Baker Trail Ultrachallenge

Baker Trail UltraChallenge

The Baker Trail UltraChallenge is a 50 mile ultramarathon held on the Baker Trail in Summerville, PA, covering the Central section for 2027. The event accepts individual runners and relay teams of up to five members. Individuals who finish within the fourteen-hour cutoff receive one piece of a unique three-piece medal; completing all three sections of the series earns a commemorative holder.

The point-to-point course finishes at a private farmhouse in Smicksburg, PA. The route includes about 7,100 feet of climbing and a mix of single-track trails and country dirt or paved roads through Amish country, passing horses and corn fields. The Baker Trail is marked with yellow blazes on trees, poles, and other features, but the route is not always a dedicated footpath and sometimes follows roads with narrow shoulders. Runners frequently go off course at least once, so frequent attention to the blazes and quick correction if off route are part of the race experience.

A farmhouse in Smicksburg functions as basecamp and hosts participant check-in, packet pickup, drop-bag collection, parking, shuttle service to the start, camping with porta-johns, pre-race dinner, and a post-race picnic. Check-in is mandatory and may be completed on a designated evening or on race morning; friends or family may check in and retrieve packets for participants.

Free training runs are offered and open to the public; dates will be announced. The event maintains equity and inclusion policies including a 50 percent spot allocation for women, transgender and nonbinary guidelines, and pregnancy and adoption deferrals. Historical participation and recent results are tracked across the Baker Trail series. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.

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