Tarc Wapack and Back
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Event overview
The TARC Wapack and Back is a trail running event organized by the Trail Animals Running Club in Ashburnham, Massachusetts, on Saturday, May 9, 2026. The event offers the following distances:
- 21.5 mile
- 43 mile
- 50 mile
Entry fees are listed as $75 for the 43 and 50 mile distances and $60 for the 21.5 mile distance. Online registration closes before race week and no race day registration is offered. The event has a no refund policy. Switching distances or canceling a registration requires contacting the race director.
Course, aid and logistics
Races run along the Wapack Trail from Mount Watatic in Massachusetts toward North Pack Mountain in Greenfield, New Hampshire. The trail is technical with rocky ledges, boulder fields, granite slabs, single track with rocks and roots, and some fire road sections. Elevation is approximately 4,600 feet each direction; the 50 mile course totals around 10,800 feet of elevation gain. Views include the Boston skyline to the east and mountain ranges to the west and north.
Aid and support include four water stations, Hyle Hydration, basic aid station food, and porta potties at both parking lots and the Fitchburg Sportsmen's Club. Aid stations are spaced no more than 7.5 miles apart; participants are advised to carry sufficient fluids. 43 and 50 mile participants are required to have headlamps. Drop bags are permitted for longer distances and must be small and labeled. Check in locations differ by distance: 43/50 check in at the Mount Watatic trailhead area with parking across Old Pierce Road; 21.5 mile participants check in at the Fitchburg Sportsmen's Club and are bused to the northern terminus. Timing is manual and full results are posted after the event. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.