Course
click here (or the image of the map below) to launch MapMyRun
*tip - within MapMyRun, you can select the 'send to phone' button to send a link to your smartphone. Then, on your smartphone, when you select the link to the map from your email, there is the option within the MapMyRun mobile app to "Do it"; this feature will track you along the route so you know which way to go at certain trail junctions.
AID STATIONS: 2 on course at the Dean Pond turn and at the Park Rd/Loop Rd intersection (approximately every 3 miles). Each lap (2x for 1/2 marathon) is approximately 6.5 miles and about 720 ft elevation gain.
Most of the trails are marked within Upton State Forest, but not all of them. Not all trails used on this course are on the official DCR maps either, and trail marking are scarce/not reliable (note: trails will be WELL marked for the race, but not until a day or two prior). Here are some high level directions to follow out there leading up to the race (# on image above correspond to steps below):
1) Start Line is just after the main gate at the trailhead. Follow Loop Rd, then take a left and follow Grouse Trail, making sure to stay to the right on Grouse as soon as you leave Loop Rd.
2) There is really only one turn on Grouse itself, so stay straight here (going right drops you down to the same location, just is much steeper).
3) After the challenging but short swichback section of downhill, Grouse Trail will T with Whitehall Rd. Go right here (if you go left there are No Trespassing signs). On Whitehall, take your first left (this is where you go off DCR maps).
4) Follow this trail until you come to another T intersection, then take a right here onto what's called Tim's Trail (on some maps, not all)
5) Follow Tim's Trail straight (bypass the trail that goes up the left to a neighborhood), then take the trail that shoots off to the right a short ways up (you're on Bridge Road now).
6) At the next T, take a right and continue on Bridge Rd, which will lead you to Loop Rd.
7) Stay to the left when you merge with Loop Rd, and stay left again when you merge with Middle Rd and go down by Dean Pond (trail turns into Dean Pond Rd now).
8) At the next T, take a left onto Park Rd and go all the way to essentially the end (pass some trail heads on right then left as you go down Park Rd).
9) Take a right onto Nuthatch, and follow all the way back up to Park Rd. About halfway through there is the option to go straight for an early exit onto Park Rd, so stay left here to continue on Nuthatch Trail.
10) About 3/4 of the way through Nuthatch Trail, take a sharp right and continue through a rocky area then a good uphill.
11) At the very end of Nuthatch Trail, take a left up Park Rd.
12) Follow back down to the intersection of Loop Rd and Park Rd. Half Marathoners take a right here and repeat the course from the Loop Rd directions in Step 1 above. 10.5k runners and second lap of half marathon will take a left at the Loop Rd/Park Rd intersection and head back to the finish line.
13) Dive back into the woods on the left just before the main gate (to skirt around the small parking lot) and then continue to the finish line area in the bigger parking lot with the DCR lodge in it.
*tip - within MapMyRun, you can select the 'send to phone' button to send a link to your smartphone. Then, on your smartphone, when you select the link to the map from your email, there is the option within the MapMyRun mobile app to "Do it"; this feature will track you along the route so you know which way to go at certain trail junctions.
AID STATIONS: 2 on course at the Dean Pond turn and at the Park Rd/Loop Rd intersection (approximately every 3 miles). Each lap (2x for 1/2 marathon) is approximately 6.5 miles and about 720 ft elevation gain.
Most of the trails are marked within Upton State Forest, but not all of them. Not all trails used on this course are on the official DCR maps either, and trail marking are scarce/not reliable (note: trails will be WELL marked for the race, but not until a day or two prior). Here are some high level directions to follow out there leading up to the race (# on image above correspond to steps below):
1) Start Line is just after the main gate at the trailhead. Follow Loop Rd, then take a left and follow Grouse Trail, making sure to stay to the right on Grouse as soon as you leave Loop Rd.
2) There is really only one turn on Grouse itself, so stay straight here (going right drops you down to the same location, just is much steeper).
3) After the challenging but short swichback section of downhill, Grouse Trail will T with Whitehall Rd. Go right here (if you go left there are No Trespassing signs). On Whitehall, take your first left (this is where you go off DCR maps).
4) Follow this trail until you come to another T intersection, then take a right here onto what's called Tim's Trail (on some maps, not all)
5) Follow Tim's Trail straight (bypass the trail that goes up the left to a neighborhood), then take the trail that shoots off to the right a short ways up (you're on Bridge Road now).
6) At the next T, take a right and continue on Bridge Rd, which will lead you to Loop Rd.
7) Stay to the left when you merge with Loop Rd, and stay left again when you merge with Middle Rd and go down by Dean Pond (trail turns into Dean Pond Rd now).
8) At the next T, take a left onto Park Rd and go all the way to essentially the end (pass some trail heads on right then left as you go down Park Rd).
9) Take a right onto Nuthatch, and follow all the way back up to Park Rd. About halfway through there is the option to go straight for an early exit onto Park Rd, so stay left here to continue on Nuthatch Trail.
10) About 3/4 of the way through Nuthatch Trail, take a sharp right and continue through a rocky area then a good uphill.
11) At the very end of Nuthatch Trail, take a left up Park Rd.
12) Follow back down to the intersection of Loop Rd and Park Rd. Half Marathoners take a right here and repeat the course from the Loop Rd directions in Step 1 above. 10.5k runners and second lap of half marathon will take a left at the Loop Rd/Park Rd intersection and head back to the finish line.
13) Dive back into the woods on the left just before the main gate (to skirt around the small parking lot) and then continue to the finish line area in the bigger parking lot with the DCR lodge in it.
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