⏵ Course guide · Coopers Rock State Forest, near Morgantown, WV
Coopers Rock covers nearly every trail on the south side of Coopers Rock State Forest, rocky and technical underfoot with overlooks of the Cheat Canyon and Cheat Lake, across 50K and Half Marathon distances. I will walk you through the terrain and the vert it demands, then give you a pacing and fueling plan with free calculators to dial in your own numbers.
These facts come from the official Coopers Rock Foundation events page. Check the current year details before you commit. Race logistics can change year to year.
The 50K covers nearly every trail on the south side of Coopers Rock State Forest, with about 5,000 feet of gain; the Half Marathon covers a shorter slice with about 2,000 feet.
The race itself describes the terrain as rocky, challenging, and scenic, with towering boulder formations you navigate directly. Technical footing like this slows even strong runners well below flat-trail pace, so budget real time for careful footwork rather than assuming your usual per-mile pace will hold.
Along the way, the course passes scenic overlooks of the Cheat Canyon and Cheat Lake, a real payoff for the technical effort. Neither course repeats loops, so you see new terrain essentially the whole way rather than retracing the same ground.
The Coopers Rock Foundation, a volunteer nonprofit, puts on the race and directs proceeds back into trail and facility maintenance in the forest you are running through, which is worth knowing if you want context for where your entry fee goes.
With no official cutoff published as of this guide, your own pacing plan should be built around the terrain and vert rather than a hard time limit, then double-checked against the official listing once it is available.
On genuinely rocky, boulder-strewn trail, a conservative early pace protects both your time and your body: rolling an ankle or blowing up your quads on technical descent early can cost far more than the minutes you would save pushing hard on the flatter sections.
⏵ Free tools to plan your effort
Aid station detail was not published on the official events page, so plan to carry more of your own nutrition than you might on a heavily aided course until you can confirm current aid spacing.
Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour and sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range across the technical, 5,000 foot 50K climb, and carry a bit more buffer than usual until the current aid station map is published.
⏵ Build your fueling plan
Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight, your goal time, and an April West Virginia 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 and the rocky, 5,000 foot climbing of Coopers Rock. Summit Line reads your real training, builds the technical-terrain durability this course demands, and rehearses your fueling so race day is something you execute, not guess at.
With about 5,000 feet of gain and a course described as rocky and technical, covering nearly every trail on the south side of the forest, this is a genuinely demanding 50K for its distance. The terrain itself, not just the climbing, is the crux: expect rock gardens and boulder-strewn sections that slow your pace well below what the mileage alone would suggest.
About 5,000 feet of gain for the 50K, and about 2,000 feet for the Half Marathon. That is significant vert for either distance, and combined with the technical, rocky footing, it makes for a course that rewards real trail strength over flat-road speed.
Cutoff times were not published on the official Coopers Rock Foundation events page as of this guide. Check coopersrock.org directly once registration opens for the current year to confirm cutoffs before you commit to a pacing plan.
Not the easiest choice for a first 50K. The combination of roughly 5,000 feet of gain and genuinely rocky, technical trail makes this a step up from a beginner-friendly ultra. It is a strong choice if you already have some technical trail experience and want a real test, but a runner brand new to trail ultras might be better served building experience on a more moderate course first.
Registration for the April 24, 2027 edition opens on or around Monday, November 2, 2026 on Ultrasignup.
The course covers nearly every trail on the south side of Coopers Rock State Forest, described by the race itself as rocky and challenging, with towering boulder formations along the route. Add scenic overlooks of the Cheat Canyon and Cheat Lake, and you get a course that is as much about careful footwork as it is about fitness.
The race starts at the Overlook Area in Coopers Rock State Forest, reached via Exit 15 off I-68 and then about 3 miles south on the main forest road, roughly 15 minutes east of Morgantown, West Virginia.
Link this guide
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<a href="https://runsummitline.com/guides/coopers-rock-50k-half-marathon">The Coopers Rock 50K & Half Marathon course guide</a><iframe src="https://runsummitline.com/embed/race/coopers-rock-50k-half-marathon" style="width:100%;max-width:420px;height:180px;border:0;" loading="lazy" title="Coopers Rock 50K & Half Marathon course guide by Summit Line"></iframe>This guide is independent and for planning only. The format, date, and course 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.
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