Participant Information

Training Runs

We will host three training runs in July which are free and open to anyone, regardless of whether you are doing the race. These runs will cover all 50 miles of the course in chronological order.

• Training Run #1: Saturday, July 13, we will cover the first 16 miles of the course. Sign-up is required (and free). Please go here.
• Training Run #2: Friday, July 19, is the next 17 miles of the course. Sign-up is required (and free). Please go here.
• Training Run #3: Sunday, July 21, the last 17 miles of the course. Sign-up is required (and free). Please go here.

Check-In

The UltraChallenge will take place rain or shine. All participants must check in at the farm either Friday evening between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. or race morning between 3:45 a.m. and 4:45 a.m. Yes, you may have friends or family pick up your packet and ID tag for you. Please pin the tag on your right side at waist level so it can be scanned at each checkpoint. You are responsible for ensuring your tag is properly scanned!

Starting

The shuttle bus will depart from the farm at 5:00 AM to take the individual participants and first leg relay team members to the trailhead where their tags will be scanned as before starting. All participants must take the shuttle bus or be dropped off; there is no parking at the start.

Aid Stations and Checkpoints

There are nine aid stations along the course providing water, Gatorade, soda pop, sport gels, fruit, and PB&J sandwiches. Potatoes, candy such as M&Ms, and other snacks will be available at some stations. Four of these stations are also relay transfer spots and checkpoints where your tag will be scanned and your time recorded. Except for the start, relay teams are responsible for their own transportation to and from each transfer spot. Participants must pass each of the four checkpoints by the indicated closing time or they may not be permitted to continue (see Rules below).

Elevation Profile

Total Ascending 7101 ft. Total Descending 6830 ft.

Course Map

Course Description

The first relay leg (10.3 miles) is 28% trail, 2% dirt road, 40% paved road, 30% rail-trail. The second leg (11.9 miles) is 10% trail, 7% dirt road, 83% paved road. The third leg (11.1 miles) is 87% trail, 7% dirt road, 7% paved road. The fourth leg (8.9 miles) is 4% trail, 23% dirt road, 74% paved road. The final leg (8.0 miles) is 4% trail, 37% dirt road, 58% paved road.

The trail surfaces are single-track or forest roads, which can include rocks, roots, sticks, branches, humps, and holes. The trail section on the third leg, between mile 23 and 28, is quite technical.

Beyond mile 42, the course will be marked exclusively with Baker Ultra signs and/or yellow arrows on the road (there are no blazes on this segment because it deviates from the Baker Trail).

Printable Map

A printable map of the course is here (3MB PDF). Right-click and choose Save As to download it to your local storage. It's vector format and yields good resolution on any size paper, the larger the better. Recent versions of Adobe Acrobat Reader offer a Poster feature that prints a single page across several sheets which increases legibility. Copies of this map will be available at check-in.

Finish

All participants will finish back at the farm where food will be provided.

Awards

The awards will be issued to runners as their finishing position becomes official.

Drop Bags

You may leave bags or gear at the farm in the morning for pickup and use when you arrive there upon finishing. You may leave bags or gear at the farm for pickup and use when you arrive there upon finishing. Also, you may have a bag delivered to a checkpoint (AS 2, AS 4, AS 6, AS 8), and you may leave behind gear, clothing, etc. at any aid station (plastic bags will be available). Everything will be brought back to the finish when the station closes. Be sure to label everything with your name and ID number.

Rules

Please adhere to these rules or risk disqualification:

• Equity and Inclusion policies, established in 2024, can be found here
• Runners must check-in prior to the race, at each of the checkpoints, and the finish line.
• Runners must depart the Checkpoint by the designated closing time. However, runners will be permitted to miss one of the first three Checkpoint closing times, provided it is by less than 30 minutes. Exceptions to this rule may be granted during the race and are solely at the discretion of the Race Director.
• Runners are not permitted to obtain any outside assistance. If a runner leaves the course for any reason (including getting lost), they must return to the course by their own power at the point they left it.
• At all times, only one member of each relay team may be on the course. Relay members must turn in their tag upon completion of their last leg.
• Upon arrival at a checkpoint, relay team members finishing their leg must scan before the departing runner scans. If the scan time of the arriving runner is after that of the departing runner, the team will be disqualified.
• Pacers are not permitted for relay runners.
• Pacers are permitted for individual runners beginning at mile 30+ checkpoints. Pacers may not carry food, drink, or gear for the runner or provide any other assistance. Pacers are permitted to consume aid station food and drink. Runners are permitted one pacer at a time, and pacers must be at least 18.
• Support crews may meet their runner anywhere along the course, but must not impede traffic. Crews must not park or operate (a) on private property without permission from the property owner, nor (b) in an unsafe manner or location. Runners are responsible for the conduct of their support crew.

Transportation

There is no shuttle service to the Checkpoints! Relay teams must provide their own transportation. If you drop out at an aid station and cannot arrange your own ride, the volunteers will do their best to assist you in securing transportation. However, you will almost certainly be required to wait, perhaps for several hours, for someone to take you. If you drop out between aid stations, you will need to find transportation yourself.

Lodging

There are no hotels near the farmhouse, where you check-in and catch the shuttle to the start line. You may sleep at the private farm in a tent, the barn (no livestock) or your vehicle. If you are getting dropped off at the race starting line, there are hotels in Clarion, PA, which is only 20 miles away. No parking at the start.

ID Tags

If you drop out and don't make it to the finish, please give your ID tag to a Marshal. If you do not return your tag you will be charged a $5 replacement fee.

Advisories

• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Drink lots of liquid in small amounts at a steady, frequent rate. You should be carrying at least two quarts.

• Water and snacks will be available at each aid station, every 4-7 miles.
• Wear a hat and use a high-SPF sunblock. You'll be outside all day.
• Watch the weather forecast closely to know what gear to bring; the UltraChallenge will happen rain or shine.
• Stay on the trail. Shortcuts may not be fair to other participants and can upset landowners.
• Backtrack to find the last trail blaze and reassess your direction if you haven't seen a blaze in a hundred yards or so, as you may have missed a turn.
• Resist forging ahead or spending time trying to "hook up" with the trail if you lose it; this rarely works to your benefit.
• Respect private property! Much of the Baker Trail crosses privately owned land and the owners graciously allow us there; do not impose upon any landowner you may encounter.
• Clean up any trash you bring and any you encounter along the way. There are trash receptacles at each checkpoint.
• Stop if you feel sick!
• Check in at each checkpoint. This is how we keep track of you! You must have a time recorded at the start and every checkpoint or your finish time will be disqualified.

Volunteers

We'll need quite a few volunteers to help us stage the UltraChallenge. Please cajole and/or coerce your friends, relatives and co-workers into helping! Check out the Volunteers page for details.