4 events in Powell County, Kentucky

Come join us in the beautiful Red River Gorge for the first annual Howlin' Wolfe 25k/50K. Starting and finishing at Natural Bridge State Resort Park runners will have the opportunity to see several fantastic natural features in the Red River Gorge. The race will feature a mixture of road running, single track trail, and fire road. We are limiting this edition of the race to 200 runners between both events so make sure you register early!

Aid Stations will be placed at Gray's Arch parking area, Koomer Ridge Campground, and Auxier Ridge parking area. Stay tuned to our social media and this page for updates including swag, packet pickup, and other cool announcements!

Welcome to the inaugural Red River Roubaix. We'd love for you to join us in this beautiful region of the Bluegrass State for our event. See Q&A below for more info.

What kind of event is this?

This is a road race although the long course does include one short sector of smooth gravel. You should be fine to ride this on your road bikes with standard road tires. See the Red River Roubaix Instagram for more details of what the gravel looks like.

What kind of bike should I use?

A road or gravel bike with climbing gears. You definitely want to have enough gears for some of the steep climbs out on course. I ride my Lauf Uthald with a 2x setup to give me sufficient gears for climbing and descending. No aero bars.

What's the course like?

Amazing. Beautiful. Challenging. The roads are narrow and winding and have very little traffic. The course will be open to traffic and we may have a lead car to improve safety for the front group (TBD). The course will be challenging with several very steep climbs. Bring your climbing gears! Official courses below:

68 Mile Long Course - https://www.strava.com/routes/3490379193734083320

37 Mile Short Course - https://www.strava.com/routes/3489582974199215800

Where is it?

The Red River Gorge is known for it's amazing hiking and climbing. I'd highly recommend everyone making a weekend out of this and enjoying the great outdoors the Gorge has to offer. The Natural Bridge trail is a must see and is an easy 1 mile hike. The start and finish of the race will take place at Callie's Campground in Bowen, KY.

What are the categories?

There will be a long course that's about 70 miles in distance and a short course that's about 40 miles. Both will have separate men's, women's & masters categories and podiums. All categories will have custom awards. Mass start. All categories and distances will start together at 8AM. The turn-off for the short course is at mile 23.

What are the rules?

Your safety is our #1 priority. We are racing on open roads. The roads are narrow and there are a lot of blind turns so please stay aware and stay safe. Most of the roads do not have a yellow line, but stay on the right side of the road when possible to avoid any potential accidents with vehicles on course. If the group is big enough I'd like to have a lead moto or lead car to improve safety for the front group. TBD.

You can only take feeds at the designated feed zone.

No littering.

Be kind to your fellow racers.

The race director has the discretion to relegate or disqualify riders if thinks that is appropriate.

Will there be food?

Each registered rider will receive a post-race meal. It will be a sub sandwiches with sides, desserts & drinks. All riders will receive a Red River Roubaix pint glass as well!

What about Aid Stations?

No feed zones on the short course. There will be one feed zone on the long course. The feed zone will be around mile 30. Exact location will be shared with the release of the final course. You can take bottle feeds at this feed zone. Feed zone will have water, carbs mix, soda & snacks.

If you have any more questions don't hesitate to reach out. Thanks!

Are you up for a hilly trail challenge in the RRG? We have you covered with our Ascent 5K and brand new 10K distance for 2026!

Join us for The Ascent 5K & 10K on Saturday, June 27th at 8:00am for a race you'll never forget.

You'll run/walk/hike your 5K or 10K on private property which is not open to the public. Our race starts and finishes at the Natural Bridge Campground, just off the Slade exit in Red River Gorge country. The race is presented by the Rugged Red Race & Adventure Series. You'll only run/walk/hike a few miles to see some spectacular views and arches. But come prepared for some serious trail climbs with an unbelievable payoff.

RACE FEATURES:

• Spectacular courses on private property at the Red River Gorge

• Commemorative poly/cotton T-shirts (while supplies last)

• Finishers medals for both races!

• Special pricing ($20) and swag item for participants ages 12-18

• Convenient race day packet pickup from 6:30-7:45am at the Natural Bridge Campground (pavilion)

• Awards for Top 3 M/F Overall finishers in both races

• Free race photos

• Food, fun, music and fellowship to celebrate your finish

PACKET PICKUP - Our packet pickup will be held on Friday, 6/26/26) from 3:00-6:00pm at the Natural Bridge Campground (pavilion). The GPS address for the campground is 90 L&E Railroad Place, Slade, KY 40376. There will also be LAST CHANCE PPU on race morning from 6:30-7:45am at the same campground pavilion.

HYDRATION - Our race is cupless in 2026. We encourage you to bring some type of water bottle or hydration system. We'll have water available at the start (prerace) and in orange coolers at several locations along the course where you can refill.

REGISTRATION - Online registration will remain open until Friday, June 26th at 12 midnight. There will be no race day registration. We are ordering extra shirts which first come first serve.

TIME LIMIT - We are providing a 4-hour time limit to complete either the 5K or 10K. For the 10K that means keeping a pace of 38 min/mile. If you don't think you can keep pace then please sign up for the 5K where you'll have plenty of time to hike, relax and take in the views.

NEED ACCOMODATIONS FOR THE RACE? Check out all the options at www.TheGorge.com

ROUTE MAPS - Coming Soon!