At noon on Friday, September 21, 2024, I started the Georgia Jewel 100. I felt a mix of excitement and trepidation as I set out on my first ever hundred-miler. My trepidation was amplified by the forecast: sunny with a high in the 90’s on both Friday and Saturday. I came into the race reasonably well-trained and healthy, but unsure how I’d fare in the hot conditions at a distance I’d never completed before.
My A-goal coming into the race was a sub-24 hour finish. As race day approached and the forecasted highs continued to climb, I accepted that my A-goal was almost certainly out of reach. My B-goal was just to finish the race and I’m happy to have accomplished at least that.
On Saturday afternoon, September 22, 2024, I crossed the finish line in a time of 27 hours, 23 minutes, and 26 seconds. Out of the 90 runners who started the race, only 40 finished, and my time was good enough for 11th overall.
In this race report I’ll start by talking about my training and experience running the Georgia Jewel and then break down the Georgia Jewel 100 course.
Training for the 2024 Georgia Jewel 100
In one sense, I spent all of 2024 training for the Georgia Jewel. My year started training for Conquer the Rock 50k in March. Next up, I ran the Cruel Jewel 50 in May. I then pivoted and spent the better part of the summer getting ready for Georgia Jewel. So from a big picture perspective my entire year was a build towards this race.
My final build for the Georgia Jewel was a concentrated 6 week push from the end of July through the first week of September. The months of June and July were not productive training months due to life and work busyness and some minor injuries. Beginning around July 25th, I was home, life had calmed down, and I was healthy enough to begin a training push.
Running Volume
In my final build for Georgia Jewel, my total running volume looked something like this.
| Week | Runs | Miles | Time | Vert (ft) |
| 7/22-7/28 | 2 | 18.95 | 4:02 | 3,199 |
| 7/29-8/4 | 4 | 58 | 11:11 | 5,463 |
| 8/5-8/11 | 4 | 40.5 | 7:55 | 4,751 |
| 8/12-8/18 | 3 | 34.34 | 6:41 | 5,135 |
| 8/19-8/25 | 4 | 37.35 | 6:37 | 3,789 |
| 8/26-9/1 | 4 | 66.4 | 12:08 | 6,575 |
| 9/2-9/8 | 5 | 42 | 6:44 | 3,409 |
This is kind of all over the place. There were weeks where I had major back-to-back efforts. You can see those weeks in the volume peaks. If you deduct the second piece of those major efforts, my average was more like 35-45 miles most of these weeks. So the volume was more consistent than it looks at a glance, with a couple of peak weeks in the mix.
Other Training
During my six-week build, In addition to running I went on hikes and walks, had elliptical sessions, and had strength training sessions. Several of my hikes and walks involved pushing a jogging stroller with a 30 lb toddler, or hiking with that toddler in a backpack carrier, so these walks and hikes contributed significant training load.
On average, during this six-week build, these other sessions added 4 to 5 hours of additional training per week.
Key Efforts
Some of the cornerstone principles of my training for ultras include:
- Back-to-back long runs: In the six weeks leading up to Georgia Jewel I had back-to-back long runs on three different weekends. For each back-to-back long run, one run would consist of trails and the second would consist of steady running on gravel roads to ensure I was building my trail legs but also building the ability to run continuously on tired legs.
- Long runs as workouts: I believe long runs are more valuable and effective when they are treated as workouts. This doesn’t mean going race pace, but it does mean that long runs shouldn’t be completely easy and slow. During my long runs I fuel and hydrate similarly to my race day approach and push the effort.
- Strides: I’ve bought into the hype. I do strides at least a couple of times every week to keep the speed ceiling as high as possible.
Observations and Takeaways
Overall, I’m satisfied that my training was sufficient to get me through the race. Here are a few things I think worked particularly well as well as some things I’ll do differently in the future.
- I started several of my long runs in the dark. I think this helped me quite a bit when it came to being comfortable running in the dark during Georgia Jewel.
- The back-to-back long run strategy was good, but I think I would have been better prepared if I could have maintained my total volume above 50 miles for the entire six week build – or better yet, maintain 50+ miles as my ongoing base volume.
- I should have included a couple of really hard downhill sessions near the end of the build to better condition my legs for the downhills.
- I was much better heat adapted than many other runners. I had the benefit of training in hot and humid conditions similar to those faced on race day and this proved invaluable in helping me manage the heat during the race.
Running the 2024 Georgia Jewel 100
I came into the race really well rested and feeling healthy. I tapered hard going into this race to try and give my body time to heal from a few nagging minor injuries and as a result was very fresh on the starting line.
I drove over to Dalton the night before the race planning to car camp at the start line. However, I arrived in Dalton later than anticipated and the car camping area was blocked off so I ended up at the nearest hotel instead. The nearest hotel was the Red Roof Inn which was very generously rated 3.5 stars out of 5 on Google Maps. It was sufficient and I slept well, but it does not have my recommendation.
The race starts at noon so I wasn’t in any rush. I got up at around 9 AM, went to IHOP for a large breakfast, and worked my way over to the start line by about 10:30. Once there, I settled in, checked in for the race, and slowly got ready to go.
In the days and weeks leading up to the race I was unsure if I would need to carry my hydration bladder in addition to two 16-ounce bottles. However, given the 90+ forecasted high, I decided to carry it, and I’m glad I did. While I didn’t use the bladder for the entire race, I did fill it about half full during the longer sections of the course.
Feeling Good and Moving Well: Start to Dry Creek
I felt great as the race got started. I moved easily, didn’t over exert myself, but maintained a steady pace. I minimized time in aid stations and generally made very good time. I arrived into Dry Creek, about 35 miles into the race, feeling very confident about how things were going.
Slowing Down at Dry Creek
Darkness fell as I worked my way from John’s Mountain to Dry Creek. By the time I arrived at Dry Creek it was completely dark. It was while running the four Dry Creek loops that I noticed I was slowing down. After the first loop or two I pulled out my trekking poles, which I had put into my Dry Creek drop bag. Interestingly, after pulling out my trekking poles I felt like I sped up and moved faster, but my mile splits tell a different story.
Losing My Legs Climbing John’s Mountain
I felt pretty good as I left Dry Creek. I was tired and had slowed down a lot, but I was still running the flats and downhills and hiking the climbs pretty well. By this point in the race my feet were deteriorating but overall I still felt ok. However, the climb up John’s Mountain sapped whatever power I had left in my legs. While I never stopped during the climb, my legs never recovered after this climb and the last 30 miles of the race were almost exclusively hiked.
Despair and Determination
Leaving John’s Mountain I knew within 100 yards that my running legs and feet were gone. I hoped they would return at some point, but they never did. The rocky climb down from John’s Mountain was pure torture and misery. And from that point forward the race was completed one painful step at a time.
I wanted to quit every step past John’s Mountain. However, I also knew that if I quit I would feel compelled to try to run this race again, and I didn’t want that obligation hanging over my head. I knew if I finished I could run the race again, but only if I wanted to, and in that moment I absolutely did not ever want to be anywhere close to the Georgia Jewel 100 every again. My strongest motivation during those final 30 slow miles was the desire to never have to run this race again.
It was also brutally hot. While the heat had been manageable on Friday, on Saturday it was even hotter and combined with fatigue, it felt potent and dangerous. There were times I wondered if I was placing myself into excessive danger.
Finishing the Race
Every one of the last 30 miles was painful and slow. My running legs were gone, my quads were shot, and my feet were a mess. In the final 30 miles I ran maybe a combined total of 1 to 2 miles. Even the downhills were largely unrunnable due to the condition of my feet and quads. I wouldn’t even say I “power” hiked the final 30 miles because all “power” was gone from my legs. The last 30 miles were nothing more than one foot in front of the other.
Finally I made it back to the Dalton Convention Center. Tears came to my eyes as I climbed back up Mount Baker. I’m still not sure if they were tears of relief or accomplishment. Probably a mix of the two.
Somehow I found the strength to jog in the final tenth of a mile and was handed my first belt buckle.
Key Takeaways and Recommendations
If you’re planning to run the Georgia Jewel 100, or any similar hundred miler (trail, hilly, hot), here are a few things I would recommend based on my experience with the Georgia Jewel:
- Download the course map GPS file and make sure you know how to use it. I downloaded a GPX file and uploaded it to OsmAnd on my phone. This app works even when you don’t have data and allowed me to confirm I was still on the course anytime I needed to.
- Keep your phone on airplane mode. I did this and my iPhone 12 made it through the entire 27 hour race with plenty of battery. And by using OsmAnd and a GPX file I knew exactly where I was at all times.
- Ultras really are an eating contest, train and plan accordingly. I consumed something like 6,000-7,000 calories during the course of this race. I took in countless gels, I drank either Tailwind or my own sports drink mix (Precision) in every single bottle, and I grabbed anything that looked appetizing in the moment at the aid stations. For more or less the first half of the race I averaged around 100 grams of carbs per hour between gels and Tailwind. I slowed that down to 60-70 grams as I slowed down – listening to my digestive system and trusting it to tell me when I was putting too much in. It’s not enough to just eat at the aid stations, you need to put in calories / carbs every 20-30 minutes for the entire race.
- My light setup was great. I ran with both a waist light (Ultraspire Lumen 400) and a headlamp (Black Diamond Spot 400). During the Georgia Death Race my light setup was insufficient. I didn’t repeat that mistake. I had plenty of light and plenty of batteries.
- Pay attention to the forecast and make sure you’re ready for the heat and humidity. 2024 was brutally hot and humid. Thankfully, I had trained in similar conditions all summer and knew how to manage myself in the heat. Others were not as prepared and I think that’s a big reason why the DNF rate in 2024 was over 50%.
Breaking Down the Georgia Jewel 100 Course for 2024
The Georgia Jewel 100 course has changed a few times over the years. The 2024 course started at the Dalton Convention Center, followed the Pinhoti trail to the Dry Creek trail system where a figure eight pattern was completed twice, and then reversed course back along the Pinhoti ending back at the Dalton Convention Center.
I’ll break the course down into sections to give a better sense for what each section entailed. All distances below are approximate and should be taken with a grain of salt.
Convention Center to Powerlines: Miles 0-3
The first two miles of the race are mostly road. The course leaves the Dalton Convention Center, bombs down paved Mt Baker, and winds through a quiet Dalton neighborhood before heading down an inconspicuous path. The path winds it’s way for about a mile, crossing and peeking into a power line right-of-way once or twice before finally ending after a significant climb at an aid station set within the power line right of way: the Powerlines Aid Station.
Powerlines to Stover: Miles 4-12
After a very brief section of gravel road, the section between the Powerlines and Stover aid stations follows the Pinhoti trail as it passes through a series of rock gardens. Think of a landscape of rocks ranging in size from the size of your fist to the size of a car, interspersed with hard-packed Georgia dirt and you’ll have a general sense for what the rock gardens entail.
Much is made of the rock gardens, and they do pose a challenge. However, if you’re used to running on fairly technical trails the rock gardens should not be any issue this early in the race – the same cannot be said of the same section on the way back.
The trail is often runnable. There are some climbs, but they are manageable both in length and grade. It’s important to respect this section because it’s long. Do not skip the Powerlines aid station thinking it’s too early in the race. Fill up on fluids at Powerlines or live to regret it when you run out of fluids before you get to Stover.
Stover to Pocket Road: Miles 13-25
The section between the Stover and Pocket Road aid stations is very similar to the section leading up to Stover. The trails are manageable on fresh legs, but there are rocks aplenty. The are near constant climbs and descents, but the grades are manageable.
In the middle of this section is the Snake Creek aid station which is one of the largest and most accessible aid stations on the course. This is a great place to meet your crew (if you have crew, I did not) and in 2024 a drop bag could be accessed at Snake.
Leading into the Pocket Road aid station the Pinhoti trail lets out onto a flat dirt road and eventually this section ends following a brief section of asphalt and gravel road at the Keown Falls trailhead right off of Pocket Road.
Pocket Road to John’s Mountain: Miles 26-30
The climb from the Pocket Road aid station up to John’s Mountain is the most technical and the steep section of the course. Thankfully, it’s also the shortest section of the course.
The first mile of this section consists of the hike to Keown Falls, a wet-weather falls which was completely dry during the 2024 race. This section is very rocky, steep, and slow. However, once you reach the top of the falls things level off considerably. The route remains rocky but is not overly challenging once you’ve climbed to the top of the falls.
This section ends at the top of John’s Mountain which offers spectacular views of the surrounding area as long as you get there before dark.
John’s Mountain to Dry Creek: Miles 31-38
Leaving John’s Mountain you follow a dirt road for a mile or so and then turn off back onto the Pinhoti trail. The first several miles of this section of quite runnable. There are some modest climbs once you reach the trail, but much of this section is downhill and manageable grades.
Eventually you tie into the Dry Creek trail system. Once you do you still have about two miles to go before reaching the Dry Creek aid station. The beginning of the Dry Creek section is marked by a rather large and unavoidable water crossing. In 2024 this crossing was about 30 feet across and a foot deep. I imagine in wet years it could be significantly deeper.
Once you reach the Dry Creek trail system the course follows a mix of roads and trails. The roads are generally runnable, but the trails often are not due to steepness and loose rocks. Also, given the noon start time, most runners will reach Dry Creek in the dark.
Dry Creek Loops: Miles 37-62
The Dry Creek trail system parking lot serves as the largest aid station of the entire course. The 100-mile course includes two separate loops that start and end at the Dry Creek aid station, and you run each loop twice. As a result, 100-mile runners end up back at the Dry Creek aid station a total of five times: inbound from John’s Mountain, after loop 1, after loop 2, after loop 3, and after loop 4.
Drop bags are available at Dry Creek and each loop is 6 to 7 miles long, making this part of the course very manageable logistically as you have drop bag and aid station access every 6 to 7 miles.
The Dry Creek loops aren’t very technical and are generally not very steep. However, to call them “flat and fast” would be misleading. These are overgrown mountain bike and horse trails through rolling Georgia hills. At times they can be steep. At times they can be technical. And they are nearly always either rising or falling. While they are more runnable than the rest of the course, they are not particularly easy going.
Dry Creek to John’s Mountain: Miles 63-70
The return trip from Dry Creek to John’s Mountain begins easily enough but the last five miles or so of this stretch are mostly uphill. The climb up John’s Mountain is not overly steep. Grades are pretty tame for the most part. But over the course of five miles it climbs steadily and is rarely runnable.
To add to the challenge, the climbing begins just after the water crossing which marks the boundary of the Dry Creek system. So either you’ll need to take measures to maintain dry feet or the entire climb will be completed in wet shoes.
John’s Mountain to Pocket Road: Miles 70-74
On paper, the section from John’s Mountain back down to Pocket Road looks easy. It’s only 3-4 miles long and is mostly downhill. However, in reality, this is one of the hardest sections of the course. If you reach this section in the dark it can be very difficult to follow as the trail often traverses across rock faces that provide no sign of the trail and squeezes between overgrown pine trees that obscure the path. In addition, nearly this entire section consists of climbing up and down rocks of varying sizes. The climb back down Keown Falls is short, but very steep and rocky.
In the dark, on tired legs and wet feet, this section can be very mentally challenging.
Pocket Road to Powerlines: Miles 74-97
The return trip along the Pinhoti through the rock gardens is a slog. Rock-strewn trails which seemed manageable the day before now repeatedly punish sore feet and busted toes. The climbs which felt short now seem impossibly steep. Stretches of 6 to 8 miles between aid stations, which seemed a little long the day before, now stretch on and on.
Powerlines to the Finish at the Convention Center: Miles 97-100
Once you reach the Powerlines aid station you’re in the home stretch. The last 3 miles of the course will probably be steeper and more technical than you remember – at least, that was my experience – and those 3 miles will stretch themselves out. Finally, the course approaches the finish by climbing up the ridiculously steep Mt Baker, which is a paved utility access road in poor repair. Once at the top, it’s a short and easy jog back to the finish line in the Dalton Convention Center parking lot.
Wrapping Up
This is a really long post but if you made it this far I hope it’s been helpful to you. My goal in this post was to tell my story and also to provide valuable intel for others who might attempt the Georgia Jewel 100 in the future. If that’s you, and you have any questions, drop a comment below. I’m happy to provide any additional information. Thanks for reading.
