⏵ Course guide · Daniel Boone National Forest, Kentucky
Big Turtle Trail Runs is an untimed 50K and 10 Miler on the Sheltowee Trace National Recreation Trail through the northern Daniel Boone National Forest near Morehead, Kentucky, with 4,800 feet of gain on the 50K. I will walk you through the course and aid stations first, then give you a pacing and fueling plan, with free calculators along the way to dial in your own numbers.
These facts come from the official RunSignup event page. Distances and elevation are marked "ish" by the race itself. Entry fee was not published there, so confirm current pricing before you register.
Both distances run along the Sheltowee Trace National Recreation Trail through the northern Daniel Boone National Forest, an explicitly untimed event where the finish medal, not the clock, is the goal.
The 50K route touches Forestry Ridge twice (miles 5 and 26.2) and Big Perry twice (miles 10.7 and 20.5), with Dry Branch as the lone far-point aid station at mile 15.6, before finishing at mile 31.2. That repeated structure means you will know your remaining terrain by the second time you hit Forestry Ridge, which is useful for pacing the final miles.
The 10 Miler passes Forestry Ridge once at mile 5 before finishing at mile 10, at a gentler 2,200 feet of elevation gain. It is a genuine way to sample the Sheltowee Trace’s character without the full 4,800 foot climbing demand of the 50K.
With the race explicitly untimed, your real target is not a finishing place, it is beating the 6:00 PM cutoff comfortably while enjoying real time-on-feet on the Sheltowee Trace.
The 50K gives you roughly 11 hours from a 7:00 AM start to the 6:00 PM cutoff, and the 10 Miler roughly 10 hours from 8:00 AM. Use the aid station mile markers as checkpoints against that cutoff rather than worrying about splits against other runners, since the event itself is not chasing that kind of timing.
⏵ Free tools to plan your effort
The 10 Miler is short enough that pre-race fueling and the single Forestry Ridge aid station usually cover it. The 50K, with up to 11 hours on course, is where a real per-hour plan matters.
Aim for roughly 50 to 70 grams of carbohydrate per hour on the move, with sodium in the 300 to 600 mg per liter range as a starting point, adjusted for early-June Kentucky humidity. With five aid stations spread across the route, plan your carrying capacity for the longest gap, roughly 5 miles between most stops, and top off consistently rather than saving fueling for when you feel low.
⏵ Build your fueling plan
Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight, your goal time, and an early-June Kentucky day with the free ultra fueling calculator. Browse the rest of the free running tools at the tools hub.
⏵ Train for it with Summit Line
Get a training plan built around YOUR fitness for the 4,800 feet of climbing the Big Turtle 50K asks for. Summit Line reads your real training, builds the vert and time-on-feet fitness this course demands, and rehearses your fueling so race day is something you execute, not guess at.
The race is explicitly described as "an UN-TIMED running event." That does not mean there is no clock at all, the 50K carries a 6:00 PM cutoff and everyone who finishes before it gets a medal, but it means the race is not chasing or publishing precise splits and rankings the way a typical timed ultra does. Treat it as a genuine effort-based day on the Sheltowee Trace rather than a race for place.
At roughly 32 miles with 4,800 feet of elevation gain on the Sheltowee Trace through the northern Daniel Boone National Forest, this is a real trail 50K with meaningful climbing, not a flat course. The 10 Miler shares the same trail character in a shorter, more approachable package at 2,200 feet of gain.
Both the 50K and the 10 Miler share a 6:00 PM EDT cutoff. Since the 50K starts at 7:00 AM and the 10 Miler at 8:00 AM, that gives 50K runners roughly 11 hours and 10 Miler runners roughly 10 hours to finish and still earn a medal.
A 50 Mile option has run in some past years, but the official page for the June 6, 2026 edition lists only the 50K and 10 Miler. Confirm directly with the race organizer, Next Opportunity Events, if you are specifically looking for a 50 Mile option this year.
The 50K passes Forestry Ridge at mile 5, Big Perry at mile 10.7, Dry Branch at mile 15.6, back through Big Perry at mile 20.5, back through Forestry Ridge at mile 26.2, then the finish at mile 31.2. The 10 Miler passes Forestry Ridge once at mile 5 before finishing at mile 10.
Registration is through RunSignup at the official event page. Packet pickup runs 5:30 to 8:00 AM on race morning. Contact the organizer, Next Opportunity Events (mike@nextopportunityevents.com), with any questions before you sign up.
Link this guide
Race directors and clubs: link or embed this guide anywhere. It stays current.
<a href="https://runsummitline.com/guides/big-turtle-trail-runs">The Big Turtle Trail Runs course guide</a><iframe src="https://runsummitline.com/embed/race/big-turtle-trail-runs" style="width:100%;max-width:420px;height:180px;border:0;" loading="lazy" title="Big Turtle Trail Runs course guide by Summit Line"></iframe>This guide is independent and for planning only. Course, date, and logistics come from public sources and can change year to year, so confirm the current specifics with the race before you register or run. The fueling and pacing advice is general and not medical advice.
The timeline
Get the week-by-week countdown for this race: when to build, when to peak, when to taper.
One email with the timeline, plus training notes for this race. Unsubscribe any time.