Promise Land 50 K Road Map

Hey y’all.  Put this together after spending this weekend up at PL 50 KM course.  Did the light side and dark side, plus some other running around exploring/sightseeing.  Normally I don’t have the memory in races to remember this stuff, so tried to focus on it.  Will put this into my running card I do, with data on front and an abbreviated version of this on back.

From Start to Aid Station #1 (Overstreet Falls at Mile 2.8):  Everyone knows this section.  It’s approx. 2.8 miles and 1600 feet up until you turn onto singletrack.  Aid is water only.  First mile + has some runnable sections in it.  After that, only those who really know what they are doing will run as it steepens significantly.  I’d take it easy around 1.2 miles in. Power hike, you can go fairly fast, save those legs for later.

From Aid Station #1 to Aid Station #2 (Reed’s Creek at Mile 9.6): This is approximately (who knows on his courses, but I did log distances on watch this time to check) 6.9 miles and about 1100 feet of climbing.  Most of the climb is at the beginning and technical kind-of, switchbacks up the mountain, a bit rocky.  This goes on for almost 2 miles but not quite, until you hit the main grass trail that you will be on for almost 5 miles. This grass trail is 80% runnable.  There are like 3 climbs, two fairly small and one sustained into the aid station.  It basically traces the contour of the mountains, going in and out to follow the fingers and draws leading of the main terrain feature.  None of the climbs are terrible and a bit welcomed with all the fast running. Again, the last climb is the most sustained but overall, you can make time here.  Normal aid station.

From Aid Station #2 to Aid Station #3 (Sunset Fields at Mile 13.4):  This is 3.8 miles of mainly climbing, 1200 feet.  I did experiment and parts are runnable, just for short 1-200 feet stretches, unless you are feeling great.  The grade is not terrible, just sustained. The last ½ mile up to parkway is the steepest.  You will know you are close when you see some manmade structures in ruins.  You can make decent time on this section due to last two miles. You will top out onto Apple Orchard Mountain where I took this picture on Easter morning:

The last ~2 miles are straight downhill, and you will make up time here. Don’t go crazy, but you can run, or you really won’t have a choice but to run, it is that steep in places.

Aid Station #3 to Aid Station #4 (Cornelius Creek at Mile 17.5): This is about 4.2 miles and largely downhill, maybe 400 feet of climbing total.  You will go downhill initially on a technical rocky part of trail.  This will last for two miles, when you hang a left and head onto a fairly grassy trail.  Wave at the trail to Apple Orchard Falls, you will likely be tired of climbing when you see it again.  The next several miles are mainly downhill.  There will be some slight climbs, maybe two of them.  The rest is gentle grade initially, but as you crest a ridge you will go downhill fairly steeply and be on this for a while.  The rocks pick up with no real rhyme or reason.  There are a couple of stream crossings, it’s a really pretty area.  You can move pretty quickly on this whole section and should if you feel good.  The rocks make it tough to go crazy but maintaining a decent pace is possible. You will be back here to this aid station again in like 9 miles. Normal Aid station.

Aid Station #3 to Aid Station #4 (Colon Hollow at Mile 20.6):  This is about 3.1 miles, and it is all runnable.  There are a couple of slight uphill sections, maybe 300 feet total climbing.  Make time here. It is all gravel road for a little over 2 miles, then you hit the hardball (paved) for a mile or so.  Again, all runnable. Normal Aid station.

Aid Station #4 to Aid Station #5 (Cornelius Creek at Mile 23.7): It is about 5.5 miles (maybe more by my watch) and seems to go on forever. To me this section defines how well this race is going. You could literally walk the first 3 miles as it’s a gradual uphill with some short downhill sections.  Total climbing says 900 feet, but I’d bet it is more like 1200 or so.  Had my less technical shoes on for speed and paid dearly with a trail that was pure mud and water.  Gradually uphill but some runnable sections.  You will eventually top out onto a grassy access road (about 1 mile in) that is mainly uphill but has decent downhill sections. You eventually hit a gravel road that goes up steeply for almost a mile then drops you on another grassy section.  This is where I was almost shot by two turkey hunters…no kidding.  Have not had a gun pointed at me in many years!  This grassy section has a lot of runnable sections. You will be on single track initially, some creek crossings, but dry unless…it rains.  I was cruising here a couple years ago, and it let loose with a torrential downpour.   It has a few short climbs, but it generally heads down to the aid station.  You will know you are close to aid when the creek is on your left and you are slogging through mud/water sections.  You will cross the creek a couple of times and may get wet.   You will do a short out and back and see folks in front and behind you…then cross bridge to aid station. I found you could run 60% or more of this depending on how you are feeling.  Of all the sections I looked at where you can make time, this is it, you will feel the next section coming, but it’s going to be hard regardless.  There are a couple of steep climbs, but these are mainly on gravel road or fairly benign grassy trail.   Normal aid.

Aid Station #5 to Aid Station #6 (Sunset Field at Mile 27ish):  This section is only 3.3 miles…but a mere 2000 feet of climbing as well.  Known as the crux of the course, it is hard.  You will head back up the way you came into aid station and branch onto the falls trail.  It is gentle for about .75 miles, but once you hit a rock stair section and cross the first bridge, welcome to the climb.  It is steep, technical, and eventually has a ton of wooden steps.  Really great views. Once you recross the bridge under falls, you have about 1.3 miles left.  Some of this includes the steps up to where you branched off earlier in the day.  From here it is about .8 up on major switchbacks.  You ran down these earlier.  You will hear aid station long before you get there.  Once you cross the AT, it's only a ¼ of a mile up to aid.  Normal and last real aid. 

Aid Station #6 to Finish (PLYC at Mile 34ish): Total distance here is 4.3 miles or so.  Ok I know the description says there is an aid station #8, there really isn’t or even necessary.  You are almost done, by and large, minus some serious downhill.  The first 1.8 miles is rocky and technical.  There is one short climb, but it comes literally a ¼ of a mile into this section, then it is all downhill.  The 1.8 you can move fairly quickly on; from a technical standpoint it is not terrible.  But 30 miles in, it is tough. If you add rain, really tough. However, once you get past that, it's almost 3 miles straight downhill on gravel road. The first part of gravel is steep – you will remember climbing it, but it gradually lessens, you can really move to finish.  You are done!  All that is left is a Horton hug if you are female, and a “who are you?” if you are a male…though he may know me now, but I doubt it.  Good luck to everyone and share if you want.