Dances with Dirt Hell

About the Event

The Dances with Dirt (DWD) Hell takes place on Saturday, June 13, 2026, at The Woodlands private camp in Hell, Michigan. This unpolished gem features 50M, 55M relay, 50K, 30K, 13.1M, and 6.66K distances on Pure Michigan runnable single track with river crossings, mud, rocks, and gnarly trails — expect to be scratched, muddied, and bruised by the beauty.

50 Mile
Start: 6:15 AM • 12.25 hour cutoff • Must be through 31.0 miles by 2:00 PM

55 Mile Relay
Start: 7:30 AM • Teams of up to 5 (In It To Win It) or up to 10 (Just For Fun)

50K
Start: 6:15 AM • 10 hour cutoff

30K (one year only for 30th anniversary)
Start: 9:00 AM • 8 hour cutoff

13.1M (Half Marathon)
Start: 9:00 AM

6.66K
Start: 9:30 AM

Event Logistics & Participant Information:

Packet Pickup: Friday 4-7 PM and Saturday 5-8:45 AM at Start/Finish.
Location: The Woodlands — a private camp where runners can camp for the weekend, sit around a fire, and howl at the moon.
Parking: Michigan Recreation Passport required for entry to Half Moon and Silver Lake. Official Vehicle Sign in rear window required.
Course Conditions: Rocky, muddy, loose in places. River crossings. Trail not maintained (non-existent) in some areas. "The footing? What footing?"
50M Drop Option: Runners may voluntarily drop to 50K event until 2:00 PM.
Mandatory Check-in: 50M and 50K runners must shout bib number to aid station volunteers.
Drop Bags: Available at Hell (16.6 miles) and after River Styx. Self-managed drop bag at The Woodlands. Drop Dead Bag zone for shipment to finish.
Aid Stations: Water, Gatorade, GU packets, PB&J, boiled potatoes, salt, chips, Coke, peanuts, Oreos, bananas, oranges, candy. Runners should bring anything they absolutely need.
Relay Handicap: Women receive 12.5% handicap plus age handicap. Masters 1.0% per year over 40, 1.5% per year over 50. Team handicaps added together.
Relay Cutoff: 6:30 PM (11 hours). Teams finishing after 5:30 PM not eligible for handicap awards.
Relay Exchange: Physical contact or air touch. Each team member runs minimum 3 legs for In It To Win It teams.
No Late Relay Entry: Register early.
Organizer: RF Events. Contact: [email protected] or 734-929-9027 (Mon-Fri 9AM-5PM).

Swag, Awards & Atmosphere:

All Entries Include: Post-race bash with food, drink, and live music.
Individual Awards: Age group awards 3 deep in all 5-year male/female age groups. Overall top 3 male and female per distance.
Relay Awards: Over the Line (first team to finish), Handicap (first based on handicap), Theme (best team theme), Stampede (first team with runner to finish Leg 1), All Female (first all-female team to finish).
30th Anniversary: Celebrating 30 YEARS IN THE DIRT — 30K race offered for one year only.
Team Options: In It To Win It (competitive, up to 5 people) or Just For Fun (up to 10 people, not award eligible).
Scenic Vibe: Pure Michigan runnable single track, gnarly trails, stupid spots, big hills (no supplemental oxygen needed).
Camping Weekend: Camp out at The Woodlands, fire, howl at the moon.
Course Highlights: Honest trail running laced with off-trail Hell dished up by mother nature.
Leg Structure: 13.1M (Legs A, B, C). 30K (Legs A, B, C, G). 50K (Legs A-G). 50M (Legs A-L). 6.66K (Leg A).

Dances with Dirt Hell on June 13, 2026, in Hell, Michigan, celebrates 30 years in the dirt — with gnarly single track, river crossings, a post-race bash, and the chance to drag your friends to Hell for a weekend of camping and trail running.

Races Offered

50K

Jun 13, 2026

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Distance — 50K

terrain

Type — Running

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06:15

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$98.00

50M

Jun 13, 2026

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Distance — 80.5K

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Type — Running

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06:15

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$110.00

55M Relay

Jun 13, 2026

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Distance — 88.5K

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Type — Running

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07:30

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$400.00

13.1M (Half Marathon)

Jun 13, 2026

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Distance — 21.1K

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Type — Running

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09:00

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$76.00

30K (one year only for 30th anniversary)

Jun 13, 2026

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Distance — 30K

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Type — Running

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09:00

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$80.00

6.66K

Jun 13, 2026

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Distance — 6.7K

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Type — Running

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09:30

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$48.00

Weather History

These values represent the 3-year monthly averages for June in Hell.

thermostat Temperature

15.5° / 26.1°

wb_sunny Feels like

14.7° / 25.2°

light_mode Avg sunshine hours

11h 43m

water_drop Avg rainfall

3.0 mm

ac_unit Avg snowfall

—

air Avg wind speed

11.2 km/h (Light breeze)

opacity Sweat loss rate

High

terrain Course conditions

Hard and dry surface

sunny Max UV Index

Very High (8.0)

humidity_mid Humidity

68.4%

wb_twilight Sunrise

05:58

nightlight Sunset

21:12

About Hell

Learn more about the host city, Hell.

Hell is a town of 266 people in Livingston County, in Southeast Michigan, best known for... well, its name. Despite its small size — the "main drag" of Hell is all of three buildings — the community has become a popular tourist destination for its irreverent name alone. The local businesses are given amusingly devilish titles, painted with licking flames, and stocked with gruesome and kitschy souvenirs of the sort you usually only see around Halloween. Every so often you'll hear of a nationwide promotional contest in which the prize is "a trip to Hell".

Hotels & Places to Stay

Video

Watch highlights and course previews from previous years.

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Registration Discount

Use the promo code below during registration to save on entry fees.

$5 OFF

Promo code HELLRG26

*Promo codes are collected from publicly available sources. We are not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by any brand listed. All trademarks belong to their respective owners. Offers may expire or change without notice.