Cass 5K Stump Run - Cass, West Virginia - Running

The Cass 5K Stump Run is a Running race in Cass, West Virginia consisting of a 5K.

The Cass 5K Stump Run is a scenic trip through the area in and around the Cass Scenic Railroad State Park. Cass was a lumber town and the base for a massive logging operation in the early 20th century. The sawmill is now a rusting hulk and the trains carry tourists instead of logs. The Cass Stump Run follows part of an old railroad grade, passes through the site of a plant that extracted chemical from the bark stripped from logs, and goes through part of the town on a boardwalk. The course runs through a mix of history and great scenery.

The course starts and ends on Deer Creek Road, about 1/2 mile south of the center of Cass. Total elevation change over the course is less than 100 feet and the majority of the course is at least partly shaded.

The Deer Creek Road portion of the race is approximately 6/10 of a mile. The first part of the run is fast and downhill. The road then ascends and descends to the Greenbrier River Trail (GRT). The largest part of the run is on the GRT, which is a former railroad grade that is essentially flat. The trail hugs the Greenbrier River and offers river views.

You will travel from Deer Creek to mile marker 79 on the GRT where you will turn around and run up the river trail toward the town of Cass. You stay on the trail until to you see the arrow directing you towards the Extract Plant ruins. You will then travel through the ruins and up a gravel/stone road until it connects with trail. The Extract Plant ruins portion of the race is the most difficult and has uneven terrain.

From this point you head up the GRT towards the town of Cass. You will enter Cass at Front Street, and will travel up to the Masonic Lodge building where you will make a left. You will pass the mayor's office and jail, and then run down the boardwalk on Main Street. At Emory Street you will take a left and then go through a small yard to reconnect with the trail. At this point the race is nearly complete. The final portion of the course is on the GRT and then through a field toward the finish line.