NC Local Trail Races - 2024 Calendar

Between coaching the local Fleet Feet trails program and chatting up anyone with half an interest in talking about trails (hiiii!), I’ve kept a mental list of local races that seem popular, as well as other races that seem promising. Last year I formalized the list and shared it whenever people asked for race recommendations. This year I want to continue that tradition, so here’s the latest list with updated dates for 2024!

2023 was a crazy busy year. To put it nicely, I “invested heavily in my career growth” but in reality work got crazy :) But I’m back with a fresh blog post to kick off the new year!

First up: a list of local (ish) trail races! These are races that have come up in trail groups and conversations year after year, plus a few others that I’ve found via searching for local beginner-friendly trail options. This list is focused on the greater NC area (basically anything within a few hours’ drive from central NC), mostly trails, with options from 5K up through 100 milers, plus the World Majors and a few tried and true popular road races. It’s sorted by date (though you’ll find a few “?” rows — these are races that, at the time I put this list together, hadn’t yet announced the 2024 race date), and includes rough location and distances offered at the race.

This is by no means a comprehensive list, nor is it an endorsement of any races listed here. Rather, this is a list of races I’ve seen pop up on local trail runner race calendars year after year, or other local races that give some variety to distance, terrain, and experience. I hope you enjoy! And if you sign up for any of these races or have other race recommendations please let me know in the comments!