Gristmill Grinder Half Marathon

06/08/2026

Trail runners, we need to know.

Are you a “music in my ears and locked in” kind of runner, or are you listening to the birds, your breathing, the leaves, and the occasional stick that definitely sounded like a bear?

Either way, the trails at Babcock have a whole soundtrack of their own.

So which one are you?

Music runner or nature runner?

06/06/2026

Bring your friends.

They might hate you somewhere around the middle, but it will absolutely make the whole thing more fun.

That’s the beauty of type 2 fun: it’s questionable while it’s happening, hilarious once it’s over, and for some reason, West Virginians keep signing up for it on purpose.

Sticks & Stones 15K is October 10, 2026.

Grab your most outdoorsy friend. Or your most dramatic one. Honestly, both will work.

06/05/2026

Already ran the Gristmill Grinder this year?

Good. Now you know what Babcock can do.

Next up: Sticks & Stones 15K on October 10, 2026.

Same wild trails. New challenge. See you back out there?

06/03/2026

Want your October 10th to look like this?

Not scrolling through fall photos. Not saying “we should do something outside this weekend.” Actually out there, running through Babcock, surrounded by the kind of people who think a 15K on West Virginia trails sounds like a good time.

Sticks & Stones 15K is October 10, 2026, and it’s got everything we love about race day here: crisp air, gritty miles, big smiles, and that very specific Babcock feeling of “this is beautiful, but why is it also trying to humble me?”

If you’ve been waiting for a sign to sign up, this is it.

Registration is open now.

06/02/2026

This is our races before the miles even start.

The nervous smiles, the last-minute pack checks, the “why did I sign up for this?” jokes, and the friends who make the whole thing feel a little less intimidating.

Before the climbs, before the singletrack, before the legs start questioning every life choice, there’s this: good people showing up ready to do something hard together.

That’s the magic of Gristmill Grinder and Sticks & Stones. The trails are tough, but the community makes you want to come back for more.

Come run with us. The trail is waiting.

05/31/2026

Tomorrow, the price goes up. 👀

This is your sign to stop “thinking about it” and get yourself signed up for Sticks & Stones 15K before the June 1st price increase hits.

Babcock trails. Big climbs. Questionable life choices. The good stuff.

Register today and save your future trail-loving self a few bucks.

05/28/2026

There is nothing better than starting race day with your family by your side, smiling, cheering you on, and sending you into those trail miles with a little extra energy. 🏃‍♀️ 👏🏼

Only 136 days until the Sticks & Stones 15K at Babcock State Park on October 10, 2026. 🍂👟

Bring your trail crew. Bring your cheering crew. We’ll see you at the start line.

🔗 Register now with the link in our bio or comment “LINK” and we will send it to you directly! 🙌🏼

05/27/2026

Registration is open, trail runners. 🌲👟

The Sticks & Stones 15K is your chance to run Babcock in peak fall color, with point-to-point miles through rhododendron tunnels, waterfalls, cliffs, bridges, and the rim of Mann’s Creek Gorge. 🍂

Join us October 10, 2026 at Babcock State Park and lock in your spot while Early Bird Pricing is available.

🔗 Register now with the link in our bio!

Send this to your trail crew. October miles are calling.

05/27/2026

🚨 REGISTRATION IS LIVE! 🚨

The trail is calling. 🌲🔥

Claim your spot for the Sticks & Stones 15K at Babcock State Park on October 10, 2026 and take on the rocks, roots, and fall miles of the New River Gorge region.
Early Bird Pricing is open now!

Plus, the first male and first female registrants will each receive a locally made Ceramic Babcock Racer Cup. 🏆

🔗 Register now: https://www.gristmillgrinder.com

For event details, please refer to: https://www.active.com/clifftop-wv/running/distance-running-races/babcock-sticks-and-stones-15k-2026

05/26/2026

Tonight is the night. 👟🔥

Registration for the 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 & 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝟏𝟓𝐊 goes live 𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝟗 𝐏𝐌 𝐄𝐓.

Join us 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟎, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 for a point-to-point 𝟏𝟓𝐊 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 through 𝐁𝐚𝐛𝐜𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤 in the heart of the 𝑵𝒆𝒘 𝑹𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝑮𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒐𝒏.

This race brings everything trail runners love: 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤, 𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐬, 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐬, 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐛𝐬, 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧, 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐬, 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐩 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐢𝐫, 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬, 𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝-𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠. 🍂🌲

And yes, speed matters before race day too. The 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 will each be sent a 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐂𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐁𝐚𝐛𝐜𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐮𝐩. 🏆

The registration link will be posted here tonight.

Set your alarm for 𝟗 𝐏𝐌 𝐄𝐓, send this to your trail crew, and be ready to grab your spot.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐬. 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲?𝐯