Course Map - Elevation Chart (repeats for 100 mile) Quick View - Open in new window

The revised course uses an out-back format, repeated for the 100. Approximately 44.5/89 miles will be run over hilly single track trail, with 3.5/7 miles of dirt/gravel forest road and 2/4 miles of asphalt. Elevation gain and loss is roughly 10,000/20,000 feet. The hills are constant and the terrain technical at times. Respective cut-off times are 13 hours for 50-mile, 36 hours for 100-mile and 28 hours for relay.

The Greek Peak Alpine portions of the course will follow distinctive and wide ski trails. Additional stakes, streamers and/or flags will be used during the day, and glow-sticks added at night. The Finger Lakes Trail main will be followed through a majority of Kennedy and Tuller Hill State Forests and is marked with 2" x 5" rectangular white blazes painted on trees, posts, and ground cover. Sharp turns are marked with slanted parallel blazes often with a carrot below pointing in the direction of the turn.

I’ll try to ensure that trails are lined with glosticks or reflective tape for night sections however, based upon our experience in year one, the potential always exists for vandals to promptly remove what we set. Road sections and directional road crossings and/or turns will be marked with flour and/or sandwich boards. It is the responsibility of each athlete to study the maps and learn the basic course configuration.

Section: 4.6 miles - Quick Map - Map in new window

Cumulative Mileage: 1st loop: 4.6; 2nd loop: 54.6

Elevation: 960 foot gain, 546 foot loss = 414 foot gain

Average Grade: 6%

Course Markings: Flagging tape, surveyor’s markers, wooden signs with arrows, sticks at night.

Breakdown: Start south on East Brook. Wrap right on The Dike to parallel the base of Hope Lake. Take a right onto West Brook to head back up the lake and follow course markers to Vinnedge Rd. at approximately 1.4 miles. Take a right on Vinnedge Rd. 0.8 miles, and cross over Clute Rd. with a slight right, following course markers back onto the trail. Follow trail 0.3 miles uphill, paralleling Clute Rd. and take a sharp left. Follow course markers on Nordic ski trails to pipeline clearing at approximately 4 miles. Make a right on pipeline clearing and a left in about 1/8 of a mile and follow course markers to white-blazed Finger Lakes Trail at approximately 4.4 miles. Proceed uphill on Finger Lakes Trail to Gravel Pit AS and clearing along Pipeline Rd.

Insight: No long climbs or descents on this section, nor is there much technical trail. Several trail off-shoots in the Tuller Hill area, so pay attention to the flagging. Net loss on its way for section 2 so although it’s the start of the race and of course, this would be one section to make decent time on.

Section: 5.3 miles - Quick Map - Map in new window

Cumulative Mileage: 1st loop: 9.9; 2nd loop: 59.9

Elevation: 726 foot gain, 1317 foot loss = 519 foot loss

Average Grade: 7%

Course Markings: White blazed Finger Lakes Trail markings, pink flagging tape at tricky turns or intersections and glo-sticks at night.

Breakdown: Proceed out of AS and travel south on white-blazed Finger Lakes Trail, crossing Cortland 9 Rd. at 1.3 miles, passing Woodchuck Hollow Lean-To at 2.4 miles, and reaching Carson Rd. at 3.8 miles. Take a right and run downhill 1.1 miles on Carson Rd. to Rt. 392 at 4.8 miles. Take a left on Rt. 392 and run 0.1 miles, making a quick right onto Tone Rd. and running .4 miles to Lift House 5 AS.

Insight: You’ll be following white blazes for this entire section. Trail, if without a lot of standing water, is open and quick in the first mile. The middle two miles have some of the more technical or slower terrain on the course with consistent gullies and sharp turns. The last 1.5 miles is open road with a heavy paved downhill. Make good time at the start and bank on it to close the section. Assume you’ll lose time in the middle on slower trail. The next two sections have two of the steeper/tougher climbs of the course so enjoy the net loss while you can and vistas along Carson Rd.

Section: 4.0 miles - Quick Map - Map in new window

Cumulative Mileage: 1st loop: 13.9; 2nd loop: 63.9

Elevation: 1431 foot gain, 1431 foot loss = 0 foot gain/loss

Average Grade: 14%

Course Markings: Flagging tape, surveyor’s markers, wooden signs with arrows, sticks at night.

Breakdown: Please note that this section will be marked with flagging tape, painted wooden signs, and surveyors flagging on the ground as well as glo-sticks at night. Trying to memorize the slope names and turns would be quite confusing so don’t worry too much about doing so. The breakdown/directions are more for the purposes and use of those previewing the course prior to event weekend.

Proceed up Mars Hill (furthest slope to the right) gaining approximately 600 feet in 0.6 mi to level out at the top of Lift 5. Keep to the right of the lift house and descend gravel/rocky service road, staying to the right to fall in line with Lift 4 to its base house. At top of short ascent take a left (NOTE: this cut-through deviates from prior years) to pass top of Lift 3. Continue ascending with a left on Castor, right on Castor Connection/Meadow. Take a left to run toward exposed bank on upper trail, ascending Karyatis Way. After passing exposed bank on service road that is Karyatis Way, stay left after the sharp right hand bend to left turn at intersection with Epicurus Way. In 1/8 of a mile make a sharp right turn (NOTE: second deviation from prior years) to ascend Atlas (a steep glade) near Lift 2 to the summit. At top of Lift 2 take a left and quick right to merge with and descend on Upper Pollux. At intersection below take a right on Marathon, ascend gradually and proceed straight ahead to descend Arcadian Gate to Lift House 5 AS.

Insight: Go easy and fuel on the Mars Hill ascent. Second mile rolls. Third mile has a good amount of climbing with a steep ascent to summit. Arcadian Gate has a few wet muddy spots about half way down. We’ll try to take the course around them this year if possible. Either way, enjoy the slope; it’s one of the finest downhills I’ve ever run if the conditions are right. Plan for a potential change of socks and shoes on your return to Lift House 5.

Section: 6.0 miles - Quick Map - Map in new window

Cumulative Mileage: 1st loop: 19.9; 2nd loop: 69.9

Elevation: 1499 foot gain, 1020 foot loss = 479 foot gain

Average Grade: 8%

Course Markings: White blazed Finger Lakes Trail markings, pink flagging tape at tricky turns or intersections and glo-sticks at night.

Breakdown: Take a right out of AS on Tone Rd. Follow to end and make a right onto the Finger Lakes Trail at 0.3 mi, crossing a creek and ascending approximately 800 feet in the first mile. You will cross Virgil Mountain Road (dirt, service feel) around 1.2 miles and reach the power lines clearing at 1.5 miles. Make a right at the power lines clearing and run 0.2 miles, making a left up a small bank into a fern-dominated trail section, crossing over the Virgil Mountain Summit (2,132 feet, highest point in 70 mile radius) at 1.8 miles, and Van Donsel Rd. at 2.8 miles. Reach and make a left onto O’Dell Rd. at 3.7 miles, following for 0.2 miles before making a left in returning to wooded trail. Proceed 0.5 miles to an intersection of Orange and White Blazes on an old road. Stay STRAIGHT to proceed with White Blazes (NOTE: this is a course deviation from prior years). After you pass through the trail intersection at 4.4 miles you’ll enter a short stretch of trail that’s probably the most technical on the course with a maze of tree roots underfoot. The trail descends to the creek, making a sharp right turn, dropping off an embankment to make the creek crossing. Your feet will most likely get wet here. After crossing the creek the trail makes a sharp left and ascends to cross Cortwright Rd. at 5.6 mi and Bleck Rd. at 5.8 miles. Ascend to the Rock Pile at 6.0 miles.

Insight: Get out of the Lift House 5 fairly quickly but supplied as this will most likely be your longest stretch between aid stations. You have 0.3 miles flat to start and then will climb about 900 feet in 1.7 miles, about 800 of it coming in the first mile. In addition to the elevation gain there are some gullies and roots to slow things down further. Use the time to take in and absorb some nutrition. Be mindful of the right turn at the power lines clearing which is followed by a left in 0.2 miles. This has been missed in the past but we’ll have it marked pretty well. The trail rolls from here, passing through some gorgeous fern-covered forest, a heavily-rooted technical section around 4.6 miles, and crossing a creek about 4.8 miles. The last 1.2 miles leaves you with two short but decent climbs, the second of which gains about 250 feet in 1/3 of a mile to take you into the Rock Pile.

Section: 5.1 miles - Quick Map - Map in new window

Cumulative Mileage: 1st loop: 25.0; 2nd loop: 75.0

Elevation: 1017 foot gain, 1159 foot loss = 142 foot loss

Average Grade: 8%

Course Markings: White blazed Finger Lakes Trail markings, pink flagging tape at tricky turns or intersections and glo-sticks at night.

Breakdown: Stay straight to follow white blazed Finger Lakes Trail to Babcock Hollow Rd. at 1.0 mile. (Note: Dog may be barking here, you’ll here it from ¾ mile in both directions…it sounds really really close but it’s chained up, so don’t mind that barking). Cross Babcock Hollow with a slight left angle and take caution as it drops off the opposing side down a steep embankment. You’ll soon start climbing roughly 600 feet over the next 2.2 miles with fairly technical terrain at points. Cross over Bell-Hilsinger at 2.3 mi and Owego Hill Rd. at 3.5 mi. The trail tops out around this point and starts a nice 1.6 mi descent toward Daisy Hollow with a couple of rollers and mostly-dry creek crossings in the last 0.5 mi. into Daisy Hollow AS.

Insight: Aside from the technical climb 0.5 mi after crossing Babcock Hollow Rd, this section is pretty runnable. It’s a decent ascent but the descent on the other side more than makes up for it so don’t over-run the up. There are several downed logs in the last 1.5 miles. They’re rough when you’re tired and trying to keep moving but they’re down to keep motorcycles and bikes off the course and the trail, fragile at points, intact. Don’t linger at Daisy Hollow, fuel up and use the climb back out to soak it in. This section was vandalized in ’09 with much of our flagging and most of our glo-sticks being stripped sometime just before nightfall. We’ll try to stay on top of it and if it happens again, we’ll get the markings back up as soon as we can--just stick with the white blazes and you’ll be fine.

Section: 5.1 miles - Quick Map - Map in new window

Cumulative Mileage: 1st loop: 30.1; 2nd loop: 80.1

Elevation: 1159 foot gain, 1017 foot loss = 142 foot gain

Average Grade: 8%

Course Markings: White blazed Finger Lakes Trail markings, pink flagging tape at tricky turns or intersections and glo-sticks at night.

Breakdown and Insight: Reverse Section 5.

Section: 6.0 miles - Quick Map - Map in new window

Cumulative Mileage: 1st loop: 36.1; 2nd loop: 86.1

Elevation: 1020 foot gain, 1499 foot loss = 479 foot loss

Average Grade: 8%

Course Markings: White blazed Finger Lakes Trail markings, pink flagging tape at tricky turns or intersections and glo-sticks at night.

Breakdown and Insight: Reverse Section 4. Remember your right followed by a quick left at the power lines clearing, particularly at night. Be cautious of descent to Tone Rd. at night and particularly if wet. Take your time, use the trees to brake as needed.

Section: 4.0 miles - Quick Map - Map in new window

Cumulative Mileage: 1st loop: 40.1; 2nd loop: 90.1

Elevation: 1431 foot gain, 1431 foot loss = 0 foot gain/loss

Average Grade: 14%

Course Markings: Flagging tape, surveyor’s markers, wooden signs with arrows, sticks at night.

Breakdown and Insight: Same as Section 3.

Section: 5.3 miles - Quick Map - Map in new window

Cumulative Mileage: 1st loop: 45.4; 2nd loop: 95.4

Elevation: 1317 foot gain, 726 foot loss = 519 foot gain

Average Grade: 7%

Course Markings: White blazed Finger Lakes Trail markings, pink flagging tape at tricky turns or intersections and glo-sticks at night.

Breakdown and Insight: Reverse Section 2.

Section: 4.6 miles - Quick Map - Map in new window

Cumulative Mileage: 1st loop: 50.0; 2nd loop: 100.0

Elevation: 546 foot gain, 960 foot loss = 414 foot loss

Average Grade: 6%

Course Markings: Flagging tape, surveyor’s markers, wooden signs with arrows, sticks at night.

Breakdown and Insight: Reverse Section 1. The ups are runnable and there’s a nice net descent to Hope Lake/Finish. Probably the easiest section on the course, enjoy it.