⏵ Course guide · Ohio's oldest trail 50K
The Buckeye Trail 50K runs point-to-point from Pine Lane to Oak Grove through the Cuyahoga Valley, on trails that have hosted Ohio's oldest trail 50K since 1994. I will walk you through the course and its history first, then give you a pacing and fueling plan built for a point-to-point Ohio singletrack race. There are free calculators along the way to dial in your own numbers.
These facts come from the official RunSignUp event page. Check the current year details, cutoffs, and aid stations before you commit. Race logistics change year to year.
Both the 50K and the 25K run point-to-point from Pine Lane to Oak Grove, through the Cuyahoga Valley, with the shorter 25K covering the same trails as the 50K over less distance.
The race began in 1994 as an informal birthday run organized by Joe Jurczyk, who had been running the Buckeye Trail since his college days, before Cuyahoga Valley National Park even existed in its current form. The first edition drew thirteen finishers, with Steve Godale and Mark Godale, both running their first ultramarathon, finishing together in 5:12:18. Now in its 32nd year, it is recognized as the oldest trail 50K in Ohio, run by Western Reserve Racing.
The original course ran out-and-back between Oak Grove and Pine Lane, and was actually longer than 50K in its earliest years. As the park system matured and routes changed to fit modern needs, the course became the point-to-point route it runs today. What has stayed constant across three decades is the trail itself and the field it draws.
Because both distances run point-to-point, there is no loop back to your car at the start. Plan your transportation to the finish, whether that is a shuttle, a second car, or a ride from a friend, before race morning. It is a small logistical detail that matters more than most runners expect on a point-to-point course.
With a 10-hour cutoff for the 50K and no loop to bail back to the start, steady, sustainable effort on singletrack beats an aggressive early pace you cannot hold to the finish line.
Wooded Ohio singletrack slows most runners down more than they expect coming from road racing, so a flat-course pace target will mislead you here. A grade-adjusted pace approach gives you an honest read on what effort you can hold across the full point-to-point distance.
Because you cannot shortcut back to the start on a point-to-point course, checking your pace against the 10-hour cutoff partway through matters more here than on a loop course. A vert-aware finish prediction, built off your actual early splits, tells you honestly whether you are on pace, with enough distance left to adjust if you are not.
⏵ Free tools to pace this course
A 7:00 AM start means most runners finish through the warmest part of a late-June Ohio afternoon, so plan your fueling and sodium to shift as the day heats up.
Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour. For a race in the 5 to 10 hour range, consistency matters more than any single big dose, so pick a rhythm you can sustain and stick to it rather than improvising at aid stations.
Sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range covers most runners, with the lower end suiting the cooler morning miles and the higher end covering the afternoon heat if you are still on course later in the day. Late June in Ohio can turn genuinely warm and humid by midday.
⏵ Build your fueling plan
Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight, your goal time, and a warm Ohio June 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 race-day plan built around YOUR fitness, this exact point-to-point course profile, and your projected splits. Summit Line reads your real training, builds a plan for Ohio singletrack, and rehearses your fueling so race day is something you execute, not guess at.
The Buckeye Trail 50K runs point-to-point from Pine Lane to Oak Grove through the Cuyahoga Valley, on singletrack that has been the site of Ohio's oldest trail 50K since 1994. It does not carry the elevation of a mountain race, but a 10-hour cutoff for 31 miles of wooded Ohio trail is a real ask, especially for a first-time ultra runner still learning how technical footing slows you down compared to a road. The race's history, now in its 32nd year, means the course and its logistics are well worn in by an experienced organizer.
The course runs point-to-point on the Buckeye Trail from Pine Lane to Oak Grove, through the Cuyahoga Valley. The 25K covers the same trails as the 50K, just a shorter stretch of them, so both distances share the same footing and terrain character. The original 1994 course was actually an out-and-back that ran longer than 50K; the current point-to-point route has evolved as the park system has matured, but the trail itself remains the draw.
With a 10-hour cutoff for the 50K, most finishers are on course for somewhere between 5 and 10 hours depending on pace, likely spanning the heat of a late-June Ohio afternoon. Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour, and sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range, leaning higher as the day warms up. Build your numbers for your pace and the forecast with the free ultra fueling calculator before race day.
The 50K starts at 7:00 AM and has a 5:00 PM cutoff, a 10-hour window for the point-to-point course from Pine Lane to Oak Grove. The 25K starts later, at 8:15 AM, with a 2:15 PM cutoff, a 6-hour window on the same trails. Both cutoffs give a well-prepared runner real room, but treat the point-to-point format seriously: there is no shortcut back to the start if you fall behind.
Yes. The race started in 1994 as an informal birthday run organized by Joe Jurczyk, who had been running the Buckeye Trail since his college days, predating the creation of Cuyahoga Valley National Park itself. The first year drew thirteen finishers, with Steve Godale and Mark Godale finishing together in first place at 5:12:18, both running their first ultramarathon. Now in its 32nd year and run by Western Reserve Racing, it is recognized as the oldest trail 50K in the state of Ohio.
A point-to-point 50K on real singletrack is a solid, honest first ultra: the distance is approachable, the 10-hour cutoff is generous for a well-trained finisher, and the race's three decades of history mean the logistics, aid, and course marking are dialed in by an experienced organizer. The 25K option, sharing the same trails as the 50K, is a good stepping stone if 31 miles feels like too much for a debut. Either way, respect the point-to-point format: know your ride or plan back to the start before race day.
This guide is independent and for planning only. The course details, dates, cutoffs, and aid stations come from public sources and can change year to year, so confirm the current specifics with the official race before you register or run. The fueling and pacing advice is general and not medical advice.