⏵ Course guide · Brandywine Valley, Delaware
The First State Trail Race sends 10K, 25K, and 50K runners through the rolling hills, farmland, and woodlands of Brandywine Creek State Park and First State National Historical Park from Ramsey's Farm in Wilmington, Delaware, the 50K running two loops of the 25K course. I will walk you through the course split and the shared 8 hour time limit first, then give you pacing and fueling strategy, plus free tools to dial in your own numbers.
These facts come from the official RunSignup race page. Check the current year's exact date and details before you commit; race logistics can change year to year.
All three distances start together at Ramsey's Farm and share the first 6 miles. At the Ramsey aid station, 10K runners split right toward the finish, while 25K and 50K runners continue left into Brandywine Creek State Park.
The 50K completes two full loops of the 25K course after the shared opening 6 miles, so you will pass back through the start-finish and mile-6 split area at the halfway point of your race. Expect rolling hills, creek crossings, and, per the race's own description, the occasional grazing farm animal near the course.
This is a genuinely Delaware course: rolling hills and farmland rather than mountain vert. That does not make it easy, an 8 hour time limit applies to every distance, but it means your pacing plan should be built around sustained rolling terrain rather than big sustained climbs.
Because the 8 hour time limit is the same for the 10K, 25K, and 50K, the 50K field gets no extra cushion for the longer distance, so pace with that in mind.
With 8 hours to cover 50K across two loops (plus the shared opening 6 miles), aim for close to even splits between your two laps of the 25K course rather than banking time early. A grade-adjusted pace target for the rolling Brandywine Valley terrain gives you an honest number to plan around.
⏵ Free tools to pace this course
Mid-May in Delaware can already run warm and humid, so plan your hydration and sodium for a day that could heat up as the 50K field works through its second loop.
Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour, and keep sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range depending on the day's heat and humidity. Because the 50K passes back through the start-finish area at the halfway point, use that pass to check your fueling plan against how the day is actually going and adjust for the second loop.
⏵ Build your fueling plan
Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight and your goal time 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 two-loop Delaware course, and your projected splits. Summit Line reads your real training, builds a plan for rolling terrain and a flat time limit across every distance, and rehearses your fueling so race day is something you execute, not guess at.
The 50K runs two loops of the 25K course through Brandywine Creek State Park and First State National Historical Park in Wilmington, Delaware, rolling hills, farmland, and woodlands with creek crossings along the way. Delaware has very little ultra terrain compared to mountain states, so this is not a technical, high-vert race, but the two-loop 50K distance and an 8 hour time limit that applies regardless of which distance you pick still make it a real trail ultra, not a casual farm jog.
All three distances, 10K, 25K, and 50K, share the same first 6 miles from the start at Ramsey's Farm. At the Ramsey aid station, 10K runners split right toward the finish while 25K and 50K runners continue left into Brandywine Creek State Park. The 50K then completes two full loops of the 25K course. Knowing this split point matters if you are pacing off other runners around you, since the field thins out at mile 6.
Mid-May in Delaware can already run warm and humid, so plan hydration accordingly. Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour for the 50K, and keep sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range depending on how the day heats up. Because the 50K is a two-loop course, you will pass through the start-finish area at the halfway point, a good spot to reassess your plan for the second loop. Build your numbers with the free ultra fueling calculator before race day.
All three distances share the same 8 hour time limit, regardless of whether you are running the 10K, 25K, or 50K. For the two-loop 50K, that means budgeting close to an even 4 hours per loop if you want real margin, since there is no distance-specific extra time built in for the longer race.
The rolling farmland and woodland terrain through Brandywine Creek State Park is friendlier than a mountain ultra, and the two-loop format means you pass the start-finish area at the halfway mark, simplifying drop bags and any crew support. The tight 8 hour time limit applied equally across all distances is the main thing to respect: a well-prepared first-time 50K runner with solid trail-hiking fitness can finish, but this is not a course with generous cutoff padding built in.
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<a href="https://runsummitline.com/guides/first-state-trail-race">The First State Trail Race course guide</a><iframe src="https://runsummitline.com/embed/race/first-state-trail-race" style="width:100%;max-width:420px;height:180px;border:0;" loading="lazy" title="First State Trail Race course guide by Summit Line"></iframe>This guide is independent and for planning only. The course details, dates, cutoffs, and rules 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.