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⏵ Course guide · Finger Lakes ultra

Cayuga Trails Course Guide

Cayuga Trails is a 50 mile (and 50K) ultra at Robert Treman State Park near Ithaca, and it packs about 10,203 feet of climbing into gorge singletrack, dozens of waterfalls, and historic stone staircases. It is the USATF 50-Mile Trail National Championship, a Team USA selection race, and the front of the field is genuinely elite. I will walk you through the course first, then give you a pacing and fueling plan that fits the climbing and the terrain, with free calculators to dial in your own numbers.

⏵ At a glance

Cayuga Trails quick facts

Date
Late May / early June (2026: Saturday, May 30)
Location
Robert Treman State Park (Old Y Camp), Ithaca, Finger Lakes, NY
Distances
50 mile (marquee) and 50K
Elevation gain
50 mile: about 10,203 ft · 50K: about 6,882 ft (official Red Newt figures)
Cutoffs
50 mile: 13:00 soft at mile 25, 16:15 hard at mile 35, 21:00 final · 50K: 16:15 hard at mile 25, 18:30 final
Aid stations
5 named locations, several used at more than one mileage on the loop course
Status
USATF 50-Mile Trail National Championship since 2014, a Team USA selection race

These facts come from the official Red Newt Racing race site. Check the current date, cutoffs, and aid stations in the race-day details before you commit. Race logistics change year to year.

The course: gorges, waterfalls, and stone staircases

Cayuga Trails is based out of the Old Y Camp in Robert Treman State Park near Ithaca, and the 50 mile course climbs about 10,203 feet on roughly 95 percent singletrack. The 50K covers the same terrain at about 6,882 feet of gain. Both distances run through steep gorge systems, past dozens of waterfalls, and over historic stone staircases built right into the trail.

The gorges: technical footing, constant vertical

This is where the 10,203 feet on the 50 mile actually comes from: not one big mountain, but repeated drops into and climbs out of steep-walled gorges, over and over across the loop structure of the course. The stone staircases, some of them historic, built decades ago, demand real attention on tired legs late in the race.

The waterfalls make this one of the more scenic ultras in the Northeast, but do not let that distract you from the footing. Roots, wet rock near the falls, and uneven stone steps are the norm here, not the exception.

Aid stations and the loop structure

The course uses 5 named aid station locations, several of them visited more than once at different mileages as the loops repeat. That loop structure is good news for pacing: you learn the terrain the second and third time through, and you know exactly what is coming.

It is also good news for crew, since several aid points are accessible more than once per race. Use that structure to your advantage and plan your drop bags and crew instructions around exactly which mileage you will hit each station.

Cutoffs: a soft warning, then two hard limits

On the 50 mile, the mile 25 cutoff at 13:00 (13 hours) is soft, a checkpoint to take seriously but not to panic over if you are close. The mile 35 cutoff at 16:15 and the final cutoff at 21:00 are hard. On the 50K, the mile 25 cutoff at 16:15 is hard, with an 18:30 final cutoff.

The 21 hour final cutoff on the 50 mile gives most prepared runners real room, but 10,203 feet of gorge climbing on technical footing eats time faster than flat trail, so respect the hard cutoffs and do not assume you have more buffer than you actually do.

Pacing strategy for a gorge-heavy 50 mile

With about 10,203 feet of gain spread across repeated gorge climbs and technical descents, Cayuga Trails punishes runners who pace off a flat 50-mile time. Effort, not pace, is what gets you through the stone staircases late in the race.

Pace the climbs by grade, save your legs for the staircases

Flat-ground pace does not translate to gorge singletrack with historic stone staircases. Use a grade-adjusted pace to hold steady, sustainable effort on the climbs, and treat the stone staircases with real respect even when they show up for the third or fourth time on a repeat loop. Runners who hammer the early gorge sections because the footing feels good pay for it when the same terrain shows up again on tired legs.

Build a vert-aware finish window against the cutoffs

Do not guess your Cayuga Trails finish off a road 50 mile time. About 10,203 feet of technical gorge climbing adds real time that a flat-course prediction will not account for. A vert-aware finish prediction built for this course’s climbing gives you an honest window to work back from the mile 35 hard cutoff at 16:15 and the 21:00 final cutoff, so you know your real margin at each checkpoint.

⏵ Free tools to pace this course

Fueling strategy for the loop course

With 5 named aid station locations across a loop-based course, Cayuga Trails gives you more predictable access to fuel than a straight point-to-point ultra, but late-May and early-June weather in the Finger Lakes can still swing warm.

Carbs: steady across repeat loops

Aim for around 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour, and use the repeat-loop structure to your advantage: since you pass some aid stations more than once, you can plan a consistent fueling rhythm rather than guessing at long unsupported stretches. Practice your exact race-day carb rate on hilly training runs so it holds up on the stone staircases.

Sodium and fluid: plan for a variable Finger Lakes day

Scale your sodium in the 300 to 700 milligram per liter range depending on the weather and your sweat rate. Late May and early June in the Finger Lakes can run anywhere from cool and damp to warm and humid, so check the forecast close to race day and adjust your fluid and sodium plan rather than locking it in weeks ahead.

⏵ Build your fueling plan

Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight, your goal time, and the Cayuga Trails climbing with the free ultra fueling calculator. Browse the rest of the free running tools at the tools hub.

⏵ Free calculators for this race

Run your Cayuga Trails numbers with our free, no-signup tools, then let Summit Line tie them all together with your real fitness and this exact course.

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⏵ Train for it with Summit Line

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Cayuga Trails FAQ

How hard is Cayuga Trails?

Cayuga Trails is a serious mountain-style 50 mile ultra despite its modest Finger Lakes elevation, with about 10,203 feet of climbing packed into singletrack that is roughly 95 percent trail, through gorges, past dozens of waterfalls, and up and down historic stone staircases at Robert Treman State Park. The 50K option carries about 6,882 feet of gain. As the USATF 50-Mile Trail National Championship since 2014 and a Team USA selection race, the field at the front is genuinely elite, but the cutoffs (21:00 final for the 50 mile) leave real room for the rest of the field to finish if you respect the climbing.

How much climbing is in Cayuga Trails?

The 50 mile course climbs about 10,203 feet according to the official Red Newt figures, and the 50K climbs about 6,882 feet. That is a lot of vertical for a course that never leaves the Finger Lakes region, and it comes from the constant up and down through the gorge systems and stone staircases rather than one single sustained climb.

What are the cutoff times for Cayuga Trails?

The 50 mile has a soft cutoff of 13:00 (13 hours) at mile 25, a hard cutoff of 16:15 at mile 35, and a final cutoff of 21:00. The 50K has a hard cutoff of 16:15 at mile 25 and a final cutoff of 18:30. The soft cutoff at mile 25 on the 50 mile is a checkpoint to watch, not race against, but the hard cutoffs at mile 35 and the finish are strictly enforced.

How should I fuel for Cayuga Trails?

Plan for a long day on technical, gorge-heavy singletrack, likely somewhere in the 8 to 20 hour range on the 50 mile depending on your ability and the 21 hour cutoff. Most runners do well around 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour and sodium in the 300 to 700 milligram per liter range, scaled to the late-May or early-June weather, which can run anywhere from cool to warm and humid in the Finger Lakes. With 5 named aid station locations spread across the loop course, plan your carries between them rather than assuming aid is always close. Run your own numbers with the free ultra fueling calculator.

What is the terrain like at Cayuga Trails?

About 95 percent singletrack, cutting through steep-walled gorges with dozens of waterfalls and historic stone staircases built into the terrain. It is technical footing in the gorges, rooty and sometimes wet, and the stone staircases demand real attention even though they are not high-altitude or high-exposure terrain. This is Finger Lakes gorge running at its most dramatic.

Is Cayuga Trails a good goal 50 mile?

It can be, if you respect the vertical. The generous 21 hour final cutoff on the 50 mile gives most prepared runners real room to finish, and the course is well marked and well supported for a race that doubles as the USATF 50-Mile Trail National Championship. But do not underestimate about 10,203 feet of climbing on technical gorge singletrack just because the Finger Lakes are not big mountains. Train the stone staircases and the technical descents, and the cutoffs are very manageable.

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.