The Hardest Bicycle Hill Climb in the South is 9.25-miles, with 3,200 feet of ascending and 700 feet of descending, yielding an average grade of 5.9 percent with a maximum pitch of 17.5 percent. The Ascent bike race is the second stop in the King of Pain Cycling Series.
New for this year is a running race that will start at Watson Gap Pavilion and go to the top, for 3.7 miles with 1,300 feet of ascending. The run is the second stop in the High Country Summit Series along with the world famous Bear 5 Mile Run up Grandfather Mountain and The Knob in downtown Boone.
Both courses use a brand new, buttery smooth road with incredible scenery around every bend. Unlike other hill climbs, we have the luxury of a two lane road that we can close, meaning your friends and family can watch from anywhere on the course, and you can ride - or drive - down from the top. Registration for both the run and the bike are available at Active.com for only $20 and $25 until April 1 with NO PROCESSING FEES! The Ascent Facebook page will have updates about both the running and bike races.
