The Fierce Dragon ultramarathon event is an H9 branded race sponsored by HardAss Events (HAE). The races that are a part of this event are held on the Duncan Ridge in northern Georgia in the vicinity of Blairsville. The races are operated out of the Vogel State Park which has facilities to support the logistics and parking needed for the event. The Fierce Dragon event starts on Tuesday, with different start days for each race, and all racing ends on Sunday morning. The race course uses the Coosa Loop, Duncan Ridge, and Benton Mackaye trails, plus some Forest Service roads. For the 40 mile loop, approximately 37 miles are marked trail, 2 miles are essentially a jeep trail, 0.5 miles are a gravel road, and 0.5 miles are pavement inside the Park. The elevation gain per mile averages is roughly 310 feet. About one half of the course has moderate elevation change; however, the other half of the course has elevation changes that exceed 500 feet per mile (95 meters/km). This is a winter race so runners must dress appropriately if they hope to finish. This takes place in Georgia so runners need to contend with two types of wind chill; sub-freezing temperature wind chills that often result in wind chill temps below 0 degrees F, and evaporative cooling wind chill comes from saturated layers being exposed to wind (typically this is caused by rain or a winter mix of precipitation driven by wind 30 mph or greater). It may seem a bit nuts to hold this type of event in January, but with appropriate clothing this race course is easier to complete in the winter than the summer. Come out and enjoy!