Fire on the Mountain 50K Trail Race

Fire on the Mountain 50K Trail Race is held in Little Orleans, Maryland, on November 1, 2026. Two trail formats start together at 7:00 AM: a 50K (31 miles) and a 25K (15.5 miles). The name leaves little doubt about the setting, so you should count on a hilly mountain trail day in western Maryland in early November.

Choose the 25K if you are moving up from road half marathons and want a manageable introduction to mountain trail racing; choose the 50K if you are ready for a first ultra with real climbing. Either way, the key to a good day is training on hills with hiking mixed in, since power hiking the steep sections is faster and cheaper on the legs than trying to run everything. Give yourself 12 weeks for the 25K and 16 weeks for the 50K, with a long run every weekend and a taper of about two weeks.