⏵ Course guide · Florida's single-loop 33.3
The Long Play sends its field on a single 33.3 mile loop of single track through the Croom Tract of the Withlacoochee State Forest, along the Withlacoochee River and into Croom Forest, with no repeated laps to learn as the day wears on. I will walk you through the aid station layout and the two long unsupported legs first, then give you a pacing and fueling plan built around them, plus free calculators to dial in your own numbers.
These facts come from the official A1 Ultra Events race page. Aid station stock, pricing, and other logistics can change year to year, so confirm the current specifics before you commit.
All three distances start and finish at the Ridge Manor Trailhead. The 33.3 covers the full single-track loop through the Croom Tract of the Withlacoochee State Forest, winding along the Withlacoochee River before diving into Croom Forest.
The 33.3 course structure creates two notable gaps: the first 5.8 miles to AS1 and the final 5.8 miles from AS1 (mile 28.2) back to the finish have no aid access. AS2 sits at mile 10.9 and again at mile 25.5, and AS3 sits at mile 18.4 with drop bags available there and at AS1. This layout is why the organizers require every 33.3 and half marathon runner to carry at least 2 liters of fluid.
Unlike a repeated-loop ultra, you never have to track which lap you are on, and every mile of The Long Play is new terrain. That simplicity comes with a tradeoff: you cannot bank knowledge from an earlier loop to manage the harder sections later, so study the course map and aid station mileage before race day rather than learning it in real time.
A1 Ultra Events built this race with real finisher care: a handcrafted medal for every finisher, unique awards, and a post-race barbecue at the Ridge Manor Trailhead. Camping is available nearby at Crooked River, Cypress Glenn, and Silver Lake campgrounds on a first-come, first-served basis if you want to make a weekend of it.
The 33.3 has 10.5 hours from its 7:00 AM start to the 5:30 PM course close. That works out to roughly 19 minutes per mile average, which is generous on paper but worth respecting given the two long unsupported legs.
The stretch from AS1 at mile 28.2 to the finish is 5.8 miles with no aid, arriving late in the race when fatigue is highest. A vert-aware finish prediction built off your training helps you sanity-check whether you have the pace in hand to clear that final leg comfortably inside the 5:30 PM close, rather than discovering the math does not work with 5 miles to go.
While Florida trail does not bring big mountain vert, the Croom Tract has real rolling terrain and technical singletrack that punishes a flat-pace mindset. A grade-adjusted pace target keeps your effort honest across the full 33.3 miles instead of blowing up on sections that look flat on a map but run tougher underfoot.
⏵ Free tools to pace this course
The organizers require at least 2 liters of fluid on the 33.3 and half marathon for good reason: the opening 5.8 miles and the closing 5.8 miles both run without aid access.
Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour. Drop bags are available at AS1 (mile 5.8 and again at mile 28.2) and AS3 (mile 18.4), so pack a fresh resupply there rather than trying to carry your full race nutrition from the start. Plan your carb intake to bridge the two unsupported legs specifically.
Sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range covers most runners. Early March in central Florida can still run warm, and with two multi-mile stretches away from aid, front-load your sodium plan for the opening leg and stage a fresh supply in your AS1 drop bag for the closing one.
⏵ Build your fueling plan
Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight, your goal time, and a Florida spring 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 single-loop course profile, and your projected splits through the two unsupported legs. Summit Line reads your real training, builds a plan for rolling Florida singletrack, and rehearses your fueling so race day is something you execute, not guess at.
The organizers call it the best single-loop trail race in Florida, and the format is the whole point: 33.3 miles of single track, one loop, through the Croom Tract of the Withlacoochee State Forest, winding along the Withlacoochee River before diving into Croom Forest. There is no repeated loop to learn as the day goes on, so every mile is new terrain, which raises the mental and navigational demand even without big elevation.
The course stays open until 5:30 PM for every distance. Off the 33.3's 7:00 AM start, that gives you 10.5 hours to finish. The half marathon starts at 9:00 AM and the 6K at 9:30 AM, both sharing the same 5:30 PM course-close time, so the shorter distances get comparatively more built-in cushion.
The 33.3 passes three aid stations, but two of them twice: AS1 sits at mile 5.8 and again at mile 28.2 (with drop bags available), AS2 sits at mile 10.9 and again at mile 25.5, and AS3 sits at mile 18.4 (also with drop bags). That means the first 5.8 miles and the last 5.8 miles have no aid access, so the organizers ask every 33.3 and half marathon runner to carry at least 2 liters of fluid, and 6K runners at least 16 ounces.
Because the first and last legs of the 33.3 run 5.8 and roughly 5.8 miles without aid, plan real self-sufficiency at both ends of the race. Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour, and keep sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range for a Florida spring day that can still run warm. Drop bags are available at AS1 (mile 28.2) and AS3 (mile 18.4), so use those two spots to restock rather than carrying everything from the start. Build your numbers with the free ultra fueling calculator before race day.
The single-loop format is refreshingly simple to navigate, since you never have to remember which lap you are on, but the aid gaps at the start and finish demand real self-sufficiency, and 33.3 miles is meaningfully longer than a standard 50K. If you have completed a marathon and are comfortable carrying your own fluid and fuel for stretches near 6 miles without support, this is a reasonable next step, especially with the 10.5 hour cutoff giving room to pace conservatively.
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<a href="https://runsummitline.com/guides/the-long-play-33">The The Long Play 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.