RunFest 25K/50K, Sublett Climb 5K - 2026

Huntsville Runfest

We’re changing up RunFest weekend so the whole family can participate and cheer on the runners! We’re excited to bring the Huntsville Run Fest to life with a full day of running, community, and purpose.

Event Overview

Join us for a Saturday trail running event featuring multiple distances designed for runners of different abilities. Whether you're chasing a challenge or supporting friends and family along the course, this event is built to bring the running community together.

Race Distances

Sublett Challenge 5K

25K Trail Run

50K Trail Run

Giving Back

Proceeds from this event will support childhood cancer research, helping make a difference beyond the finish line.

Packet Pick-Up (PPU)

Friday: Fleet Feet Huntsville — 12:00 PM–5:00 PM

Saturday: McMullen Cove — 6:00 AM–7:00 AM

Bring the family, cheer on the runners, and be part of an unforgettable day at Huntsville Run Fest!

Sublett Point Challenge

Sublett Point Challenge – 5K

Start Time: Saturday at 8:00 AM

The Sublett Point Challenge is a certified 5K course featuring an out-and-back route on the Two Mountain Greenway that climbs the paved road to the top of Sublett Point. This course offers runners a fun but challenging climb with rewarding views at the top.

Awards

Overall Male & Female
Overall Masters Male & Masters Female

King of the Mountain – awarded to the runner with the fastest climb to the top of Sublett Point

New This Year

We’re excited to introduce a Ruck Division this year for athletes who want to take on the climb with added weight and an extra challenge.

25K/50K Trail Races

25K & 50K Trail Run

Start Time: Saturday at 7:00 AM
Location: McMullen Cove Clubhouse – Two Mountain Trail

The 25K and 50K races will start together at 7:00 AM. Both distances follow the same course, with the 50K completing the loop twice.

This is a true trail run, with most of the course on single track. Expect approximately 2,500+ feet of climbing in the 25K and 5,000+ feet in the 50K. There are no prerequisites for entry, but this race is designed to test your mountain running ability.

If you're looking to challenge your spirit, lungs, and legs, this course will deliver. With steep climbs, technical terrain, and rugged descents, both your mental toughness and physical strength will be put to the test. While some sections are demanding, others are fast and runnable, creating a rewarding mountain running experience.

Most of the trail is shaded beneath a dense forest canopy, with only a few exposed areas. Runners will travel along beautiful single-track and double-track trails, many of which originated from century-old logging roads and historic pathways used by Native American communities who lived in this region until the Civil War.

Throughout the course you’ll encounter several notable landmarks:

Indian Trees – Distinctive trees marked with the traditional double “L” bend when they were young saplings, historically used to mark important pathways and viewpoints. Several of these remarkable trees still stand along the route today.

Pancake Hollow – Home to a scenic runoff waterfall that becomes especially beautiful after rainfall.

Blake’s Cabin – An old hunting cabin once used by farmers who came to the mountains to hunt and provide for their families.

Sublett Point – A stunning overlook with views in three directions and a welcome sign that you are nearing the end of the loop.

Silo Hill – Located at the bottom of a fast, rugged descent near an old grain silo from when farmland surrounded the base of the mountain.

Aid stations are placed at critical points throughout the course, never more than four miles apart, to keep runners fueled and hydrated.

Don’t expect this course to be easy. It’s punchy, steep, and technical in places, but also runnable and fast in others. The challenge and beauty of the McMullen Cove trail system will keep runners coming back year after year.

Aid Stations

Blake’s Cabin – 3.1 mi

Watson’s Overlook – 5.2 mi

Indian Tree / Tucker Intersection – 9.75 mi

Sublett Point – 12.5 mi

Silo Hill – 14.2 mi (unmanned – water only)

Start / Finish – 15.6 mi

Second Loop (50K Only)

Blake’s Cabin – 18.7 mi

Watson’s Overlook – 20.8 mi

Indian Tree / Tucker Intersection – 25.3 mi

Sublett Point – 28.1 mi

Silo Hill – 29.8 mi (unmanned – water only)

Start / Finish – 31 mi

Course Map

View the course on Strava:
https://www.strava.com/routes/3388633680969899794

Sponsors

Thank you to our sponsors! Fleet Feet Huntsville/Madison, Return 2 Sport PT, Enfinger Companies, McMullen Cove, Swift Recovery and New Balance. If you would like to be a sponsor please contact us.

Course

25K and 50K Course
https://www.strava.com/routes/3270730023974727846

Sublett Point Challenge Course
https://www.strava.com/routes/3255714982717426114

Lodging

If you are looking for a close hotel, Hampton Inn & Suites a good ou an out of towner and would like to come stay for the weekend festivities there are a lot of great lodging options.

option. If you'd like to make a vacation out of it and enjoy the mountains, there are great cabins at Monte Sano State Park.