Running + Beer + BBQ = Be there! 25k or 50k all trail, and a rockin' after-party!

Year one on the new course was a success! So we're back for year two. Subtle changes, but nothing major. Come out, challenge yourself, and enjoy the post-race festivities!

Location

We will operate the Start/Finish and participants can place gear at Pavilions 707 and 708 in the Pickall area of the park:

Pickall Area, Patapsco State Park

There will be directions regarding parking when you enter the park off of Johnnycake Rd.

There is parking on-site and we have a good number of parking spots, however, they are not unlimited. Whenever possible, please plan to carpool with other athletes running the race, or if you have friends or family coming to watch, have them come with you to ensure we have enough spots for everyone, particularly our race participants.

There are bathrooms that are adjacent to the pavilions where we will be hosting the race.

Start Time

Start Time:

The 50k will start at 7am

The 25k will start at 9am
Registration will begin at 6am for all athletes. There is no packet pickup prior to race day.

Course

Course:

The course consists of rolling single track with two river crossings. There is a very short paved section through a parking area, but other than that, you will not touch pavement on this course. You will get around 2000ft of vertical gain with a couple of healthy climbs. Some of the course is a little bit more technical and rocky, but there are other smooth and runnable sections. Variety is the name of the game on this course.

There are 3 areas of the course that involve out-and-backs. The first involves the climb to Valley Overlook, a stunning view overlooking the valley. There you will pick up a wrist band (50k athletes will end up with 2 wrist bands). You need to show us the wrist band at the finish line to get credited with a finish, but then the bands are yours to keep!

The other 2 out-and-backs or short sections that will take you to our aid stations on the back half of the course. These are mandatory out-and-backs, and our aid station volunteers will be checking off bib numbers to ensure completion.

Here is a link to the course on Strava. This is the OFFICIAL race course:

Heat Race course 2024

Remember:

For the privilege of being able to use the park for events, we try to give back a little bit. For that reason we have a volunteer requirement of 1 hour per participant. This should involve helping clean up green space somewhere, especially in Patapsco if you can! You can log your hours here: volunteer hours

Aid Stations

Old Frederick Rd. - Mile 2

Hollofield - Mile 5.25

Rockhaven - Mile 8

Devils Horns - Mile 11.5

The final aid station for 50k competitors will be at the start/finish line at approximately mile 16

Valley Overlook

Many will do the 25k, though the 50k is growing more popular each year. This year we will be offering a new course that will be different, but no less challenging than previous years. The 50k consists of 2 loops of the 25k course, so the aid stations will be the same and located at the same intervals. It is required to pick up a wrist band at the top of the Valley Overlook climb EACH LOOP, so you will have two wrist bands at the end to officially complete the course.

We do not have very strict cutoffs for the event, however, we cannot let 50k competitors out for a second loop if they complete the first loop after 12pm NOON. So basically athletes are allotted 5 hours per loop.

Athletes should be able to access the park starting at 6am. The race kicks off at 7am sharp.

Finish Line

At the finish we party. We pride ourselves on having a great spread of food and beers to help you refuel and celebrate your hard work. There will be access to bathrooms, water, and plenty of shelter under our two large pavilions.

Volunteers

We are ALWAYS looking for volunteers to help us put on a great event. If you, or anyone you know is interested in helping out, you can reach out to me at jfairmanpt@gmail.com or fill out his volunteer form:

Volunteer Sign-Up