Best Places to Run: Mountain Running

7 Severe Summit Races

Go where few runners dare to go: Straight up the side of a mountain. These footraces will make your calves burn, your body drip, and your heart beat out of your chest
By Todd Balf runnersworld
 

Is a Mountain Footrace in Your Future?

7 Severe Summit Races // woman running on the side of a mountain © Torsten Heycke

Image: Torsten Heycke

Thanks to its unyielding steepness, Mount Washington is the undisputed king of mountain footraces. But there are other epic climbing days to be had across America. An average grade of eight percent is a good starting point for a five-star hill climb, but factors like altitude, distance, and diabolical spikes in steepness at the worst possible time (e.g., the end of the race) can make more moderate uphillers feel just as severe. After consulting with the dean of mountain running, Dave Dunham (and assorted other authorities), we offer the following as the country's most hurt-worthy races. (These climbs are distinguished from mountain trail races in that they're largely run on roads, dirt or paved.)

More: Is your hometown among the 25 best running cities in America?

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