Baker Trail Ultrachallenge
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Baker Trail UltraChallenge
The Baker Trail UltraChallenge is a point-to-point ultramarathon covering 50 miles on the Baker Trail in Pennsylvania. The 2027 event runs the Central section of the trail and finishes at a private farmhouse in Smicksburg, PA (1145 Barnard Rd, 16256). The course includes about 7,100 feet of climbing and a mix of single-track trail and country dirt roads through rural and Amish country.
Basecamp is located at a farmhouse in Smicksburg. Participant check-in, the pre-race dinner, camping with porta-johns, shuttle service to the start, drop-bag collection, parking for race-morning arrivals, the finish line, and a post-race picnic all take place at the farm. Participant check-in is mandatory and is offered both the evening before and on race morning.
The event accepts both individual runners and relay teams of up to five members. Finishers who complete the course within the fourteen-hour cutoff receive one piece of a unique three-piece medal; completing all three annual sections of the Ultrachallenge series earns a commemorative holder for the three-piece set.
The Baker Trail is marked with yellow blazes but is not exclusively a footpath; some sections follow dirt or paved roads with narrow shoulders. Runners should be prepared to navigate variable terrain and to reorient if they miss a blaze. Free training runs are offered and are open to the public; dates for those runs are not yet set. The event maintains equity and inclusion policies, including gender spot reservations and guidelines for transgender and nonbinary participants, as well as pregnancy and adoption deferrals. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
