Coming down the mountain: Assault on BlackRock trail race turns 15
Assault on BlackRock is a popular annual trail race in Sylva.
Brian Barwatt photos
With a deceptively simple slogan of “Run Walk Crawl,” the annual Assault on BlackRock trail race in Sylva is more than meets the eye. In truth, the slogan should read “Arduous Rough Grueling.” You can also add the words “glorious” and “gratitude” to all of the above, seeing as when one completes the course, a deep sense of self and of fellowship soon emerges.
“The experience is definitely a Type 2 type of fun, at least for the first half of the race, but most people would say for the entire race,” said Brian Barwatt, AOBR founder/race director. “The best comparison I can think of when completing this race would be like competing on the TV show ‘Hot Ones’ — almost everyone dreads it but are stoked to have completed it.”
With around 2,800 feet of elevation gain in the first half and 2,800 feet of elevation loss in the second half, the seven-mile out and back — including 650 feet of elevation gain in the final one-third of a mile climb to the summit of BlackRock — has become a thing of legend within running communities in Western North Carolina and greater Southern Appalachia.
“I try not to sugarcoat the experience of the race. I tell people that it will suck, but you will be glad you did it when it’s over,” Barwatt said. “The one piece of advice I will give to non-elite runners is to power walk the first two miles. From my experience, you can move faster versus trying to run it.”
Created in 2011, the AOBR starts at the trailhead gate in Sylva’s Pinnacle Park. It immediately begins with a steep climb towards the main bulk of the race, the rugged route winding through a spruce forest toward the summit of BlackRock (elevation: 5,810 feet). At the top, a race official marks your bib and you begin the descent back down to the gate. Everything in-between? A whole range of emotions — excitement to frustration, despair to euphoria.
“I honestly enjoy seeing people finish the race looking like they almost died, and a little blood makes me smile, too,” Barwatt said. “But, the amount of talent that we have locally has blown me away.”
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In full disclosure, I’ve run and completed the AOBR twice. At age 41, I’ve been a consistent and passionate runner since I was 12. A highly-competitive athlete through middle/high school, I even ran D-1 track and field. Hundreds of races on the track and in the woods, not to mention all of the trail running and hiking I’ve done from coast-to-coast. And yet, amid all of that experience and endurance, the AOBR remains the craziest race I’ve ever done.
“When I started this race, I didn’t even know if runners would want to compete in it. I also thought that they might ridicule the race for being too extreme,” Barwatt admits. “I was totally wrong, I’ve had many runners come back year after year, and people are now putting down times that I would have thought were impossible 15 years ago.”
As it stands, the course record is “slowly getting closer and closer to one hour,” with the current record owned by Asheville’s Will Keller, who posted a time of 01:04:59 last year. Barwatt is offering a cash reward of $400 to whoever breaks the one-hour mark, with the pot growing by $100 each year until the achievement happens. The women’s course record is 01:25:33, set by Leah Nicholson in 2019.
“Once the race starts, I have about an hour to relax before the organized chaos begins,” Barwatt said. “Once the runners start crossing the finish line, there’s about a two-hour time period where I probably look like a chicken with its head cut off running around trying to keep times, present awards and make sure there’s food and drinks available for everyone.”
For Barwatt, AOBR is also an opportunity to help his neighbors. Each year, proceeds from the race go to local nonprofits. To date, “the race has raised over $44,000 for 11 different nonprofit organizations in Sylva.”
“I look at it as my yearly contribution to giving back to the community,” Barwatt said. “None of this would be possible though, without the help from my many sponsors, friends, wife and volunteers who have helped me put it on every year.”
Celebrating 15 years in 2026, the AOBR has evolved from this crazy idea for a trail race into this immediate bond between those who tackle it each March. For Barwatt, it’s surreal to see how much the race has taken on a life and lore of its own — this journey of the heart and soul, all done one step at a time.
“Honestly, the growth of the race has baffled me. For the first few years, I was averaging 60-70 people, and now I’m averaging probably twice that,” Barwatt said. “I spend about $25 per year in advertising on Facebook and that’s it. I like to think that this race has slowly grown over the years by word of mouth. That’s the way I would prefer the most, because then it will have a stronger foundation each year in my opinion.”
Ready to run?
The annual Assault on BlackRock trail run will take place at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 21, at Pinnacle Park, located at 2110 Fisher Creek Road in Sylva.
The race is a seven-mile out-and-back (total) trek with 2,770 feet of elevation gain throughout the route. Check-in time is 7-8:45 a.m. Racers will report to the starting line at 8:45 a.m.
All participants will be required to sign a liability waiver at check-in. Racers under age 18 will need a parent/legal guardian’s signature at check-in for the liability waiver.
Entry fee is $35 per person. Proceeds from the race will go to the Sylva Art & Design Committee an organization with a focus on bringing more art (outdoor murals) to downtown Sylva. To register , go to ultrasignup.com and search “Assault on BlackRock.”
Awards will be given to the overall top three female and male finishers and the top individual female and male “Masters” finishers (50+). Runners who complete the “BlackRock 101 Challenge” will receive a belt buckle if they finish the course in 101 minutes or less. The first participant to complete the course in under an hour will win $400.
To note, The Smoky Mountain News is a proud, longtime sponsor of the AOBR. For more information, call 828.506.2802 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You can also go to Facebook and search “Assault on BlackRock.”
