"Wild Oak is Wild Oak. If you have any questions, don't come."
- Dennis Herr, Founder
the what?
the basics
Please read this website carefully and do not overestimate your abilities.
The Wild Oak Trail is a demanding and exhausting course, known to be one of the most difficult on-trail ultramarathons on the East Coast, founded by Dennis Herr in 1988. It is a 25+, 100+, and 200+ mile trail race in the George Washington National Forest near Mt. Solon, Virginia. The course is a 25+ mile loop with just over 7,000 feet of vertical gain. While much of the trail surface is runnable, there are also rocky, technical stretches that make smooth running quite challenging, even for elite runners. Simply finding the trailhead can be an adventure.
There is no official aid. The course is not marked. This not your average trail race.
- Runners are to carry a compass and a map. Navigation apps will laugh if used. There are several fine GPX maps available that cover this part of George Washington National Forest. Find them.
- Yep, unsupported. Bring it with you or do without.
- Runners can do 1, 2, 3, 4 or 8 twenty five-ish mile loops. Heavy on the -ish.
- Runners get "credit" for the official distances they register for: 1 loop, 4 loops, or 8 loops.
- Runners must to be able to find their own way.
- Runners must be able to navigate the course using just the tree blazes as a guide. The Wild Oak Trail is blazed white, so if you are running on a trail of a different color, that is not a TWOT trail.
- There are no aid stations, no volunteers, no spectators, no crews, no pacers, and no car rides back to the start for those who drop.
- The participants are held 100% accountable for their own safety and are required to sign a comprehensive waiver before participating.
- The race management team is not responsible for updating significant others with status reports on runners. Runners are required to inform significant others that they may be out of contact due to limited cell reception while running for 8 to 98 hours, depending on the chosen distance.
- Twitter updates are not guaranteed.
If you do not know about TWOT, the winter edition, or Hot TWOT, the fall edition, please learn more about them before you consider participating, both for your safety and the safety of the race.
who's invited, by Dennis Herr
Since this is a semi-invitational, here are some guidelines to help you determine if you are "invited", or, more aptly, not invited:
- If you are even the least bit worried or concerned about getting lost, don't come.
- If you have questions, don't come.
- If you need a crew, don't come.
- If you need toilet paper, don't come.
- If you expect to be pampered in any way shape or form, don't come.
- If you're a whiner, don't come.
- If you're a freeloader, don't come.
- If you're seeking fame and/or fortune, don't come.
- If you're thinking about writing a report about your experience at Wild Oak, don't come.
- If you crave abuse, if you yearn for abuse, if you are addicted to abuse in any way shape or form (be it physical, mental, sexual, verbal, mathematical, artistic or whatevah), please send an request for entry!
- The above bullet point applies to abusees only. Abusers are not welcome. The only abuser allowed is the trail.
the when AND hOW?
Race Dates
There are two active race months under The Wild Oak Trail run banner. TWOT takes place in the chilly vestiges of February and Hot TWOT examines the last of the leaf color changes in October. Temperatures vary and will likely be challenging.
2021 HOT TWOT RACE DATE, incl 100+ MILE and 25+ MILE:
October 15-17, 2021 (registration opens August 15, 2021; registration closes August 22, 2021)
Race start for 100+, 10/15, 8 AM
Race start for 25+, 10/16, 8 AM
2021 HOT TWOT 200+ MILE DATE
October 13-17, 2021 (registration opens August 15, 2021; registration closes August 22, 2021)
Race start for 200+, 10/13, 8 AM
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2022 TWOT RACE DATE, incl 100+ MILE and 25+ MILE:
February 11-13, 2022 (registration opens December 9, 2021; registration closes December 16, 2021)
Race start for 100+, 2/11, 8 AM
Race start for 25+, 2/12, 8 AM
2022 TWOT 200+ MILE DATE:
February 9-13, 2022 (registration opens December 9, 2021, registration closes December 16, 2021)
Race start for 200+, 2/9, 8 AM
*Starting 2022, the 200 miler will be held in February only.
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2022 HOT TWOT RACE DATE, incl 100+ MILE and 25+ MILE:
October 14-16 2022 (registration opens August 14, 2022; registration closes August 21, 2022)
Race start for 100+, 10/14, 8 AM
Race start for 25+, 10/15, 8 AM
Please note that the event is usually held on the second weekend of February and October (in case we're still out there...).
REGISTRATION: See more on registration under registration below.
Available entry slots are limited. For all events, register via thewildoak100@gmail.com using the registration requirements listed.
At a minimum, runners registering for the 200+ mile distance must have finished a 100+ mile TWOT distance or must submit valid additional reasoning for consideration for entry if no 100+ mile at TWOT has been completed prior to race day. Serious-intent 200+ mile application requests only.
John Fegyveresi, Barkley Finisher, TWOT finisher.
the where? - arrival
you may ask yourself, how do I get there?
Directions that may work:
I-81 to Exit 240 then Rte 257 West to Bridgewater. Left on Main St. (Rte 42). Right on Rte 727 (right after crossing bridge). Six miles on 727 to Sangerville. Left on Rte 730. Six miles on 730. Right on Rte 718. One mile on 718. Cross cement bridge, do a right-left dogleg onto FDR 95. 0.1 mile on 95 to trailhead parking lot on the right.
There is limited parking in the small lot right at the trail head. Only 100+ and 200+ mile participants are to park at trailhead (if there is room. There will likely be other trail users using the small lot, too).
Parking:
A secondary parking option is back down FDR 95 at its junction with Tillman Road/Tilghman Road, roughly 100 yards from the parking lot entrance. You would be wise to park here instead. Do NOT park in front of the entrance to the girl scout camp (Camp May Flather), which you will pass just before the road junction on your way in. Do NOT park in front of any gates! See Antoinette or Guy for clarification if you arrive and have questions regarding the parking. Carpool when possible.
Some navigational aids, such as Garmin, have provided unreliable directions to the start at the TWOT lot. In the past Google Maps is reliable, and a query of "Wild Oak Trail, Fr 95, West Augusta, VA" will lead you directly to the correct parking area. To be safe, use the directions here and consult a paper map.
the where? - trailhead
Drop bags
The TWOT Team will accommodate dropping the bags. However, picking them up is the responsibility of the runner. Bags are to be marked with runner name and cross-road destination.
Note: All foods in these bags must be sealed with bear resistant pouches. Bears tore a bin to shreds at Camp Todd in 2017. For good stories about this event, ask Ed Rangle and Dennis Herr, both witnessed this unusual occurrence.
Cut-off Time
Official race cut off time for the 200+ is 98 hours, for the 100+ is 48 hours, and for the 25+ is 12 hours.
Results
Prepare for a delay in the results going live. Maybe a week, maybe a month, and in the past some amendments have taken more than a year.
Facilities
There are no official facilities other than the woods. Bring a trowel and a baggie or two.
Runner Fitness and DNFs
Before each loop, runners must self-assess to determine they are in condition to last an entire loop. The race directing team retains the discretion to postpone or eliminate performance for emotional or mental distress, for example mental disorientation and audible or visual hallucinations. If a runner drops at one of the road crossings, no one will be there to give a lift back. It is a 9 mile trek to the Main Lot from the road crossings; all runners are encouraged to know the way back.
.
the who?
Dennis Herr and another animal a few years ago... (photo by Dr. George Wortley)
WHO THE BLOODY HELL IS DENNIS HERR?
If you do not know who Dennis Herr is, read up on him before you come. This is his race you're running. Ask your running friends before and during the event, they'll know.
If you do not have any running friends who know, get some new ones who do, or read this:
Dennis is an athletic animal, hence his nickname Dennis “The Animal” Herr. He created Wild Oak 30+ years ago, making it one of the longest-running, grass-roots, on-trail ultramarathons in the country. He first ran Old Dominion 100 miler in 1982. He was a Barkley “Fun Run” finisher in 1991, winning by running the furthest distance covered that year. He ran Barkley from 1990-1995 and 1999, completing 1 loop each time. “The Animal” was known as an aggressively competitive athlete with his skill sets ranging from runner to mountain adventurer to road cyclist and triathlete. He expanded his dominance over the East Coast mountain scene to the West Coast where he tackled 14ers. Today, Dennis mountain bikes tens of tens of thousands of miles per year. Wild Oak is only one of many events he has organized and coordinated.
Please kindly note: Because of not one, but two severe, life threatening cycling accidents, Dennis lost his hearing and sense of balance. When you speak with him, look him head-on, and articulate clearly. Do not be surprised if he leans on your shoulder for balance.
Also note: The most important quality of Wild Oak is respect. Respect for race policies and traditions, fellow adventurers, and especially the terra firma you registered to travel.
SETTING THE RECORDS STRAIGHT: Historical Revision of TWOT
BY DENNIS HERR, last updated 3/19/2021
Recent course history: The trail path was altered in the summer of 2016, adding mileage and resulting in the loss of some of the original elevation gain.
The Wild Oak National Recreation Trail was created by the Forest Service in 1979 and the fee-based 50 miler was dreamed up in '88. The original course included 19 miles of roads in the North River Gorge along with The Wild Oak Trail (TWOT) extended on the southwest corner to the edge of Ramseys Draft which included Hiner Spring, Hardscrabble Knob and a section of the Shenandoah Mountain Trail. It was morphed into a Double TWOT loop in 1995 and changed to a no-fee event in '01.
The 1990 fee-based 50 miler on the original course was, competitively, the most blistering one ever with times of 7:42, 7:44 and 7:47 by Dave Drach, Eric Clifton and Tom Bugliosi respectively. Dave's time of 7:42 was done on the old and faster course of a loop in the valley by one on Wild Oak in the mountains. This also applies to Eric and Tom's loops. Sadly, Dave and Tom are no longer with us.
Dave Drach's record is from the 1990 on the original and faster course which consisted of a road loop in the North River Gorge followed by an extended loop on Wild Oak while Courtney's and Mike's was done in 1995 on the "new and improved" course of 2 loops on Wild Oak, the first counter-clockwise and the 2nd clockwise. The total climbing on Dave's was 10,000 feet and 16,000 on C&M's
Courtney Campbell and Mike Morton own the mark on the current course of 2 repeating loops of TWOT at 9:27 in 1995. In 2018, John Kelly blazed through the 100 in 23:48. Guy Towler owns the record with the most consecutive 100 miler completions with 3, challenged by Rob Tidwell and Peter Morgan who both just came shy of 3 consecutive 100 mile finishes. Due to blizzards, TWOT was cancelled in '94, '05 and '10. The elevation differential for the 100 is roughly 60,000' (gain and loss).
David Frazier holds the fastest one loop time from 2013 with 4:14. Along with Dave's 4:14, his brother Mike is #2 with 4:37. Andy Stravers is 3rd with 4:43 instead of Leah Yingling's 4:56. There are several in the low 4:50s ahead of Leah but too many to identify.
Yours truly was the initial charter member of the TWOT100 club in 2002 (34:02) at age 55, the only member for 3 years.
The Oct. TWOT was added to the Feb event in 2004 due to a high demand for some Hot TWOT. My intention was to make it my 4th completion of the year along with Massanutten, Big Horn and Hardrock. Was stymied by being hit with a. fib. (atrial fibrillation). It has plagued me for 30 years.
In 2016, Dennis Herr passed the TWOT reins onto Antoinette Landragin, current RD. In 2019, Antoinette elected Guy Towler as co-RD.
Antoinette raced 8, 12, and 24 hour events, 50ks, 50 milers, 100 milers, suffered through ~150 miles at VolState with a fractured foot, and placed first at the 2013 Tom's Run 200 miler. While retired from racing, she is a proclaimed Barkley and TWOT sideline warrior. Expect to be cheered and jeered by her somewhere on the course. She can stay awake longer than anyone you know.
In 2019, after a lengthy and heated committee review and vetting period, TWOT legend and veteran Guy Towler was ordained as co-RD. Guy is the only runner in the decades-long TWOT history to hold the crown of being a three-time, consecutive-race TWOT finisher. His rare 'repeat offender' status (Cold and Hot TWOT finishes in the same year) was in 2017. He raced all over the eastern seaboard and loves tough mountain courses, crewing and pacing. In addition, Guy is a recent volunteer of the year nominee. He wanders often, but is never lost. He can be reached at guy . towler @ gmail . com
Both Antoinette and Guy are fans of a robust fire to keep them toasty for the 3-6 days they stand almost 24/7 in the cold while supervising runners. To bring them joy, donate extra firewood.
If running is a dance of human exuberance then The Wild Oak Trail is a splendidly confusing mosh pit of painfully exhaustive solitude.
A weary John Kelly is consoled by Dennis Herr and Antoinette Landragin after the historical, and the only, sub-24 TWOT 100+ mile finish. (23:48 in 2018)
Learn more about his adventure here.
John Kelly, March 2021, as quoted in Ultrarunning World Magazine, UK:
"TWOT is one of those events that captures the essence of what I love about ultrarunning: an incredible challenge focused on personal goals rather than hype and fanfare, a beautiful course, and the opportunity to share it all with a great group of people out there after the same thing. Of all the things I've done in ultrarunning that are much more widely known, my weekend at the 2018 TWOT 100 will always be one of my most cherished experiences and my sub 24 hour run there one of my proudest achievements."
the other
registration + responsibilities
registration + responsibilities
registration + responsibilities
Entry is via email:
Registration must include the requested information. If, after being accepted, you are unable to attend, send an advance notification and the spot will be transferred to another runner on the waiting list.
REQUIRED Basic Information:
- Full Name, Race Day Age, Town/State/Country and Emergency Cell Phone Number with Contact Name
Optional to share:
- Preferred name for RDs to use on race weekend, Gender
REQUIRED additional Information
- List of ultra-events/races/runs, both official and unofficial, from the last 2 years that you're especially proud of, including details such as if you did it unsupported, finishing number or time, if the run had adverse conditions, or any additional performance/running-philosophy details that may convey your serious intent of finishing the chosen TWOT distance. This information is to be sent in for all desired race distances, 25, 100, and 200.
- Include the anticipated racing distance (200+ start on Wednesday, 100+ on Friday, 25+ on Saturday)
REQUIRED for the 200+ applications
- In addition to registration requirements listed above, hopeful participants of the 200+ must provide a detailed explanation as to why they are qualified to run this distance.
ALL Participants
- Plan to bring one water and one food item. Bring one bundle of firewood, at least.
- The supplies for this event is FOR the runners BY the runners. The more goodies you bring, the more you will have to enjoy.
- Trail work volunteer inquiries: thewildoak100@gmail.com
IMPORTANT: Runners are responsible for themselves and are required to sign a waiver before race start. The Wild Oak Trail Run Management Team takes no responsibility for any losses, injuries, or expenses occurred.
people are talking
registration + responsibilities
registration + responsibilities
Ultrarunning World, United Kingdom:
https://ultrarunningworld.co.uk/wp-content/downloads/Ultrarunning_World_31d.pdf
ForeRunners Podcast, United States:
https://soundcloud.com/forerunnerspodcast/episode-38-jason-hallenbeck
Territorio Trail, Spain:
http://www.territoriotrail.es/the-wild-oak-trail-twot-100-the-most-pure-trail-in-east-coast-of-usa/
Runners World, Global:
https://www.runnersworld.com/gear/a26344748/best-gear-to-stop-blisters-running/
Trails Collective, United States:
https://trailscollective.com/2021/07/03/toughest-trail-races-in-the-northeast/
More from Trails Collective:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE0OBiQz7OM&feature=youtu.be
(The Wild Oak Trail Run discussed around 25:15) and the "refreshing" follow up:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJk1JyuwsOE&feature=youtu.be
((The Wild Oak Trail Run discussed around 14:40).
Washingtonian, Washington, D.C.:
Local Initiative
Since the COVID 19 pandemic began, the TWOT directors doubled efforts to support and contribute locally.
This is done threefold:
1) Supporting local firewood sources;
2) Donating unopened aid foods and drinks to the local food bank;
3) Highlighting local businesses we frequent in the area including Stokesville Market (look for Sasquatch!) in Stokesville; Sole Focus Running and Chicano Boy Taco in Staunton; Bluestone Running, Brothers Brewing, and Chestnut Ridge Coffee in Harrisonburg.
Please help add to this list of local businesses and support these valuable community resources by emailing us recommendations: thewildoak100@gmail.com. Thanks for helping us support the race area's local community!
details, updates + results
registration + responsibilities
details, updates + results
Pictured: Rob Tidwell. In Feb 2018, Rob wrote, "TWOT was a weekend of unsung heroes and heroines, lessons learned (and relearned), mistakes, burpees, friendship, wacky weather patterns, ego, humility, quiet confidence, quitting, A&W Root Beer, mountain sunrises and ultimately a yummy jar of blueberry jam."
The chosen entry category of 1, 4, or 8 loops is to be declared at registration via email to the RD. Changes to a declared intention, represented here as a change in the number of loops in either direction, will result in the participation being categorized as a “fun-run” for the runner with no official finisher’s time recorded for any distance.
Reminder: There will be no aid stations, no pacers, no crew, and no spectators. Drop bags will be facilitated, with runners required to pick them up at the end of their race. Runners are required to self-manage and self-extract. This is a demanding and exhausting course, known to be one of the the most difficult on-trails ultramarathons on the east coast. Prepare accordingly.
Zero tolerance and automatic DQ for the following: littering, poor sportsmanship, visibly inadequate preparation, inability to follow race rules.
Race updates available by following the @TWOT 100 Twitter feed, the @TWOT 200 Twitter feed and @twot100 Instagram page.
Past results can be accessed via the Virginia Happy Trails Running Club's The Wild Oak Trail 100 Mile website. Thank you to Quattro Hubbard his maintenance of this website.
PEACE OF MIND
The race management team is not responsible for updating significant others with status reports on runners. Runners are required to inform significant others that they may be out of contact due to limited cell reception while running for 8 to 98 hours depending on the chosen distance. Twitter updates are not guaranteed.