⏵ Course guide · PA Wilds, Rocksylvania Series
The Hyner Half climbs about 3,000 feet over 14 miles of rugged Sproul State Forest singletrack, a summer entry in PA Trail Dogs\' Rocksylvania Trail Series with a strict 6 hour cutoff. I will walk you through the course first, then give you a pacing and fueling plan built for technical PA Wilds terrain. There are free calculators along the way to dial in your own numbers.
These facts come from the official PA Trail Dogs event page. Check the current year details, cutoffs, and aid stations before you commit. Race logistics change year to year.
The 14-mile Hyner Half runs through some of the most rugged and beautiful singletrack in Sproul State Forest, part of PA Trail Dogs\' summer Rocksylvania Trail Series lineup at Hyner Run State Park.
By popular demand, PA Trail Dogs added a 7K option that takes runners up the first big climb (Long Fork), over to the deer fence, and back down Log Hollow to the finish. It is a genuine taste of the full course terrain for anyone not ready for the full 14 miles.
PA Trail Dogs is explicit that this event was not designed for walkers, though speed-hikers are welcome. Combined with the 6 hour time limit and timing that ends at 3:00 PM sharp, this is a course that rewards showing up trail-fit rather than treating it as a casual outing.
Hyner Run State Park has a swimming pool for runners to use throughout the day, a welcome bonus after a hot August climb through Sproul State Forest. Post-race food and beverages are provided at the finish area.
About 3,000 feet of gain over 14 miles inside a 6 hour window leaves less margin than the mileage alone suggests, especially on rugged, technical PA Wilds singletrack.
Rugged, root-and-rock singletrack does not run at a flat-ground pace. A grade-adjusted pace target gives you an honest effort level for the climbing sections, so you are not surprised by how much slower the technical terrain runs than a smooth trail of the same grade.
With timing ending at 3:00 PM sharp rather than a soft cutoff, build in real margin. A vert-aware finish prediction, built off the roughly 3,000 feet of gain, is a better guide than a flat half-marathon time here, and it is worth checking against the strict cutoff well before you reach the final miles.
⏵ Free tools to pace this course
A 9:00 AM start in late August means climbing into the warmest part of the day on exposed and forested sections of Sproul State Forest.
Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour. With aid at miles 4, 8, and 11.5, you get a touch point roughly every 4 miles, close enough to plan your intake around without carrying excess weight on the climbs.
Sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range covers most runners, leaning toward the higher end if late-August humidity builds through the forest. Central Pennsylvania summer air can trap heat under the canopy even when the temperature reading looks moderate.
⏵ Build your fueling plan
Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight, your goal time, and a humid PA Wilds August 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 3,000-foot Sproul Forest climbing profile, and your projected splits. Summit Line reads your real training, builds a plan for rugged technical singletrack, and rehearses your fueling so race day is something you execute, not guess at.
The 14-mile Hyner Half climbs about 3,000 feet on some of the most rugged, beautiful singletrack in Sproul State Forest. PA Trail Dogs designed this event for runners and speed-hikers, not walkers, and enforces a strict 6 hour time limit with timing ending at 3:00 PM sharp. Expect a real trail workout on technical PA Wilds terrain, distinct from (and generally regarded as tougher, mile for mile, than) the spring Hyner View Trail Challenge.
The published figure for the 14-mile course is about 3,000 feet of gain, roughly 215 feet per mile, on rugged Sproul State Forest singletrack. That is enough sustained climbing that this stays a race for trained trail runners and speed-hikers, which is exactly how PA Trail Dogs frames the entry requirements.
Three aid stations at miles 4, 8, and 11.5 mean you get a fuel and hydration touch roughly every 4 miles across the 14-mile course. Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour, and sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range, leaning higher if late-August humidity builds in the PA Wilds. Post-race food and beverages are provided at the finish, and Hyner Run State Park has a swimming pool if you want to cool down afterward. Build your numbers with the free ultra fueling calculator before race day.
The race carries a strict 6 hour time limit, with timing for the event ending at 3:00 PM sharp given the 9:00 AM start. PA Trail Dogs states plainly that this event was not designed for walkers, though speed-hikers are allowed, so come prepared to move at a real trail-running pace, not stroll it.
The course runs through Sproul State Forest at Hyner Run State Park, described by the organizers as some of the most beautiful and rugged single-track in the PA Wilds. Expect technical footing typical of central Pennsylvania trail: roots, rock, and real elevation change, part of PA Trail Dogs' broader Rocksylvania Trail Series known for exactly this kind of terrain.
It is a demanding one. About 3,000 feet of gain over 14 miles on rugged singletrack, combined with a strict 6 hour cutoff and a field limited to runners and speed-hikers, makes this a step up from a beginner-friendly trail race. If the full Hyner Half feels like too much for a first outing, the newer 7K option covers the first big climb (Long Fork) and the descent back down Log Hollow, a solid way to sample the terrain at a shorter distance.
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<a href="https://runsummitline.com/guides/hyner-half">The Hyner Half & 7K course guide</a>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.