Thunderbunny Trail Races
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Event overview
The Thunderbunny Trail Races take place Saturday, May 9, 2026, at Strouds Run State Park in Athens, Ohio. The event offers these distances:
- 50K
- 25K
- 11K
Registration opens December 1, 2025, and closes May 7, 2026. Entry is online only and the combined field is limited to 400 participants; a waitlist is used if capacity is reached. Each entrant receives a technical short-sleeve race shirt. Finishers awards are given to 25K and 50K finishers; 11K runners may receive awards only in category placings.
Course and logistics
Courses use mostly singletrack trails and begin with about one mile of road before entering the Thunderbunny Trail. The 50K route includes the namesake 3-mile Thunderbunny Trail, a loop around Dow Lake, and climbs that include Finger Rock, Hope Drive, and Athens Trail from Sells Park. The organizer states the course is roughly 95% singletrack.
Terrain and aid information listed by the organizer: the 50K has 3,517 feet of elevation gain, about 29 miles of singletrack, 1 mile of gravel road, and 1 mile of pavement. The 25K lists 1,608 feet of elevation gain and 16.1 miles of singletrack. The 11K lists 610 feet of elevation gain and 5.84 miles of singletrack. The 50K and 25K have a 9-hour course cutoff; the 11K has no hard cutoff and is described as accessible to hikers. Aid station cutoff enforcement is described in the event materials.
Packet pick-up is available Friday afternoon at a local running store and Saturday morning at the race campground. There is parking at the Strouds Run Beach Parking Lot with a short walk to the start/finish area. A group campsite option is offered for $5 with primitive facilities and space for about 50 tents. Refund, rollover, and transfer policies are published by the organizer. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
