Race day is here! · Sat, Oct 31, 2026
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Saturday, October 31st, 2026
Pandapas Pond Day Use Area, Blacksburg VA
5K
43–63°F · low rain risk
See last 10 years
On this date: rain 2 of the last 10 years
2025
42–50°F
dry
2024
55–75°F
dry
2023
40–51°F
dry
2022
49–60°F
rain
2021
47–56°F
dry
2020
31–52°F
dry
2019
35–74°F
rain
2018
41–69°F
dry
2017
37–57°F
dry
2016
54–69°F
dry
Best months to race in Virginia →
Race-day forecast · Saturday, Oct 31
Cloudy · 42–60°F
Saturday, Oct 31starts near 42°F · 1% chance of rain · wind up to 8 mph
About this race
Come join the fun at the 2026 Brush Mountain Breakdown presented by Roots Realty Group, the 9th event of the RunAbout Sports 2026 Race Series!
The 12 miler, 7 miler and 5K run are all on trails within the Pandapas Pond trail system - which is part of the Jefferson National Forest. The courses are challenging with many hills and some creek crossings (water less than knee deep). There are aid stations along the course for the 7 and 12 mile routes.
5k begins at 9:00 am
7 Miler & 12 Miler begin at 9:30 am
Packet Pickup
Pre-race packet pickup @ RunAbout Sports - 4pm to 7pm (Friday 10/30)
Race day packet pickup - 8:30 AM (10/31) Pandapas Pond upper parking lot - look for the tent at the far end of the lot
Shirts
Long-sleeve participant shirts are guaranteed to those who register on or before Sunday October 18th. Those registering after that date choose from remaining sizes while quantities last.
Awards
Finisher Gift
All finishers receive a jar of Ann’s Apple Butter - a local favorite!
Overall Awards
Pies from Bollo’s Cafe & Bakery are awarded to the top three overall women and men for the 7 and 12 miler
Age Group Awards
For the 12 miler and 7 miler, the top 2 finishers in each age group (men and women) receive an award. The age groups are 18 and under, 19-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-69, 70 and over.
There are no age group awards for the 5K race.
Courses
All 3 races begin and end at the upper parking lot at Pandapas Pond. The course is primarily single-track trails and limited sections of forest fire roads. All races will cross creeks and navigate challenging terrain including climbs, descents, and technical terrain. The trails are in the scenic Jefferson National Forest and are well-maintained by the Poverty Creek Trails Coalition. The 5K route does not include an aid station. The 7 mile route has an aid station at 2.5 miles. The 12 mile route has 4 aid stations with sports drink and gels available at the 2nd and 4th aid station.
See the Course page for more information
Course map
Train with a club
Run clubs near Blacksburg to train with before race day.
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