TARC Stone Cat Trail Festival
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Event overview
The TARC Stone Cat Trail Festival is a trail running event held in November at Willowdale State Forest in Ipswich, Massachusetts. Distances offered include:
- 10K
- Half marathon
- Marathon
- 50 mile
- 100K
- Cider Donut Mile
- Free youth fun run (approximately 0.5 miles)
The event is a fund-raising race that distributes donations evenly to Rising Hearts, Appalachian Mountain Club, Essex County Trail Association, and Greenbelt: Essex County's Land Trust. Registration closes before race week, the event often sells out, and the organizer maintains a no-refund policy. Youth entries have discounted pricing; the youth fun run is free.
Course and logistics
Most multi-distance events use a 12.5 mile loop in Willowdale State Forest. The loop is a mix of double track and single track with roots and rocks and about 1,100 feet of elevation gain per loop. The 100K uses five loops, the 50 mile four loops, the marathon two main loops plus two 1K field loops, and the half marathon one main loop plus one 1K field loop. The 10K is a single loop that shares the first four miles of the main loop and then veers off for about one mile.
Courses are marked with reflective flagging and signs; GPX files are provided. Aid stations are located at the start/finish and near the halfway point of the 12.5 mile loop. The event is cupless; participants must supply their own hydration. Cutoff rules require certain loop starts by set elapsed times and the course closes 14 hours after the start. Parking and crew access rules vary by distance. Volunteers, adaptive athlete accommodations, and Leave No Trace policies are part of the event. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
