Summit Line

⏵ Course guide · Free

Kilkenny Ridge Race Course Guide

The Kilkenny Ridge Race runs the remote, unmarked Kilkenny Ridge Trail through the Pilot Range in northern New Hampshire, the northernmost course in the White Mountain Endurance Cup. There is no aid once you are up on the ridge, no course markers, and you navigate it yourself. The 50 mile out-and-back closes the Cup with about 7,500 feet of climbing each direction. I will walk you through the course and the distances, then give you a pacing and fueling plan built for a remote, self-supported traverse, with free tools to dial in your own numbers.

⏵ At a glance

Kilkenny Ridge Race quick facts

Date
Mid-to-late September (2026: Saturday, September 19)
Location
Stark to Jefferson, NH, Kilkenny Ridge Trail, Pilot Range, White Mountain National Forest
Distances
50 mile (out-and-back), 25 mile (one-way, Jefferson Inn to South Pond), 25K (Berlin Fish Hatchery to South Pond)
Elevation gain
About 7,500 ft per direction on the 50 mile traverse · 25K: about 4,000 ft (official)
Cutoffs
Confirm the current cutoffs on the official race site before you commit
Entry (2026)
50 mile: $185 before July 14, $205 after · 25 mile: $150 before July 14, $170 after

Pricing above was confirmed against the official 2026 registration. Cutoffs, exact aid points, and any course changes should be confirmed on the official race site before you commit. Race logistics change year to year, and this course is remote enough that you should not treat any of it as guesswork.

The course: a remote, unmarked ridge traverse

All three distances run on or toward the Kilkenny Ridge Trail in the Pilot Range, a genuinely remote corner of the White Mountain National Forest. The 50 mile is an out-and-back from Stark toward Jefferson and back, about 7,500 feet of gain each direction. The 25 mile runs one-way from Jefferson Inn to South Pond, and the 25K runs from the Berlin Fish Hatchery to South Pond with about 4,000 feet of gain.

Self-navigation: the defining feature of this race

The Kilkenny Ridge Trail is unmarked and unmanned for this race, which means you are responsible for your own navigation the entire way. No ribbons, no course marshals on the ridge, just you, the trail, and whatever map or GPS device you brought. This changes how you should think about the whole race. Time spent second-guessing a junction costs you as much as a bad climb does.

Practice with your navigation tools before race day. Know the route on paper or on your device well enough that a foggy summit or fading daylight does not turn into a real problem. This is not a place to learn GPS navigation for the first time.

Mount Cabot, The Bulge, and the push toward Waumbek

The traverse summits two 4,000-footers, Mount Cabot and Mount Waumbek, and crosses named features along the ridge including The Bulge, The Horn, and Starr King. This is rugged, remote singletrack, genuinely wilder than the more traveled parts of the White Mountains, and the climbing is real and sustained rather than a single defined crux.

Because there is no aid on the ridge, the middle of the course is where you are most on your own. Whatever you are carrying when you leave the last supported point has to get you across the ridge and back. Plan that section like its own small race inside the race.

The out-and-back: the second half is not the first half

On the 50 mile, you retrace your steps on the way back, which sounds simple but is not. Legs that are tired from the outbound climbing now face the outbound descents in reverse, and the parts of the ridge that felt manageable fresh can feel very different the second time through, especially late in the day or into the evening. Save something on the way out. The trail does not get any easier just because you have already seen it.

Pacing strategy for a remote, self-supported traverse

With no aid on the ridge and real navigation demands, Kilkenny Ridge rewards a conservative, sustainable pace far more than it rewards early speed. Getting to the far point of your route with legs and supplies to spare matters more than a fast outbound split.

Pace by grade and by what you are carrying

Your flat-ground pace does not translate to sustained climbing on remote singletrack, especially on the 50 mile where about 7,500 feet of gain each direction adds up fast. Use a grade-adjusted pace to set honest targets for the climbs, and remember that pace has to account for navigation stops too. A few minutes checking a junction is not wasted time, it is part of the race.

Build a finish window that respects the remoteness

Do not estimate your Kilkenny time off a supported race you have run before. The climbing, the technical ridge terrain, and the self-navigation all add real time that a simple distance-and-pace estimate misses. A vert-aware finish prediction that accounts for this course’s climbing gives you a more honest window to plan your day and your gear around, especially for the 50 mile where daylight and temperature both shift a lot over the day.

⏵ Free tools to pace this course

Fueling strategy with no aid on the ridge

The defining fact for fueling here is not the heat or the distance, it is the lack of aid once you are up on the ridge. Whatever gets you across the remote sections has to be on your back.

Carbs: scale to your distance, not just the clock

On the 50 mile, a long day of 8 to 15-plus hours, aim for 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour, leaning toward the higher end once your gut is trained for it. On the shorter 25K and 25 mile, where a strong finisher might be done in well under 5 hours, you can scale that down toward the lower end of the range. Whatever your distance, plan around the fact that you cannot restock on the ridge. Carry more than you think you need for the remote middle section of your route.

Sodium and fluid: plan for the gaps, not the average

Aim for sodium in the 300 to 700 milligram per liter range, adjusted up if you are a heavy or salty sweater, and carry enough fluid to cross the longest stretch between resupply points, not just enough for an average pace. Late September in the Pilot Range can run cool or can still be warm depending on the year, so check the forecast close to race day and adjust your fluid plan rather than assuming one number covers every edition.

⏵ Build your fueling plan

Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight, your goal time, and your chosen distance 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 course’s climbing, and the reality of a remote, self-supported traverse. Summit Line reads your real training, builds a plan for the vert, and rehearses your fueling so the ridge is something you execute, not guess at.

Start free →Explore the demo

Kilkenny Ridge Race FAQ

How hard is the Kilkenny Ridge Race?

It is one of the most demanding races in the White Mountain Endurance Cup, and not because of a single brutal climb. The Kilkenny Ridge Trail is remote, unmarked, and unmanned, so you navigate it yourself with a map or GPS, there is no aid once you are up on the ridge, and the 50 mile is an out-and-back with roughly 7,500 feet of climbing each direction. You are on your own out there for hours at a time. That combination of distance, vert, and self-sufficiency is what makes it hard, more than any one feature of the terrain.

Do I need to navigate myself during the Kilkenny Ridge Race?

Yes. The Kilkenny Ridge Trail is unmarked and unmanned for this race, so you need to carry and know how to use a map or GPS device and actually navigate the ridge yourself. This is not a course with ribbons every quarter mile. If you have never raced or trained on an unmarked trail, practice with your navigation tools well before race day, not for the first time out on the ridge.

How should I fuel for the Kilkenny Ridge Race?

There is no aid once you are up on the ridge, so you need to carry what gets you between the points where you can resupply. For the 50 mile, plan for a long day, likely 8 to 15-plus hours depending on your pace and the terrain, and target 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour along with sodium in the 300 to 700 milligram per liter range, adjusted for how you sweat. The 25K and 25 mile are shorter, so scale your hourly targets down toward the lower end of that range if you expect to finish in under 5 hours. Whatever the distance, carry enough food and fluid for the ridge sections where nobody is handing you anything. Build your plan with the free ultra fueling calculator.

What are the cutoffs for the Kilkenny Ridge Race?

The official cutoffs vary by distance and are set by the race each year. Because there is no aid or course staff on the remote ridge sections, cutoffs matter more here than on a fully supported course. Check the current cutoff schedule on the official race site before you commit to a distance, and build in extra margin given the remote, self-navigated terrain.

What terrain and peaks does the Kilkenny Ridge Race cover?

The course runs the Kilkenny Ridge Trail through the Pilot Range, the northernmost range in the White Mountain Endurance Cup series, summiting two 4,000-footers, Mount Cabot and Mount Waumbek, and crossing named features like The Bulge, The Horn, and Starr King. It is remote, rugged singletrack, genuinely wild compared to the more traveled parts of the White Mountains, with long stretches where you will not see another runner or a course marker.

Which Kilkenny Ridge Race distance should I choose?

The 50 mile out-and-back is the marquee distance and closes the White Mountain Endurance Cup, with about 7,500 feet of climbing each direction and a real commitment to self-navigation and self-sufficiency. The 25 mile runs one-way from Jefferson Inn to South Pond, a serious point-to-point ultra on its own. The 25K, from the Berlin Fish Hatchery to South Pond with about 4,000 feet of gain, is the entry point if you want a taste of the Kilkenny terrain without the full remote traverse. Pick based on your navigation experience and your comfort being unsupported for hours, not just your fitness.

This guide is independent and for planning only. The course details, dates, cutoffs, and pricing come from public sources and can change year to year, so confirm the current specifics with the official race before you register or run. Because this course is remote and unmarked, treat the official race communications as essential reading, not optional. The fueling and pacing advice is general and not medical advice.