Jewel 35
Where trail meets tenacity.
The 35-mile distance is a proving ground...long enough to test your patience, strength, and pacing, yet short enough to keep you hungry for more. This course weaves through some of the most runnable and rugged sections of the Pinhoti Trail, blending steady climbs, technical descents, and miles that invite you to settle into rhythm. It’s a distance for runners who want to step beyond the marathon and discover what it feels like to stay focused, fueled, and moving through real terrain. The 35 is equal parts challenge and invitation, with a side dish of awesome community.
Jewel 35
COURSE DETAILS
Start/Finish:
Dry Creek Equestrian Parking Lot, coordinates 34.578140, -85.130040
Distance: 35 miles
Total Elevation Gain: ≅5,750'
Number of Aid Stations: 5
Cut off: 12 hours
Average High/Low Race Day Temp: 83.3/60.7
Course type: 91% Single Track, 6% Grave Forest Road, 3% Road
COURSE OVERVIEW
A concentrated challenge.
The 35-mile race shares the heart of the course, but skips the opening loops of Dry Creek. Runners begin with the climb toward John’s Mountain, stepping immediately into terrain that demands engagement. The ascent rewards them with both elevation and perspective, followed by a long descent that leads into the Keown Falls corridor.
Water, rock, and forest shape this middle section, creating a sense of movement through space rather than simply across miles. From Keown Falls, runners cross Snake Creek Gap and climb sharply back onto the ridge, where long stretches of singletrack invite steady pacing and mental focus.
Stover Creek Aid Station signals the approach of the Rock Garden. This section defines the finish of the race—irregular boulders, steep grades, and terrain that resists fatigue-driven shortcuts. Emerging onto the power lines, runners leave the forest behind and head for the finish, carrying with them a full sampling of what makes the Jewel what it is.
