Georgia Death Race 2027 Guide: Aid, Cutoffs, Gear and Shuttles
Quick answer: The Georgia Death Race 2027 starts at 5:00 AM on Saturday, March 27, 2027 at Byron Herbert Reece Farm in Blairsville, Georgia, and finishes at Amicalola Falls State Park. It is one distance, a "74ish mile" course with 16,000 ft of climbing and 25 hours to finish. Packs are checked for mandatory gear at Friday packet pickup, and every runner carries a 1 lb railroad spike the whole way. The races are cupless, pacers are not allowed, and the two longest stretches between full aid are late in the race, at miles 51 to 62.25 and 62.25 to the finish.
Georgia Death Race 2027 at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, March 27, 2027 |
| Start time | 5:00 AM (pre-race briefing 4:45 AM) |
| Distance | 74 miles ("74ish"), point to point |
| Climbing | 16,000 ft of climbing and 16,000 ft of descent |
| Time limit | 25 hours, with cutoffs at aid stations |
| Start / finish | Byron Herbert Reece Farm, Blairsville, GA / Amicalola Falls State Park |
| Price | $265.00 ($285.72 with taxes and fees on UltraSignup) |
| Status on Oct 10, 2026 | 2 spots available, waitlist open |
| Western States | Under 24 hours earns one ticket for the Western States 2028 lottery |
From the race's UltraSignup page and Runner Info handbook, read October 10, 2026. The handbook header still says "MARCH 28th, 2026" (last updated 5/21/2026) while its packet and race dates read 3/26/27 and 3/27/27, and the crew doc and aid station matrix are still labelled 2026. UltraSignup names the start both "Byron Herbert Reece Heritage Center" and "Byron Herbert Reece Farm."
The course
The race runs point to point from Blairsville to Amicalola Falls State Park. The handbook says that until Long Creek aid station at mile 37 the race is "95% single track with relentlessly steep grades." From Long Creek the course eases up until about mile 55 on road and dirt road. At mile 55 comes the long Nimblewill Climb, also dirt road, and from its top to Nimblewill aid station is mostly flat.
From Nimblewill to Amicalola there is roughly 5 miles of technical rolling single track. In the last 4 or so miles, the handbook says you drop 1,000 ft on very technical trail, pass within sight of the finish, climb another 1,000 ft back up the stairs to Georgia's tallest waterfall, then descend 1,000 ft to the finish. The bridge is blocked off, so every runner goes through the cold creek and places their spike in the coffin. Finishers receive an engraved spike.
The official pages we read do not name the individual trails; the race posts a GPX file and CalTopo map on its Maps and Course page. For reading the climbs, see How to Read a Trail Race Course Profile and Plan Your Effort.
Aid stations and the gaps between them
| Mile | Aid station | Gap from previous | Aid | Drop bag | Crew |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.50 | White Oak | 7.50 | Light aid | No | No |
| 12.50 | Mulky Gap | 5.00 | Full aid | No | No |
| 21.00 | Skeenah Gap | 8.50 | Full aid | No | Paid pass |
| 27.25 | Point Bravo | 6.25 | Full aid | Yes | Paid pass |
| 32.00 | Sapling Gap | 4.75 | Full aid | No | No |
| 37.75 | Long Creek | 5.75 | Full aid | No | No |
| 43.75 | Winding Stair | 6.00 | Full aid | No | Group 1 |
| 51.00 | Jake Bull | 7.25 | Full aid | Yes | Group 2 |
| 56.00 | Halfway House | 5.00 | Water only | No | No |
| 62.25 | Nimblewill | 6.25 | Full aid | No | No |
| 69.25 | Visitors Center | 7.00 | No aid (cutoff only) | No | Yes |
| ~74 | Finish | 4.75 |
Full aid stations stock PB&J sandwiches, cookies, chips, bananas and oranges, and the race is cupless. By our calculation from the listed miles, the first full aid is at mile 12.50, Jake Bull to Nimblewill is 11.25 miles with only water at mile 56, and Nimblewill to the finish is 11.75 miles with no aid at all. The leave-by cutoffs for those two stretches are 10:00 PM at Jake Bull and 2:00 AM at Nimblewill, so a runner near the cutoffs covers them between 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM, when the handbook warns it gets cold.
What to carry: The race requires at least 22 oz of water capacity, but the decision is how much you need to cover 11 or more miles on your own pace, which our guide How Much Water Should I Carry Trail Running? plans by the time to the next reliable refill. You also carry a jacket, warm hat, gloves, space blanket, whistle, headlamp with spare batteries, a cup and a 1 lb spike from start to finish. The ROOT8 ships with two soft flasks in twin 500ml front pockets and has room for extra layers, food and required gear. If you want more space for the cold night section, the ROOT18 adds rear space behind the same twin front flask pockets. Compare options on our trail running packs page.
Cutoffs
All cutoffs are times to leave the aid station, not to arrive.
| Aid station | Mile | Leave by |
|---|---|---|
| White Oak | 7.50 | 7:50 AM |
| Mulky Gap | 12.50 | 9:20 AM |
| Skeenah Gap | 21.00 | 12:00 PM |
| Point Bravo | 27.25 | 2:05 PM |
| Sapling Gap | 32.00 | 4:20 PM |
| Long Creek | 37.75 | 5:50 PM |
| Winding Stair | 43.75 | 7:45 PM |
| Jake Bull | 51.00 | 10:00 PM |
| Halfway House | 56.00 | 11:55 PM |
| Nimblewill | 62.25 | 2:00 AM |
| Visitors Center | 69.25 | 5:00 AM |
| Finish | ~74 | 6:00 AM Sunday (our calculation) |
If a Western States lottery ticket is your goal, note that under 24 hours means finishing before 5:00 AM Sunday, the same clock time as the Visitors Center cutoff.
Required gear and rules
The handbook's mandatory gear list, checked at Friday packet pickup:
- Headlamp with an extra set of batteries, carried from start to finish ("required for our permit")
- Windbreaker or weather proof jacket
- Warm hat, beanie or buff
- Water bottle, or pack and bladder (minimum 22 oz)
- Collapsible cup for obtaining fluids
- Gloves, space blanket and whistle
- Railroad spike, carried for the duration of the race once you receive it
Rules: no pacers (disqualification). No poles on the first climb; poles are allowed after the first aid station. No pets, no littering. Crew aid only within 100 feet of an aid station your group can access. Crews at Skeenah Gap and Point Bravo need a pass from the UltraSignup store and ride a shuttle from Skeenah Gap Campground. Drop bags go to Point Bravo (1 gallon clear Ziploc) and Jake Bull (1 or 2.5 gallon clear Ziploc max). The race does not state a headphone rule.
The 2027 entry also requires 6 hours of trail race volunteering or trail work, or a $20 opt-out fee, by race day.
Organizing a cupless race? A soft flask with the race logo in every runner packet is one way to make sure nobody reaches the aid table without a container. Our race director's guide to custom soft flasks covers quantities, timing and delivery.
Weather and daylight
The handbook says it gets cold at night, with wind "howling over the ridge around Nimblewill," and calls it "VERY VERY COLD EVERY SINGLE YEAR!" It tells runners to check forecasts for race day and plan accordingly. Cell service is spotty at Winding Stair and Jake Bull.
Parking, shuttles and packet pickup
Packet pickup is mandatory on Friday, 4 to 7 PM, downstairs in Oak Hall at the Amicalola Falls State Park Lodge. There is no Saturday bib pickup; bring government ID. The mandatory runner and crew meetings are Friday at 7 PM outside packet pickup. Drop bags are due Friday night.
The pre-race shuttle is not included in registration. Arrive at Amicalola at 2:25 AM; buses leave at 2:50 AM and anyone not on by 2:45 is left. There is no shuttle after the race. At the start, drop-offs are kiss and drop only, no later than 4:30 AM, with no parking. At Amicalola, park along the road to the falls past the Visitor Center; there is no overnight parking in the park. Finish bags must be school backpack size or smaller, and all bags are thrown away or donated after 6 AM Sunday. See Prepare a Finish Bag Separate From Your Race Vest.
FAQ
What are the Georgia Death Race cutoffs?
25 hours total, plus leave-by times at each aid station listed above.
Can I have a pacer or crew?
No pacers. Crew is allowed only at assigned aid stations: Skeenah Gap and Point Bravo with a paid pass, Winding Stair for Group 1, Jake Bull for Group 2, and the Visitors Center.
Are there cups at the aid stations?
No. The race is cupless and a collapsible cup is mandatory gear. See our note on carrying a cup at cupless races.
Is the Georgia Death Race a Western States qualifier?
Yes. Finishing in under 24 hours earns one ticket for the Western States 2028 lottery. The race does not state a Golden Ticket for 2027.
Where do I park?
Take the 2:50 AM shuttle from Amicalola or get dropped at the start by 4:30 AM. There is no start parking and no overnight parking in Amicalola.
Sources: UltraSignup event page, official race page, Runner Info handbook, crew doc, Maps and Course page and Run Bum FAQ. Read October 10, 2026. LECAMO is not affiliated with the Georgia Death Race or Run Bum Races.