By Neisa Condemaita & Andrew Arbuckle.
A 100 miler, 100K and also with options in the distance of 50k and 25k. Cloudsplitter has everything! It’s technical, rocky and has a good amount of runnable sections.
The race takes place in the heart of the central Appalachia. From the point of High Knob, you can see 5 states on a clear day (Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina) and it is beautiful. At some parts the terrain is rugged, just how we like it in the East Coast.
Countless creek crossings were thankfully low which kept the feet dry, but the creekbed was treacherous and slippery. There were sections with so many rocks you must concentrate step by step especially at night. On the “Devil’s Fork” It is easy to get lost if you just keep your head down so that’s why it is much better if you go together with someone. Later a storm approached and the wind and rain started to pick up. As we came back up to the top of High Knob, the fog was visibly swept over the hill and over us. We got a hug from a volunteer which woke up our legs and finished the descent back to Norton, VA. So much respect for the 100 Milers who finished near the 40 hour cutoff time. The volunteers at each aid station were incredible! And the food was great, especially that warm soup at night. The elevation profile of the 100 Miler was: 5970 M+ and for the 100k 3650 M+
We spoke with Susan Howell who is the RD and gave us her insight
Cloudsplitter is a fascinating name what inspired you?
When you are on top of the mountains oftentimes you see the clouds down below you, so the mountains seem to be splitting up into the clouds.
When people talk about Cloudsplitter what have you heard or what do you imagine or expect people saying? People talk about the beauty of the region, the beauty of the trails, the wonderful people, and the difficulty of the course. They also say that they don’t know much about Central Appalachia and like what they see.
The 4th edition of the race, were any records broken?
No — the course is more difficult on High Knob so no records were broken in its first year at the new location.
Cloudsplitter is one of the few races in the East Coast of USA with ITRA points. As an RD how important is this for you ?
Very important, because it makes the race stand out as one of the most difficult in the Southeast. It’s nice to be able to offer a qualifying race to people who need the points for UTMB.
How has the race developed, changes overtime. What are your plans for next year?
The new location is a huge change, and with it a more difficult course with interesting alternatives (water crossings, etc.) It’s too soon for me to announce any plans for next year — I’m still working on a garage full of things to clean and put away. Thank you.