The following are some of the trail and ultra events happening in the Northeast next month.
Know of an upcoming event we should include? Tell us about it.
People’s Park Ultra
Pittsgrove, New Jersey
April 1
While this race is billed as having a “last person standing” format, there might be multiple runners standing at the end. That’s because the race is capped at 10 hours. Like other backyard or last person standing style events, the course will be a roughly 4.1-mile loop that runners will begin every hour on the hour. At the end of 10 hours, those runners still in it are listed as “finishers.” The course is mostly flat, but somewhat technical, with rocks, roots, sand, singletrack, and great views of a lake.
Rattling Creek Run 30K & 10K
Halifax, Pennsylvania
April 1
The Rattling Creek Run features 30K and 10K options. The event is located in Weiser State Forest in the Haldeman Tract. This year’s 30K features an adjusted course, with three fewer miles of gravel road in the route and four more miles of singletrack trail.
Big Bear Squatch North
Bear Mountain, New York
April 8
Presented by Sassquad Trail Running and the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, this is the second annual Harriman Big Bear Squatch North at Harriman State Park in Bear Mountain, New York. Organizers describe the race options as “13.1M+” and “50K –.” What does “13.1M+” and “50K –” mean? It’s means the half marathon is actually a little over 14 miles with 3,000 feet of climbing and the 50K is actually 29ish miles with 7,000 feet of climbing. All runners and hikers will experience non-stop trail beauty, epic climbs and vistas through Harriman State Park!
Eagleton Trail Challenge
Lock Haven, Pennsylvania
April 8
Options at this event include a 50K, a 25K, a 25K ruck, and a 10K. All distances follow a loop course. While the course is milder and more runnable than other events in the area, don’t underestimate it. The course still features some technical sections and challenging climbs.
Shore2Shore 50K and 25K
East Islip, New York
April 15
A point-to-point race on the entirety of Suffolk County Long Island Greenbelt Trail. Roughly 1,200 feet of elevation for the 50K and far less for the 25K. Most of the climbing is done in the front 10 miles of the course. There is a solid mixture of trail, roads, road crossings and bike path.
English’s Ridge Rumble
Fayetteville, New York
April 15
This event will host 3 different race distances ranging from a 10 mile to 50k distance. The race course traverse’s as many ridge’s as we could possibly squeeze in over a loop course. The race has a 1-2-3 lap option and with each lap being approximately 10.33 miles. After three you will have completed a 50k distance.
Runamuck 50K
South Pomfret, Vermont
April 15
This is a challenging course with more than 3,700 feet of climbing on hilly dirt roads. And, being Vermont in mid-April, Mother Nature can be wildly unpredictable. The race has an eight-hour cutoff.
Traprock 50K & 17K
Bloomfield, Connecticut
April 18
The Traprock course is a loop course of approximately 10.5-11 miles per loop. There will be two races, a 17K and a 50K. It is a rolling course with 50 percent technical singletrack on the Metacomet Trail. The balance of the course is doubletrack. Consisting entirely of rolling forest roads or singletrack that can be extremely rocky, the course will provide a true test of the runner’s fitness and mental stamina. Runners should only consider entering this race if they are confident they have sufficient running experience, such as having completed a recent road or trail marathon.
Forgotten Forest Ultra
Stratford, Connecticut
April 22
This event in Roosevelt Forest will run from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on a single and doubletrack loop with about 131 feet elevation gain each loop.
New Jersey Devil 100-Miler
Tuckerton, New Jersey
April 22
This year is the inaugural running of the New Jersey Devil 100, an endurance trail race held in the southern New Jersey Pine Barrens. It traverses 45 miles of the Batona Trail out and back, and an approximately 10-mile loop on the Mt. Misery trail.
TARC Spring Classic
Weston, Massachusetts
April 22
The TARC Spring Classic is a 10k/Half Marathon/Full Marathon or 50k race taking place in the Jericho woods of bucolic Weston, MA. This is a low-key, no schwag race. A portion of the race’s proceeds go back to the conservation groups whose trails TARC uses.
Howard’s Neck Ache
Tunkhannak, Pennsylvania
April 29
The Howard’s Neck Ache Ultramarathon features options for 24 hours, 12 hours and six hours. The event is held on the Howland Preserve in the Endless Mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Racers will attempt to finish as many loops of a wooded 3-mile course within their time limit. All runners will begin at 7a.m. on Saturday, April 29. The 6-hour race will finish at 1 p.m. on Saturday. The 12-hour race will finish at 7 p.m. Saturday, and the 24-hour race will finish at 7 a.m. Sunday.
Sunapee Scramble
Sunapee, New Hampshire
April 29 & 30
Two days of mountain racing at New Hampshire’s Mount Sunapee. Saturday is the vertical mountain race, where runners race up the mountain and finish at the summit. The course is 3.6 miles with 1,700 feet of elevation gain. Sunday is the up/down mountain race. Runners will race two laps up Mount Sunapee and finish at the base of the mountain. The course is 8.2 miles long with 3,400 feet of elevation gain. The Sunapee Scramble races are open to runners of all ages and abilities. These races are both a great introduction to the sport of mountain running. No prior mountain racing experience required!
Jack Bristol Lake Waramaug Ultras
New Preston, Connecticut
April 30
The Jack Bristol Lake Waramaug Ultra Races are the oldest ultras in Connecticut. It is the oldest 100K in the United States, and it also features a 50-miler and 50K.
