Everything you need to know to run the race is contained in a printable pdf format that you can get by clicking Race Information. Please print it and study it. If you have any questions not answered there, please do not hesitate to email or call the race director. We want to be sure you have all the information you need for race day. Some of the race information is summarized below.
FIRST A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: Zombie will be sending great stuff for your goodie bags. La Sportiva is providing two pairs of shoes to give to two of you lucky runners. And Hammer is providing lots of Hammer Gel and Heed. Runners Roost is giving us some cool giveaways. Now for the all the race information:
Lodging: There are a few B&Bs and inns in the area, and there is camping nearby. See the Area/Lodging page for information, and be sure to BOOK EARLY.
Number Pickup and Check-in: Race numbers and T-shirts may be picked up 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, June 29, in the lower parking lot at Pine Valley Ranch Park (the start/finish location). You may also register for the race at this time if space is available. This is also a good time to be sure you know the way to the start and to the parking area at the fire station in Pine. Numbers and shirts can also be picked up at the starting area Saturday morning from 6:00 to 6:45 a.m. for 7:00 starters, 5:30-5:45 a.m. for 50 Mile early starters.
Pine Valley Ranch Park Start/Finish Location and Parking: The park is in Pine, Colorado, about 40 miles southwest of Denver. The race start is on the Narrow Gauge Trail behind the bathroom building at the end of the lower parking lot, near the large information sign. The finish line and post-race festivities will be at the large picnic shelter below the lower parking area.
Parking: The County allows us only 70 parking spots inside the park. Carpooling is encouraged to help us get as many runners into the park as possible. Someone will be directing you to parking from the intersection of Pine Valley Road/126 and Crystal Lake Road, either into the park or to the fire station. A shuttle bus will run from the fire station into the park at 6:00, 6:15 and 6:30 a.m. Allow plenty of time to park, shuttle to the park, check in at the race start and use the facilities. Bring a bag to the start with everything you'll need at the finish so you won't have to go back to your car until you are ready to go home.
Directions:
From the Denver area, take U.S. Highway 285 south toward Fairplay from CO-470 west of Denver about 30 miles to the stop light (the only stop light you will encounter on 285!) in Pine Junction. At the Pine Junction stop light, turn left (SE) onto Pine Valley Road (County Road 126). Go 5.8 miles down the big hill toward the town of Pine and follow the brown signs to the park. It will be a right turn onto Crystal Lake Road off southbound Hwy 126, and the turn comes immediately after a sharp left curve marked by a flashing warning light. It is about a mile to the park on Crystal Lake Road. If you are directed to the fire station to park, continue about a quarter mile on Pine Valley Road/126 and look for the fire station on your right at 6th St.
From Bailey, Fairplay or other places south on 285, take 285 to the stop light at Pine Junction and turn right (SE) on Pine Valley Road (County Road 126). Follow the directions above from there.
From Colorado Springs, take U.S. Highway 24 to Woodland Park and then go north on CO-67 toward Westcreek and Deckers. At Deckers, 67 becomes Hwy 126/Deckers Road. Continue on 126 (its name changes to Platte River Road and then Pine Valley Road) toward Buffalo Creek and Pine. It is about 42 miles from Woodland Park to Pine, but will take more than an hour, especially in the dark on race morning. At the far end (not really very far!) of historic downtown Pine Grove, the North Fork Fire Station is on your left at 6th St. You may park here or go on about another quarter mile to Crystal Lake Road. You will be directed to turn left into the park or to turn around and go back to park at the fire station. It is about a mile to the park on Crystal Lake Road.
The Start: The race starts promptly at 7:00 a.m. ALL RUNNERS MUST CHECK IN AT THE START BY 6:45 A.M. , EVEN IF YOU PICKED UP YOUR NUMBER ON FRIDAY NIGHT.
Early Start: There will be a 6:00 a.m. start only for those 50 Mile runners who are not confident that they can finish the race within 14 hours. Early starters must check in between 5:30 and 5:45 a.m., even if you picked up your number on Friday. The Homestead aid station at 4.5 miles does not open until 7:30 a.m. and will not likely be open yet for early starters. The Buffalo Creek aid station at 9.9 miles opens at 8:00 a.m. Carry water accordingly. Early starters will not be eligible for age group awards unless there are no finishers in your age group who started at the regular time. Please notify the race director of your intention to take the early start by email (northfork50@live.com) as far before race day as you can. You must notify the race director of your intention to take the early start by Friday, July 15, at 8:00 p.m.
Drop Bags: You may send a drop bag to the Buffalo Creek aid station, which is miles 9.9, 19.9 and 39.6. Leave your drop bag, clearly marked with your name and which race you are in, at the start/finish area on race morning. Bags with which runners have finished by 1:30 p.m. will be returned to the finish area at about 2:00. Remaining bags will be returned during the afternoon if a vehicle gets a chance to make a trip from Buffalo Creek to Pine Valley, but they may not be returned to the finish until about 6:30 p.m., so plan accordingly. You may also leave a drop bag for the finish line and/or the 31.5-mile Pine Valley aid station at the large picnic shelter.
The Course: See the Course page for detailed information about the course and aid stations. Click here for printable 50K course directions/turn sheet or 50 Mile course directions/turn sheet .
Course Marking: The course will be marked with surveyor's ribbons, small flags and a few signs (color to be determined--you'll see samples at the start). Turns will be marked clearly, but to make it easier for the course sweeps there will not be a lot of ribbons between turns. Don't turn off the trail you are on unless the markings clearly tell you to turn. All trail junctions are signed. If you pay attention, you won't have a problem. If you have doubts, keep going until you get to the next trail junction. If there are no course markings at the trail junction, you are lost. Turn around and go back the way you came until you find course markings. NOTE: In 2011, vandals removed ribbons from a key turn, something that can happen in any trail race. Most runners turned back when they got to the next unmarked junction and were able to get back on course quickly, but some runners ran past several unmarked trail junctions and did not get back on course until they had lost significant time. You may want to carry the turn sheet or map with you, just in case.
Aid Stations: Click here for a printable table of aid stations. All aid stations except Miller Gulch at mile 23.8 (which is self-service water only) will have water, Heed, Coke, Sprite, Mountain Dew, Hammer Gel and an assortment of sweet and salty snack foods and fruit. By noon, they will also have ice. Beginning with Shinglemill at 15,.7 miles, there will be peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Aid stations are 2.7 to 5.8 miles apart. It will likely be warm or even hot in the afternoon, so carry at least one water bottle. If it's hot and you're moving slowly, it can be a long time between aid stations!
Trail Rules: Runners must stay on the marked trail. You may see horses and mountain bikes--horses have the right of way over you, and you have the right of way over bikes. Be courteous. If you must leave the trail for a "nature call," get well off the trail and be sure to bury all waste. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO LITTERING. All trash must go in receptacles at the aid stations. If you leave the aid station with anything, you must carry it to the next aid station. Anyone who violates this rule may be disqualified and prohibited from running the race in the future. If you should see any trash that has been accidentally dropped on the trail, please pick it up and carry it to the next aid station to dispose of it.
Crews and Spectators: The only aid stations that can be accessed by vehicle are Shinglemill at mile 15.7 and Pine Valley at 31.5. The Shinglemill aid station is on F.S. 550, about 1.7 miles off Highway 126. Pine Valley is at the same location as the start/finish in Pine Valley Ranch Park. There is no other road access to the course, but observers are welcome to run or hike into aid stations. No aid (other than encouraging words!) may be given outside of aid stations, and no one may accompany runners at any time other than allowed pacers as provided below.
Pacers: No pacers are allowed in the 50K (except on the Pine Lake Loop as noted below). Runners in the 50 Mile may have a pacer from the Pine Valley aid station at 31.5 miles. Runners in both races may have as many people as they like join them on any part of the Pine Lake Loop Trail in Pine Valley Ranch Park (miles 31.1-31.6 and 49.8 to 50.2).
Cutoffs: The Forest Service requires that we have all runners off the course by dark, and the County requires us to be out of Pine Valley Ranch by one hour after sunset. Therefore, we must have cutoff times: The cutoff at the Pine Valley aid station at 31.5 miles is 3:20 p.m., the cutoff at the Sandy Wash aid station at 42.3 miles is 6:35 p.m., and the cutoff at the Homestead aid station at 47.3 miles (28.6 for the 50K) is 8:15 p.m.
Dropping Out: We keep track of all runners, so if something should happen that makes it necessary for you to drop out of the race, NOTIFY AN AID STATION CAPTAIN OR GO TO THE SCORING TABLE AT THE FINISH LINE to let us know you have dropped. If you are unaccounted for at the end of the race, North Fire & Rescue will have to search for you and you will likely get the bill for the search. And remember--stopping at 31.5 miles if you are in the 50 Mile race is a DROP--no credit for a 50K finish.
Switching Races: If you are registered for the 50 Mile and decide to drop down to the 50K, you must exchange your number for a 50K number before the race starts. No part of your entry fee will be refunded. Runners may not switch from the 50 Mile to the 50K once the race starts. If you start the 50 Mile race, you will not be counted as a 50K finisher if you drop at 31.5 miles. 31.5 miles out of 50 is a DNF. s
Post-Race Festivities: The post-race party will take place at the finish line in the large picnic shelter below the lower parking lot The plan is to have a barbecue, but it may have to be changed to a picnic with cold food if there is a fire ban in effect, as sometimes happens in July. Either way, there will be good food and beverages (including beer!) beginning at about noon. You fast 50K folks may have to wait a bit, but please do! Plan on sticking around after the race to bask in the glow of your achievement, socialize and cheer on other finishers. You might want to bring a comfortable chair, as the only seating in the picnic shelter is picnic table benches. The finish line party is free for all runners, friends, families and volunteers.
If you park at the fire station, be sure to bring a bag to the start/finish area with everything you will want at the finish so you won't have to go back to your car until you are ready to go home after the post-race festivities. We will have vehicles at the finish to drive runners to the fire station as needed.
Awards: All finishers will receive a finisher's award. Men's and women's first place finishers will receive winner's awards plus their age group award. Age group awards will be given to the first finisher in 29 and under and 70+ divisions and to the first 3 finishers in 30-39, 40-49, 50-59 and 60-69 divisions. Early 50 Mile starters will not be eligible for age group awards unless there are no finishers in their age group who started at 7:00. Any ties for awards will be broken by coin toss.
Weather: Just about anything can happen with the weather in the mountains in June, so keep an eye on the forecast. The average high temperature for Pine in late June is around 80, and the average low is in the upper 40s--so you will most likely have a cool start and a warm or hot afternoon. Rain showers and even heavy thunderstorms are quite common in the afternoon. BE PREPARED!!
In Case of Cancellation: In the unlikely event the race gets cancelled by the Forest Service or County due to fire danger, weather, trail conditions or other unforeseen events, we would try to give partial refunds with any entry fees that have not already been used for race expenses, but we cannot promise refunds.
The printable version of the race information contains everything here plus more details, so please print out the pdf version Race Information .
