The Grand-Further Mountain Run is roughly 25km on 99% singletrack that takes you up and over Grandfather Mountain 2 times. The only part of the course that’s not singletrack is the first 0.15 miles of uphill road running. So, naturally, many people start out running pretty hard with the goal of reaching the singletrack before the rest of the field and avoiding getting trapped in a position that could potentially hold them back.

That special vibe was amplified due to the huge numbers of TUFF Run Club runners and crew, other local running friends that would be running, crewing, and volunteering, and the fact that Umstead is a park that I live so close to and run in so often. Simply put—toeing the line at the Umstead 100 felt different.