Event Description
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. 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. Overall, the course is fast and mostly nontechnical, with a little over 1800 feet of elevation gain spread across rolling hills. The biggest challenge may not be the terrain; it’s resisting distraction from the beautiful lake views along the way.
Because Smith Mountain Lake State Park has an extensive trail network with multiple connectors, the 25K includes several turns and a few lollipop sections. The route will be clearly marked with blue flagging and directional arrows, and an official GPX file is 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, with about 700 feet of elevation gain. 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.
This early section includes the only technical portion of the 10K, but it’s short-lived. Once runners reach the bottom of the hill, the course opens up into flat, runnable doubletrack. The route then passes behind the Visitor Center and connects to the Five Oaks Trail. About a half mile into the trail system, runners turn right onto a 3-mile lollipop loop before returning the same way and heading back up Walton Creek Trail to the finish.
The course will be clearly marked with pink flagging and directional arrows, and an official GPX file will be available for runners who prefer to follow the route on a GPS watch.
Both courses start and finish at the Beach Pavilion, with easy access to parking, restrooms, and spectator-friendly areas. Bathrooms are available at multiple points along the course, including: the Beach Pavilion (start/finish); the Playground area (near the start/finish); Discovery Center; and Visitor Center.
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.
Aid Stations
Several aid stations will be placed along the 25K route. The first stop will be an unmanned water-only station. All the rest will offer runner-friendly race fuel, including Tailwind, water, bananas, oranges, PB&J, chips, candy and more.
25K aid
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
10K aid
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).
Volunteers will be stationed at key junctions. Aid stations are positioned to support runners through the most demanding -- and scenic --sections of the course. Many of these locations are also ideal spots for friends and family to gather and cheer runners on.
The race begins and ends at the covered Beach Pavilion. Spectators are welcome to enjoy the park while runners are on the course. Smith Mountain Lake State Park is very family-friendly, with a playground, picnic areas, and a sandy beach. Please note that no lifeguard is on duty at this time of year, and swimming is at your own risk.
Friends of Smith Mountain Lake State Park will be featured as the official charity partner for Shorefire, with an option to donate directly to their work during registration. Donations support park programs, educational events, and trail stewardship.
Detailed turn-by-turn directions will be sent to registered runners prior to race day.
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, helping ensure an on-time start. 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.
