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⏵ Course guide · Hudson Highlands gateway ultra

Fahnestock 50K Course Guide

The Fabulous Fahnestock 50K runs through Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park in the Hudson Highlands, mixing runnable dirt roads with technical singletrack, and it has earned a reputation as the Hudson Valley's gateway ultra: a generous 12-hour cutoff and real but manageable terrain make it a common first 50K and a tune-up for harder races like Rock the Ridge and the SRT Run. I will walk you through the course first, then give you a pacing and fueling plan built for exactly that kind of day. There are free calculators along the way to dial in your own numbers.

⏵ At a glance

Fahnestock 50K quick facts

Date
Saturday, August 15, 2026
Location
Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park, near Cold Spring, Hudson Highlands, NY
Distances
50K, 25K, and 5.5 mi
Elevation gain
Not published by the race; a mix of runnable dirt roads and technical Hudson Highlands singletrack
Start / finish
Taconic Outdoor Education Center
Cutoff
50K: 12 hours overall (roughly a 3 mph minimum pace)
Entry style
Open registration via UltraSignup, run by RunWild Inc, proceeds support the park

These facts come from the official 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: a real Hudson Highlands 50K, built to be finishable

The 50K starts and finishes at the Taconic Outdoor Education Center inside the 14,000-acre park, and mixes runnable doubletrack and farm trails with winding, technical singletrack across hemlock gorges, ridge hilltops, hardwood forest, and mountain laurel thickets.

The mix: fast dirt roads and real technical singletrack

What makes Fahnestock work as a gateway ultra is the variety. You get stretches of runnable doubletrack and farm trail where you can actually move, alternating with technical ascents and descents on singletrack where you have to slow down and pay attention. It is not a soft course, but it is not relentless either, and that rhythm is exactly what makes it a good place to learn how to manage effort across an ultra distance.

Treat the runnable sections as a chance to bank time and eat, and treat the technical sections with the respect they deserve. Blowing through singletrack because you are chasing a pace number is how people roll an ankle in the Highlands.

Aid and support: more forgiving than the neighbors

Fahnestock is run by RunWild Inc, the same nonprofit behind the fully unsupported SRT Run, but this race is the opposite of that one: multiple aid stations and course marshals guide you through the park. That support, combined with the 12-hour cutoff, is a big part of why this is a common choice for a first ultra, or a confidence-building tune-up before something harder.

Why it doubles as a tune-up for Rock the Ridge and the SRT Run

If you have Rock the Ridge or the SRT Run on your calendar, Fahnestock is a natural rehearsal a few weeks or months out. It puts you on real Hudson Highlands technical terrain, tests your fueling and pacing over a genuine ultra distance, and does it with a cutoff generous enough that a rough day does not end in a DNF. Use it to find the gaps in your plan before a race that will not forgive them.

Pacing strategy for a mixed runnable/technical 50K

With a 12-hour cutoff and a course that alternates fast and slow terrain, Fahnestock rewards patience on the technical sections more than it rewards speed on the runnable ones.

Do not race the doubletrack, save it for the singletrack

The easiest mistake at Fahnestock is treating the runnable dirt-road sections like a road race, then arriving at the technical singletrack with nothing left to navigate it carefully. Hold a grade-adjusted, sustainable effort through the fast sections instead of maxing them out, and you keep the focus and leg strength you need for the technical climbs and descents.

If this is your first 50K, build a realistic finish window

A 12-hour cutoff is generous, but do not assume it means the course is easy to underestimate. Build a finish prediction based on the actual terrain mix here, mostly runnable but genuinely technical in places, rather than off a road 50K time or a guess. Knowing your realistic pace ahead of time turns the day into an execution problem instead of a surprise.

⏵ Free tools to pace this course

Fueling strategy for a 5 to 11 hour first ultra

With multiple aid stations on course, Fahnestock is a good place to practice ultra fueling without the logistics burden of a fully unsupported race.

Carbs: this is where you learn your rate

Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour, and if this is your first ultra, use Fahnestock as the place you find out what your gut actually tolerates at that rate over 5-plus hours, not your goal race. Because aid stations are available on course, you have room to experiment a little and adjust, which is exactly what makes this a good learning race.

Sodium and fluid: plan for August heat in the Highlands

Mid-August in the Hudson Highlands can run hot and humid, so plan sodium in the 300 to 500 milligram per liter range as a baseline, more if you are a heavy sweater or the forecast runs warm. Use the on-course aid stations to refill rather than carrying a full unsupported load, but still carry enough to comfortably bridge the gaps between them.

⏵ Build your fueling plan

Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight, your goal time, and the August Highlands heat 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 Fahnestock course profile, and your projected splits. Summit Line reads your real training, builds a plan for your first ultra or your next tune-up, and rehearses your fueling so race day is something you execute, not guess at.

Start free →Explore the demo

Fahnestock 50K FAQ

Is Fahnestock 50K a good first ultra?

Yes, it is one of the more commonly recommended first ultras in the Hudson Valley, and for good reason. The 12-hour cutoff works out to roughly a 3 mph minimum pace, which is forgiving for a 50K, and the course mixes fast dirt roads with technical singletrack rather than being technical the whole way. It is run by RunWild Inc, the same nonprofit behind the much harder SRT Run, and Fahnestock is often used as a tune-up for that race and for Rock the Ridge precisely because it teaches ultra fundamentals without punishing you the way those races do.

How hard is the Fahnestock 50K?

It is a real trail 50K, not a flat cruise, with technical ascents and descents mixed among runnable doubletrack and farm trails through Clarence Fahnestock State Park. But relative to its Hudson Highlands neighbors, Fahnestock is on the accessible end: a generous 12-hour cutoff, multiple aid stations, and course marshals along the way. Expect real climbing and real technical footing, just not at the level of the Catskills flagships.

How much climbing is in the Fahnestock 50K?

The race does not publish an official elevation-gain figure. What is confirmed is the terrain mix: runnable doubletrack trails, winding singletrack, technical ascents and descents, and farm trails, running through hemlock gorges, ridge hilltops, hardwood forest, mountain laurel thickets, and multiple water crossings. Expect legitimate Hudson Highlands climbing, but train the terrain rather than a specific number.

How should I fuel for the Fahnestock 50K?

Most finishers are out somewhere in the 5 to 11 hour range given the 12-hour cutoff, so plan fueling like a mid-length ultra. Roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour works for most runners, with sodium around 300 to 500 milligrams per liter of fluid depending on August heat and humidity in the Hudson Valley. The race provides multiple aid stations along the course, so you can run lighter than a fully unsupported race, but still carry enough to bridge the gaps between them. Build your numbers with the free ultra fueling calculator.

What are the cutoff times for the Fahnestock 50K?

The 50K has a 12-hour overall cutoff, which works out to roughly a 3 mph minimum average pace, generous for a mixed technical/runnable 50K. Confirm the current intermediate cutoffs, if any, in the official race-day details before you start.

What is the terrain like at Fahnestock?

The course runs through Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park’s 14,000 acres in the Hudson Highlands, mixing runnable doubletrack and farm trails with winding, technical singletrack. Expect hemlock gorges, ridge hilltops, hardwood forest, mountain laurel thickets, and multiple water features along the way. It is varied rather than uniformly technical, which is part of why it works well as a first ultra or a tune-up for harder Hudson Valley races.

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.