The Montebello Country Store sits unassumingly on a country road high atop the Blue Ridge Mountains in Nelson County, Virginia. Life is noticeably slower here, with no cell service to be found, but plenty of horses and cattle. Each year, on the first Saturday of November however, this pastoral scene hosts the start and finish of the Mountain Masochist 50-Mile Trail Run and is hallowed ground in the history-rich Virginia ultrarunning scene.
In 1983, David Horton wanted to create a 50-mile trail race that ran along the Appalachian Trail (AT) from the James River to the Tye River. After the National Park Service informed him that no race will be permitted on the AT, local US Forest Service rangers helped him to create a course that ran in a similar direction and could finish in front of the Montebello Country Store, where runners could then refresh with a sandwich and a soda.
In the early years, there was no internet or social media to help advertise the race, so Horton would print out flyers to hand out at other races in the area to spread the word. They would fill out his paper application and mail him a check, and he even went so far as finding lodging for runners in the homes of his friends and family members. There were 21 starters and 13 finishers in the inaugural race, but thanks to Horton’s persistence, charismatic personality and growing relationships with both runners and volunteers, the race grew larger each year and soon became one of the East Coast’s premier ultrarunning events.
In 1998, while working as the marketing and sales manager for Montrail (formerly One Sport), Scott McCoubrey was looking to establish a few races across the country as premier, Montrail-sponsored events. Ultrarunning was mostly a regional sport at the time, and his goal was to use the Montrail brand to bring several races to national prominence and hopefully encourage more nationwide competition. That year, he traveled to Virginia to meet David Horton and check out the Mountain Masochist and brought with him a couple of fast runners from the other side of the country – Ian Torrence and Scott Jurek. The vibe was great and Masochist became a Montrail-sponsored race as Horton was also signed to the Montrail Ultrarunning Team.
After directing Masochist for 25 years, Horton handed the race over to Clark Zealand in 2008 and Masochist continued to have strong competition for many more years. Then COVID hit and the race was canceled in 2020, the only time in its 42-year history, though a group of locals ran a 50k fatass course to keep the streak alive. The race changed hands once more to the current race directors, Jordan Cooter, Tim Spaulding and Brenton Swyers in 2022 and since then, they have breathed new life into this historic race, balancing the old school vibe with the current day. Logistical challenges have forced many course changes over the past 40 years, but runners are still running almost the same last 30 miles of the course as in 1983. There is now also a 50k option which has been a very successful addition, often attracting first-time ultrarunners, as well as a 100k for those looking for something longer in the fall. They have continued to foster the relationships with the country store, the local fire department, Forest Service and local property owners, as well as the long list of volunteers who have participated throughout the 43 years of the race.
For 42 years now, runners have run through the late fall foliage on leaf-covered trails and jeep roads in sun, rain and snow. They have climbed to the Long Mountain Wayside passing by quintessential Virginia farmland as they cross Highway 60. They have worked their way up Buck Mountain, the race’s biggest climb just past the halfway point where the racing really starts. They have been served by “The Loop” aid station, the lively aid station at the beginning and end of the 5.5-mile Mount Pleasant Loop, the crux of the race where you can finally learn who is a little ahead of and behind you. And from there they have climbed up to Salt Log Gap and to the summit of Elk Pond Mountain where they all have run the same epic 7-mile downhill, past the fish hatchery and finally turning left on Rt 56 and getting that first glimpse of the finish line across from that famous country store.
It is important to participate in ultrarunning events that have stood the test of time. Newer runners jumping into the sport are often not aware of the history of certain races and the community and culture associated with them. These races are the founding pillars of our sport, and participating in these events today gives runners a glimpse into how and why this sport started and has since stubbornly stuck around.
“We want to keep things old school – a great race, great swag and great community,” said the new race directors. This year, on yet another beautiful fall day in Virginia, everyone is hanging out in the huge field at the finish. Runners filter in, exhausted but beaming with pride. Families and friends, kids and dogs, blankets and chairs – the energy is contagious as the day’s challenges and triumphs are celebrated. Old friends gather, new friends are made, and the community grows. Long live The Masochist.