NipMuck Trail Marathon
A classic old-school New England trail race taking place along a northern section of the Nipmuck Trail, consisting of a 26.4 mile ‘marathon’ and Marathon Relay
Blue-Blazed Trail Running Series
This race is part of the Blue-Blazed Trail Running Series
Date
- NipMuck Trail Marathon 26.4
- NipMuck Relay
Location
390 Perry Hill Rd, Ashford, CT
Course
The race is a double out-and-back covering a distance of 26.4 mi. The course is simply a 13-mi-long, northern section of the Nipmuck Trail, which is one of the Blue-Blazed trails managed by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association. The start line, and middle point, is located at Perry Hill Rd in Ashford. The course runs south for 6.2 mi until reaching Rt 44, then back to the start, then north for 7 mi until reaching Boston Hollow Rd, and finally back to the finish/start line at Perry Hill Rd.
Navigation
Runners will have to look for and track the blue blazes along the trail to avoid getting lost. The race course will not be specially marked for the marathon. Tip: Don’t follow that guy in front of you and believe that he knows where he’s going; many have been led astray before you!
Aid Stations
There will be 9 aid stations along the course. Most of them will be fully stocked stations, while a few will have only water. The longest distance between aid stations is 4.1 mi, occurring between the start line/Aid Station 5/finish line and Aid Station 1/3. As the course passes back through the start line around mile 12, runners can also leave supplies to pick up for the second half of the race.
Cutoffs
Runners will spend 60% of the time in the second “half” of the course due to greater ascent and slightly longer distance. Considering this skewness, runners must
- reach the mid point ~ 12.4-mi mark in a time ≤ 3h15m
- reach the 2nd turn around (Boston Hollow) ~ 19.4-mi mark in a time ≤ 5h20m
- finish the race in a time ≤ 8 h
The race course includes a number of steep, rocky, slippery, or otherwise treacherous areas. Though injuries have been few and minor during past races, a serious injury is possible. Because parts of the course are relatively inaccessible, it is possible that an injured runner might have to wait an hour or more for emergency medical care. Please do NOT enter this race if you are not prepared to accept responsibility for yourself and these risks.
Registration
Register online at Ultrasignup.com
Due to limitations of parking and trail capacities, the NipMuck Trail Marathon is capped at 180 runners. There is no race-day registration.
We have never had to cancel due to weather. NipMuck Trail Marathon and Relay maintain a no-refunds policy, regardless of reason or fault.
2023 Results
Results found at: Webscorer.com
Race Director
- Cherie Bilbie, Dave Hoople, Kelsey Eng
- nipmuck@shenipsitstriders.org