 10.2 mile loop and rejoin the stick at mile 20.5. This means that runners see the first 10 or so miles twice, which contains the most elevation change in the whole race. Runners cross Suck Creek Road twice.The 50k course’s first and last 4 miles are on a jeep/dirt road. For the middle portion of the race, the trail is predominantly technical single track made up of packed dirt and mountain stone, including one section runners have nicknamed the "Rock Garden".
History and records
The StumpJump 50k was started in 2002 by local trail running enthusiast Matt Sims as a way to get support for the Cumberland Trail Conference and promote local participation in trail running. Today, the StumpJump receives some of trailrunning’s top athletes including John StamstadJohn Stamstad
John Stamstad is a member of the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. He was famous for his domination of long distance mountain bike races. He entered his first long distance road bike race in 1985. The non-stop race was across Missouri from St. Louis to Kansas City and back...
, Josh Beckham and Byran Dayton, who holds the course record of 4 hours 1 min. and 17 seconds set in 2005. Sarah Keller holds the women’s record with a time of 4:57:19. The race was founded with the support of Rock/Creek
Rock/Creek
Rock/Creek is a Chattanooga, Tennessee-based sporting goods retailer of clothing and gear for rock climbing, paddling, trail running, hiking, camping and travel. Founded as Rock/Creek Outfitters and Canoeist Headquarters in 1987 when Dawson Wheeler and Marvin Webb purchased Canoeist Headquarters,...
, a local retailer where Matt Sims worked as a retail store manager. Today the race is a part of the larger Rock/Creek Trail Series.