Shorefire Trail Races

Race Overview

The Shorefire 25K and 10K take runners on a scenic tour linking the Smith Mountain Lake State Park trail system. The park’s stunning lake views are easy to enjoy thanks to well-maintained doubletrack trails, with open stretches of shoreline and a variety of native forest terrain. Flat, fast sections are balanced with several punchy climbs to keep things interesting.

25K

The 25K course starts and finishes at the Beach Pavilion.

• Course path: The first 0.2 miles heads up the main parking lot and along the road, giving runners space to spread out before turning right at the Playground parking lot and heading into a flat, runnable section of doubletrack trail.
• Terrain: Overall, the course is fast and mostly nontechnical, with a little over 1800 feet of elevation gain spread across rolling hills.
• Challenging views: The biggest challenge may not be the terrain: it’s resisting distraction from the beautiful lake views along the way.
• Course marking: The route will be clearly marked with blue flagging and directional arrows, with an official GPX file available for runners who prefer to follow the course on a GPS watch: https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/6673167949

As a general rule of thumb for the 25K, most (though not all) turns are right turns, and runners will spend much of the course with Smith Mountain Lake on their right-hand side. While the trail system is expansive, runners are never far from a road or connector trail.

10K

The 10K course starts and finishes at the Beach Pavilion.

• Elevation gain: The course features about 700 feet of elevation gain.
• Initial route: The first 0.2 miles heads up the main parking lot and along the road, giving runners space to spread out before turning left across from the Playground parking lot and dropping into Walton Creek Trail.
• Technical section: This early section includes the only technical portion of the 10K, but it’s short-lived.
• Course link: The course will be clearly marked with pink flagging and directional arrows, with an official GPX file available for runners who prefer to follow the route on a GPS watch.

Facilities

Both courses start and finish at the Beach Pavilion, with easy access to parking, restrooms, and spectator-friendly areas.

• Restroom locations: Bathrooms are available at multiple points along the course, including the Beach Pavilion, the Playground area, Discovery Center, and Visitor Center.
• Elevation accuracy: Note: Elevation gain shown on the MapMyRun link appears lower due to GPS smoothing. Official course elevation gain is approximately 1,800 feet for the 25K and 700 feet for the 10K, based on barometric data from on-course recordings.
• Course support: Volunteers will be stationed at key junctions. Aid stations are positioned to support runners through the most demanding -- and scenic -- sections of the course.
• Family-friendly amenities: Smith Mountain Lake State Park is very family-friendly, featuring a playground, picnic areas, and a sandy beach.

Aid Stations

Several aid stations will be placed along the 25K route.

• Mile 3.5: Unmanned water stop
• Mile 4.85: Campfire Amphitheater, featuring gorgeous lake views
• Mile 10: Campground
• Mile 12: Five Oaks Trail loop
• Mile 15: Unmanned water stop

The 10K will share the Five Oaks Trail aid station (mile 2.75) and the unmanned water stop where Walton Creek Trail connects to the Visitor Center parking lot (mile 1.5 and 5).

Many of these locations are also ideal spots for friends and family to gather and cheer runners on.

Parking & Park Entry

Smith Mountain Lake State Park charges a daily vehicle entry fee. To avoid congestion and delays at the park entrance on race morning, the park entry fee will be included in race registration. This allows runners and spectators to drive directly into the park without stopping at the gate.

Runners who hold an annual Virginia State Parks pass should note that the entry fee is still included in registration and cannot be removed or refunded.

Trail Sisters Approved Race

Shorefire Trail Races is proud to be recognized as a Trail Sisters Approved race. These standards include equal podium opportunities and awards, women-specific apparel and swag, menstrual products at aid stations, representation of women on the starting line, and pregnancy and postpartum accommodations.

Charity Partner

Friends of Smith Mountain Lake State Park is the official charity partner for Shorefire. You can donate directly to their work during registration. Donations support park programs, educational events, and trail stewardship.

Event Information

Date: 2026-10-18
Location: 2540 State Park Road, Huddleston, VA
For more details, visit Shorefire Trail Races.