Summit Line

⏵ Course guide · Vermont ultra

Moosalamoo Ultra Course Guide

The Moosalamoo Ultra is a rugged Vermont trail ultra out of the Blueberry Hill Inn in Goshen, near Middlebury, with a 36-miler and a 14-miler on tough Green Mountain singletrack. It has a reputation for steep, relentless climbing, big views over Lake Dunmore, and the odd black bear and patch of stinging nettles. I will walk you through the course first, then give you a pacing and fueling plan that fits the climbing and the August humidity. There are free calculators along the way to dial in your own numbers.

⏵ At a glance

Moosalamoo Ultra quick facts

Date
Saturday, August 1, 2026 (typically late July / early August)
Location
Blueberry Hill Inn, Goshen, VT, near Middlebury, in the Moosalamoo National Recreation Area (Green Mountain National Forest)
Distances
36 miles and 14 miles
Elevation gain
36 mi: 5,000+ ft · 14 mi: about 2,400 ft
Start
8:00 AM, mass start at the Blueberry Hill Inn
Cutoff
36 mi: must reach the mile 31 aid station by 5:00 PM (overall race cutoff 5:00 PM)
Aid stations
36 mi: 7 (miles 8, 11, 15.3, 19.7, 24, 27, 31) · 14 mi: 2 (miles 8, 11)
Qualifier
No Western States, UTMB, or Hardrock qualifier status listed by the race

These facts come from the official race site and UltraSignup. Check the current date, cutoffs, and aid stations in the race-day details before you commit. Race logistics change year to year.

The course: where Moosalamoo is won and lost

Both distances run on tough, beautiful Green Mountain singletrack in the Moosalamoo National Recreation Area, starting and finishing at the Blueberry Hill Inn. The 36-miler stacks more than 5,000 feet of climbing into rooty, rocky, often muddy trail; the 14-miler keeps about 2,400 feet of that same character in a shorter loop. This is a terrain race more than a mileage race.

The climbs: short, steep, and relentless

There is no single hero climb here. Instead you get pitch after pitch of steep Green Mountain trail, including the long pull up toward the summit of Mount Moosalamoo, and the climbs are punchy enough that you will power-hike a lot of them. That is fine, and honestly it is the right call. The runners who do well here hike the steep stuff efficiently with a strong, even effort and save the running for the flatter, more rolling sections, instead of trying to muscle every climb and cooking themselves early.

The payoff up top is real: the trail opens to a spectacular view over Lake Dunmore, and the high country is some of the best singletrack in the forest. Soak it in, but keep your feet moving. The footing is rooty and rocky, so quick feet and attention matter as much as your engine does.

The descents and the footing: faster, but technical

What goes up on this course comes down on rough, rooty, sometimes slick trail, and the descents are where a lot of time is either made or lost. If you can stay light and relaxed downhill on technical ground you will pass people late in the day. If you are tentative or your quads are shot from hammering the climbs, those same descents turn into a careful, slow pick down the mountain.

Vermont singletrack holds water. Expect mud, wet roots, and slick rock, especially anywhere shaded or low, and especially if it has rained in the days before. Practice running technical, wet descending before race day so your legs and your nerve are ready for it. That skill is worth more here than another notch of fitness.

Aid spacing, bears, and nettles

On the 36-miler the aid stations sit at miles 8, 11, 15.3, 19.7, 24, 27, and 31, so the opening 8-mile carry is your longest stretch without support; leave the start stocked for it. After that the gaps tighten up, but they are still real climbing miles, so do not let a close aid station talk you into running light through the back half. The 14-miler has aid at miles 8 and 11.

Black bear sightings and stinging nettles are, for better or worse, hallmarks of this race. You probably will not have any drama with a bear, but covering your legs is not a bad idea given the nettles, and it is worth knowing the local color is part of the deal out here.

Pacing strategy for a climbing-heavy, technical ultra

With more than 5,000 feet of gain on the 36 and footing that eats time, Moosalamoo is about managing effort, not chasing a pace chart. Run the climbs by feel, hike them without guilt, and let the rolling sections be where you actually move.

Pace by grade and effort, not by the watch

Your flat-ground pace is meaningless on this terrain. What matters is grade-adjusted effort, so hold a steady output you can keep all day and power-hike the steep pitches instead of grinding them out at a run. The classic Moosalamoo mistake is going too hard on the early climbs because you feel fresh, then falling apart on the technical back half. Use a grade-adjusted pace to turn your real fitness into honest climbing and descending targets, and you will not blow up before the mile 31 cutoff.

Build a vert-aware, terrain-aware finish prediction

Do not guess your Moosalamoo finish off a road marathon or a smooth trail time. The 5,000-plus feet of climbing, the roots and mud, and the August humidity all add real time on top of the raw distance. A vert-aware finish prediction that accounts for this course gives you a realistic window and lets you work back into that 5:00 PM cutoff at mile 31, so you know how much buffer you actually have instead of doing nervous math out on the trail.

⏵ Free tools to pace this course

Fueling strategy for the duration and the humidity

Most runners are out on the 36-miler for somewhere around seven to nine-plus hours of climbing in warm, humid Vermont summer, with the longest carry up front. That makes carbohydrate, sodium, and fluid just as important as fitness. The 14 is shorter, but it is still hilly and still warm.

Carbs: steady and trained

For a seven to nine-plus hour effort, aim for around 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour, and only push the higher end if your gut is trained for it. Humidity and a steady climbing effort can dull your appetite, so keep your intake regular and easy to swallow rather than gambling on big catch-up doses late. Practice your exact race-day carb rate on hot, humid long runs so 80-plus grams an hour feels routine, not like an experiment you are running on race day.

Sodium and fluid: plan for the humidity and the first carry

In humid August air you sweat hard even when it is not blazing hot, so lean toward the higher end on sodium, often around 500 to 700 milligrams per liter of fluid, and more if you are a heavy or salty sweater. Just as important, the opening 8 miles to the first aid station is your longest unsupported stretch, so leave the start with enough fluid and calories to cross it comfortably instead of running dry before help. Weigh yourself before and after a hot long run to find your real sweat rate, then build the plan around your own number.

⏵ Build your fueling plan

Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight, your goal time, and the Moosalamoo humidity 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 Moosalamoo course profile, and your projected splits. Summit Line reads your real training, builds a plan for the climbing, and rehearses your fueling so race day is something you execute, not guess at.

Start free →Explore the demo

Moosalamoo Ultra FAQ

How hard is the Moosalamoo Ultra?

It is a genuinely tough mountain ultra, not a forgiving intro race. The 36-miler packs more than 5,000 feet of climbing into rugged Green Mountain singletrack, with long sustained climbs up toward Mount Moosalamoo and rough, rooty, often muddy footing the whole way. The footing and the relentless up-and-down cost you way more time than the mileage suggests, so plan to be out there a while. Most finishers treat it as a long day on the feet, not a fast 36.

How much climbing is in the Moosalamoo Ultra?

The 36-miler has more than 5,000 feet of total elevation gain, and the 14-miler has about 2,400 feet. None of it comes in one giant climb; it is stacked into repeated stiff pitches on technical Green Mountain trail, including the long pull toward the summit of Mount Moosalamoo with its view over Lake Dunmore. Because the climbs are short and steep rather than smooth and graded, you end up power-hiking a lot, and that is normal here.

What are the cutoff times for the Moosalamoo Ultra?

The hard one to watch is the mile 31 aid station: all 36-mile runners have to reach it by 5:00 PM to be allowed to continue, and the overall race wraps at 5:00 PM. With an 8:00 AM start that gives you nine hours to cover the first 31 miles on rough terrain. The 14-miler does not have published intermediate cutoffs. Always confirm the current cutoffs in the race-day details before you toe the line, because they can shift year to year.

What is the terrain and weather like at the Moosalamoo Ultra?

The course is tough, beautiful mountain singletrack through the Green Mountain National Forest: roots, rocks, steep punchy climbs, and stretches that hold mud and water long after rain. Black bear sightings and stinging nettles are part of the local color, so cover up and keep your head up. Early August in central Vermont can run warm and humid in the valleys and cooler in the trees up high, and the forest stays damp, so be ready for sweat, bugs, and slick footing rather than dry desert heat.

How should I fuel for the Moosalamoo Ultra?

Treat the 36-miler as a long effort of roughly seven to nine-plus hours with real gaps between aid, and the 14-miler as a shorter but still hilly two to four hour push. Most runners do well on around 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour, leaning higher only if your gut is trained for it, plus sodium that climbs with the August humidity. Aid stations on the 36 sit at miles 8, 11, 15.3, 19.7, 24, 27, and 31, so the first 8-mile carry is the longest and you should leave the start with enough fluid and calories to cover it. Run your own numbers with the free ultra fueling calculator.

Is the Moosalamoo Ultra a good first ultra?

The 14-miler is a great stepping stone and a fair bite of climbing without the full commitment of the 36. The 36-miler can absolutely be a first ultra for someone who has trained on technical, hilly trail, but it is not the place to find out whether you like climbing. If you want to step up here, spend your training on steep power-hiking, rocky descents, and time on your feet, and rehearse fueling on hot, humid long runs. Do that and the 5:00 PM cutoff gives a prepared runner room to finish.

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.