Course Description

The course will be marked at trail intersections and critical turns with orange flagging tape and occasional arrows or traffic cones.  For the most part, there is only one trail to follow and turns and intersections are at aid stations.
 
Caltopo Map
Avenza

Route Overview

START - Fox Hollow Rd.  Run up Blue Blazed Giant Ledge-Panther-Fox Hollow Trail
4.9 mi. - Climb over a couple of bumps up to summit of Panther Mtn.  (2300 ft. ascent)
6.75 mi. - Go down and back up to Giant Ledge, great views to the east.  (200 ft.)
7.5 mi. - Head down to Yellow Blazed Phoenicia East Branch Trail and TURN RIGHT.    After 75 ft or so you will reach Aid #1,        water and snacks.  You will then see a pile of dead trees on the left just before a rocky descent.  Jump over trees and run        down unblazed trail.  This is a dashed line on the NY/NJ trail conference map.
8.9 mi. - A few feet before you reach the paved rt. 47, turn left, run by the pond parallel to the road.
9.5 mi. - Reach Aid #2- Winnisook Club Rd.  Only full aid station on course so make sure you are filled up on water (1 Liter        minimum to leave) and food.  Continue on woods road past a wire cable gate. You are now back on the Yellow
Blazed Phoenicia East Branch Trail
10.3 mi. - Turn left onto Red Blazed Wittenberg-Cornell-Slide Trail.  Run up old truck road.  
11.6 mi. - Bypass Curtis-Ormsbee trail on the right.
12.4 mi. - Reach summit of Slide Mt. (1700 ft.)
13.3 mi. - Descend to saddle.  Careful, steep rock ledges.
14.7 mi. - Take short spur trail (50ft.) on right to reach summit of Cornell Mt.  Decent views and true summit (600 ft.) Backtrack and continue in the same direction.  Descend the infamous "Cornell Crack".  This is a technical V notch.  If you're not into it there is a bushwhack work around on the right above 100 ft. back up the trail.
15.5 mi. - Reach summit of Wittenberg Mt. at great viewpoint.  Take pictures and descend.  (200 ft.)
16.4 mi. - Aid #3.  Water and snacks.  Turn right on the new Blue Blazed Cross Mt. Trail.  You will be on this trail through the finish, There are some short ups but mainly it is downhill from here.  
25.4 mi. - After running downhill switchbacks, reach the parking area and pavement of Lane St. and Aid #4.  Minimal water and snacks
25.5 mi. - turn right on High St.
26.0 mi. - turn left on Bridge St. (and run over bridge)
26.2 mi. - turn right onto Main St.
26.5 mi. - reach finish at the Parish Hall on left.

Course Details

The start of the race is at the end of Fox Hollow Rd in Shandaken.  Runners will run downhill to the trailhead in the DEC parking lot and enter the Fox Hollow-Panther Mtn-Giant Ledge Trail.  They will then proceed mostly uphill for more than 2000 ft of gain and 5 miles to the summit of Panther Mtn and then on to Giant Ledge, following the blue blazed trail.  After about 7.5 mi, there is a trail intersection at the Giant Ledge aid station.  This aid station only provides water.  Runners will proceed straight (dog-leg) across the intersection to the relatively flat easement which takes them to Rte 47 and Winisook Lake.  They will follow the orange flagging and arrows along Winisook Lake next to the road to the Winisook aid station (mile 9.5).  This is a full service aid station with food, Tailwind, water, Coke, and first aid; runner drop bags will also be located here.
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THE CUTOFF AT WINISOOK AID STATION IS 11:00 AM.

After leaving Winisook AS, the runners will head out the driveway and around to a second driveway immediately on their left and only a few feet away, and head onto a second easement on the Winisook Club property which will take them to the Slide-Cornell-Wittenberg Trail.  They will then be directed with orange flagging to take a left turn onto the Slide-Cornell-Wittenberg Trail (now red-blazed).  This trail heads up to the summit of Slide Mountain, another steep and long climb.  Before runners reach the summit, the Slide-Cornell-Wittenberg Trail is joined and coaligned with the Long Path.  Runners will continue over Cornell and Wittenberg Mountains, then descend to the Wittenberg Aid Station, another full service aid station.  (To get water and supplies to this aid station, volunteers must haul everything up 2.5 mi and 1500 ft. So please remember to thank the volunteers!).  They will then be directed onto the continuation of the Long Path, which is now coaligned with the Phoenicia East Branch Trail, following this trail for 9 miles to reach the last aid station at the Lane St trailhead in Phoenicia, less than one mile from the finish.  This last aid station only has water, Tailwind, Coke, and some chips or pretzels.  You may feel like a pretzel at this point.  Runners will follow flagging and arrows down Lane St., take a right turn onto High St., a left onto Bridge St., cross Main St and then turn right at the end of the block to cross the field of the town park to the finish line!

CUTOFF AT THE FINISH LINE:  5:30 PM.

Sweepers

Please note that if aid station personnel or sweeps determine that a runner must exit the race, their word is final!  Please accept that they are acting in the best interests of the runner as well as the best interests of the race volunteers and all concerned.

Directions

The St. Francis de Sales Parish Hall is located on Main St in Phoenicia: 42 degrees 5.033’N, -74 degrees 18.695’W. This is the location of bib pickup the night before the race, the finish line, and is not far from parking (School Lane).

Dropping Out

If you decide to drop out of the race, please do so at an aid station and tell the aid station captain or volunteers.  We don’t want to spend a lot of time looking for you when you don’t show up later on at the next aid station or finish line.