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⏵ Course guide · Southern Tier ultra weekend

North Country Trail Run Course Guide

The North Country Trail Run is a two-day event out of Wellsville in New York's Southern Tier, run on the North Country National Scenic Trail: a 50 mile race Saturday, a 50K Sunday, plus marathon and half marathon options. The format lets runners double up across the weekend if they want to. I will walk you through the course and the two-day structure first, then give you a pacing and fueling plan built for a single race or the full double. There are free calculators along the way to dial in your own numbers.

⏵ At a glance

North Country Trail Run quick facts

Date
Saturday and Sunday, August 29 to 30, 2026
Location
Wellsville, Allegany County, Southern Tier, NY, on the North Country National Scenic Trail
Distances
50 mile (Saturday) · 50K (Sunday) · marathon · half marathon
Format
Two-day event; the 50 mile runs Saturday and the 50K runs Sunday, letting runners double up
Cutoffs
Not published in verified form; confirm before you commit
Elevation gain
Not published in verified form; confirm before you commit
Pacers
Free pacers allowed on both ultra distances, an unusually permissive policy
Notable
Self-billed as having the largest 50 mile and 50K finisher medals in the US; sells out early

These facts come from the official race site. Check the current cutoffs, elevation figures, and registration status before you commit. Race logistics change year to year, and this race tends to sell out early.

The course: a weekend, not just a race

The race runs on the North Country National Scenic Trail out of Wellsville in Allegany County, part of the longest National Scenic Trail in the country. The 50 mile race runs Saturday and the 50K runs Sunday, alongside marathon and half marathon options, and the whole event is built around a two-day weekend rather than a single Saturday.

The double: 50 miles Saturday, 50K Sunday

The signature feature of this race is the option to run both days. Finish the 50 mile Saturday, then line up again for the 50K Sunday, and you have covered roughly 81 miles across two days on trail legs that never got a full rest. It is not a required format, you can enter either day on its own, but the two-day option is why a lot of runners come back to Wellsville year after year.

If you take the double, respect Saturday. The temptation is to race the 50 mile like it is the whole weekend. It is not. Pace it like the first half of something bigger, because Sunday morning does not care how good Saturday felt.

North Country National Scenic Trail singletrack

The course runs on the North Country Trail itself, the longest of the eleven National Scenic Trails in the US system, through the rolling Southern Tier landscape around Wellsville. Elevation figures were not published in a form we could verify this season, so treat the terrain as real trail running rather than a flat course, and confirm the specific elevation and technicality details in the current race information before you build a detailed pacing plan.

Pacers, and a race that sells out

Free pacers are allowed on both ultra distances, an unusually generous policy that most New York ultras do not extend, and it is a real asset if you are doubling up and want company for tired Sunday legs. The race also tends to sell out early, so if the double, or even a single distance, is on your calendar, register as soon as entries open rather than waiting.

Pacing strategy for one day or two

Whether you are running one distance or the full Saturday-Sunday double, pacing here is about effort management on real trail, not chasing a flat-ground number.

Pace Saturday like Sunday exists, if you are doubling

If you are only running one day, race it. If you are doing the double, treat Saturday's 50 mile as a controlled, grade-adjusted effort rather than an all-out race, because every minute you save by holding back Saturday is a minute of legs you have left for Sunday morning. Use a grade-adjusted pace to set honest per-mile targets for the trail's actual terrain instead of your road pace.

Build a finish prediction, then plan cutoffs conservatively

Since cutoffs were not published in verified form this season, build a vert-aware finish prediction for your goal pace and use it to estimate your own margin, then confirm the actual cutoffs against that estimate once the current race information is out. If you are doubling, run the same math for Sunday assuming tired legs and a slower pace than Saturday, not your fresh-legs number.

⏵ Free tools to pace this course

Fueling strategy for a single race or the full double

Late-August Southern Tier weather can run warm and humid, and if you are running both days, what you eat Saturday night matters almost as much as what you eat during either race.

Carbs: dial in per race, then refuel hard between them

Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour during either race. If you are doubling, prioritize real carbohydrate refueling and a proper meal Saturday evening, not just recovery drinks, since Sunday's 50K will run on whatever glycogen you managed to rebuild overnight.

Sodium and fluid: respect late-August humidity

Keep sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range and lean toward the higher end if the forecast is warm and humid, which is common for this time of year in the Southern Tier. If you are doubling, pay attention to your hydration status Saturday night into Sunday morning, since starting the 50K even slightly dehydrated compounds fast on tired legs.

⏵ Build your fueling plan

Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight, your goal time, and each day's 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, and your projected splits, whether you are running one day or the full Saturday-Sunday double. Summit Line reads your real training, builds a plan for back-to-back days, and rehearses your fueling so race weekend is something you execute, not guess at.

Start free →Explore the demo

North Country Trail Run FAQ

How hard is the North Country Trail Run?

The North Country Trail Run runs on the North Country National Scenic Trail out of Wellsville in New York's Southern Tier, and the defining challenge is not one brutal day, it is the two-day format. The 50 mile race runs Saturday and the 50K runs Sunday, so a runner doing both is covering roughly 81 miles across back-to-back days on real trail legs. Even doing just one distance, running on a course built for a scenic-trail experience rather than a groomed race, with real elevation change and technical footing, adds up over the miles.

Can I run both the 50 mile and the 50K?

Yes, and that double is part of what the race is known for. The 50 mile runs Saturday and the 50K runs Sunday, so a runner can sign up for both and effectively run an ultra weekend rather than a single race. If you take on the double, plan your Saturday effort with Sunday already in mind: pacing the 50 mile conservatively enough to be able to run again the next day matters more than a fast Saturday split.

Are pacers allowed at the North Country Trail Run?

Yes, free pacers are allowed on both ultra distances, which is a more permissive policy than most ultras offer. If you are taking on the Saturday-Sunday double, or just want company on tired legs, a pacer can make a real difference here in a way many other New York ultras do not permit.

What are the cutoff times for the North Country Trail Run?

Cutoff times were not published in a form we could verify this season. Confirm the current cutoffs for your distance, and for the Sunday 50K if you are doubling up after Saturday's 50 mile, on the official race site before you register or start.

How should I fuel for the North Country Trail Run, especially across both days?

For a single-day distance, most runners do well around 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour, with sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range depending on late-August Southern Tier heat and humidity. If you are running the Saturday-Sunday double, fueling and recovery between the two races matters as much as fueling during either one: prioritize carbohydrate replacement, fluids, and real food that evening so your Sunday legs have something to work with. Build your per-race plan with the free ultra fueling calculator.

Is the North Country Trail Run a good first ultra?

The single-distance options, a standalone 50K or even the marathon or half marathon, can work well for a first attempt at longer trail racing, especially with the generous free-pacer policy for company and support. The Saturday-Sunday double is a different animal and is better suited to runners who already have at least one ultra finish and want to test back-to-back-day durability, not a first-timer's starting point.

This guide is independent and for planning only. The course details, dates, cutoffs, and elevation figures 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.