2019 Changes
There are some important changes for this year. PLEASE READ! You are responsible for knowing and adhering to the changes.
1. The driving route from aid stations Halfway House to Slate Run used to be a straight shot over the mountain on Slate Run Road. Due to the heavy flooding last year, a landslide destroyed a portion of Slate Run Road which has rendered it unusable. It is a multi-million dollar repair and there is no current plans for when it will be repaired. The best route for crews and pacers to move from one side of the course to the other side is to return to Waterville on Route 44 and take Route 414. DO NOT take Big Damn Hollow Rd to Francis Rd - it's a narrow forest road that isn't suitable for race traffic.
2. Ritchie Road AS is no longer crew accessible. The race staff made a vote to restrict Ritchie Road as crew accessible to help alleviate the chaos that has plagued the aid station over the last few years. The parking issues that occur here with crews has put the race at risk by violating DCNR/PENNDOT regulations and also is a considerable safety hazard for the runners. The next crew accessible aid station, Hyner Run, is just a few short miles away.
3. Halfway House AS is no longer crew accessible - only pacer accessible. This has been another congested aid station that has been exceeding it's limit by a tremendous amount. More runners have been utilizing crews each year and it has substantially increased the risk to crew members and general public using Route 44 due to the extremely limited parking space. Since there was no viable solution that we could come to with DCNR, we must make this a pacer accessible aid station only.
4. Free group camping is back on this year and is located across the parking lot near the State Park main office. No one is permitted to camp prior to Friday and must be cleared out by Sunday evening.
5. After careful consideration, we have removed all the rocks from the course this year.
6. We will be checking photo ID's at bib pick up. This year we again have the honor to be a Western States 100 qualifier. With that said, we will be instituting the "Janice Sample" rule this year. You MUST show up in person, with ID in hand, to receive your bib to race. The "Janice Sample" rule will be installed to protect the integrity of those who are racing and qualifying for WS100. This will help insure fairness and honesty to all participants. We do not intend to inconvenience our runners unduly but we think these measures are certainly necessary to avoid problems before they arise. Be prepared, allow a little extra time, and be flexible. If you can do those things, race morning should be smooth and without any extra unneeded fanfare.