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Trail Festival at Pineland Farms Course Guide

The Trail Festival at Pineland Farms is a Memorial Day weekend lap-format event in New Gloucester, Maine, built around a Saturday 100K and 50K on rolling farm and forest trail, with a full slate of shorter distances on Sunday. I will walk you through the format first, then give you a pacing and fueling plan that fits a long day of laps. There are free calculators along the way to dial in your own numbers.

⏵ At a glance

Trail Festival at Pineland Farms quick facts

Date
Memorial Day weekend, Saturday to Sunday (2026: May 23 to 24)
Location
Pineland Farms, New Gloucester, Maine
Distances
Saturday: 100K (four 25K laps) and 50K (two laps) · Sunday: 25K, 15K, 10K, 5K, Sunset 5K, Canicross, plus 30-hour solo/team formats
Elevation gain
Not published. The course is described as rolling, not mountainous
Start time
100K at 6:00 AM Saturday · 50K at 8:00 AM Saturday
Cutoffs
Not published by the organizers. Confirm current cutoffs before race day
Entry style
RunSignUp; on-site camping available

These facts come from the official race site. Elevation gain, cutoffs, and pricing are not published by the organizers as of this writing, so confirm the current date, distances, cutoffs, and entry cost in the race-day details before you commit. Race logistics change year to year.

The course: laps on rolling farm and forest trail

The Saturday 100K is four 25K laps and the 50K is two laps, over what the organizers describe as rolling, non-technical terrain spread across Pineland Farms: wide groomed doubletrack farm roads mixed with wooded trail. It is a lap course, not a point-to-point, so you return to the start/finish area every 25K.

A runnable course that still asks for pacing discipline

Nothing on this course is described as technical, which is a real advantage if you want to run most of it rather than hike. But runnable terrain is its own trap on a lap course: it is easy to go out too fast on lap one because nothing is forcing you to slow down, and then pay for it on lap three or four when the cumulative fatigue catches up with a pace that felt easy early.

Treat each lap as a checkpoint to reassess your effort, not just your split. If lap two feels harder than lap one at the same pace, that is real signal, not a bad day, and it is worth backing off before lap three instead of after.

The lap format: an aid station every 25K

Because you pass through the start/finish area on every lap, you get access to your own drop bag, crew, and gear every 25K, which is a real logistical advantage over a remote point-to-point ultra. Use it. Plan a specific lap-by-lap checklist for what you swap out (socks, fueling, layers) instead of just running through the aid area on autopilot.

On-site camping is available, which matters if you are also racing or spectating Sunday. Plan your weekend, not just Saturday, since fatigue from the long Saturday distances carries into how the rest of the festival feels.

Sunday and the wider weekend

Sunday adds a full slate of shorter distances (25K, 15K, 10K, 5K, a Sunset 5K, Canicross) plus 30-hour solo and team formats, so the festival works whether you are there for one big Saturday effort or a whole weekend of racing with family. If you are doubling up across the weekend, plan your Saturday effort with Sunday in mind rather than emptying the tank on day one.

Pacing strategy for a rolling, repeat-lap course

Without one defining climb or technical section, Pineland Farms rewards even effort across laps more than a big pacing strategy for a single crux. Do not let a runnable course talk you into starting too fast.

Hold back on lap one, on purpose

Rolling, non-technical terrain lets you run comfortably fast without much resistance, which is exactly why so many people blow up on lap three or four of a course like this. A grade-adjusted pace target keeps your effort honest across the rolling terrain instead of letting a fast-feeling lap one set an unsustainable baseline for the rest of the day.

Set a finish window you can actually work backward from

Since cutoffs are not published for this course, build your own finish window using a vert-and-effort-aware race time estimate, then give yourself real buffer rather than assuming a runnable course means you have all the time you need. If you are doing the 100K, a race-equivalent estimate from a recent 50K or marathon result helps you set a lap-splits plan you can hold across all four laps.

⏵ Free tools to pace this course

Fueling strategy for a long lap day

The lap format means your fueling logistics are simpler than a remote point-to-point course, but the runnable terrain still asks for a real hourly plan across the full 100K or 50K.

Carbs: use the lap access to your advantage

Aim for 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour, and because you pass through the start/finish area every 25K, you can rotate what you are eating lap to lap instead of relying on a single pocketful of gels for the whole race. That rotation helps keep your stomach willing deep into the 100K, when appetite fatigue is the more common problem than actually running out of supplies.

Sodium and fluid: build for whatever late May brings

Late May in Maine can run cool and damp or warm and humid depending on the year, so plan a sodium range, roughly 300 to 700 milligrams per liter, and adjust up if race week forecasts warm. Because aid is available every lap, you do not need to carry a full race worth of fluid at once, so use lighter carries between laps and refill fully at the start/finish each time.

⏵ Build your fueling plan

Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight, your goal time, and Memorial Day weekend weather 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 Pineland Farms lap format, and your projected splits. Summit Line reads your real training, builds a plan for the repeated effort this course demands, and rehearses your fueling so race day is something you execute, not guess at.

Start free →Explore the demo

Trail Festival at Pineland Farms FAQ

How hard is the Trail Festival at Pineland Farms?

The Trail Festival at Pineland Farms is built around a lap format rather than a single brutal feature. Saturday's 100K is four 25K laps and the 50K is two laps, over what the organizers describe as rolling, non-technical terrain: wide farm roads mixed with wooded trail. That does not mean it is easy. Four laps in one day is a real test of pacing discipline and repeated effort, and a full weekend of racing (Saturday's long distances into Sunday's shorter ones or the 30-hour formats) adds a fatigue-management problem on top of the terrain itself.

How much climbing is in the Trail Festival at Pineland Farms?

The organizers have not published a total elevation gain figure for the 100K or 50K. What they do describe is rolling terrain, wide groomed doubletrack farm roads mixed with wooded singletrack, with some rocks, roots, and ruts but nothing rated as technical. Treat this as a runnable course rather than a mountain course, and confirm any specific vert numbers you see elsewhere against the official race site.

How should I fuel for the Trail Festival at Pineland Farms?

For the 100K, plan around a long day, likely in the 8 to 14 hour range depending on your pace, with the lap format giving you access to your own supplies every 25K. Most runners do well on 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour and sodium in the 300 to 700 milligram per liter range, adjusted for the late-May weather on the day. Because you pass through the start/finish area every lap, you can carry lighter between laps than you would on a true point-to-point course. Run your numbers with the free ultra fueling calculator.

What are the cutoff times for the Trail Festival at Pineland Farms?

The organizers have not published specific cutoff times for the 100K or 50K on the materials available. Confirm the current cutoff schedule on the official race site or with Back40 Events before you commit to a goal time, since cutoffs and course details can be adjusted year to year.

What is the terrain and weather like at Pineland Farms?

Pineland Farms terrain is generally described as rolling and non-technical: wide groomed farm roads and doubletrack mixed with wooded trail, with occasional rocks, roots, and ruts but nothing rated as difficult footing. Memorial Day weekend in Maine typically brings mild, sometimes warm conditions, though weather can vary year to year, so check the forecast close to race week and be ready for either cool mornings or a warm afternoon.

Is the Trail Festival at Pineland Farms a good first ultra?

It can be a strong choice for a first ultra given the relatively runnable, non-technical terrain and the wide range of distances on offer across the weekend, from a 5K up through the 100K. The lap format means you are never far from your own aid and your crew, which lowers the logistics burden compared to a remote point-to-point course. That said, specific cutoff times are not published, so confirm you will have enough time for your pace before you register for the longer distances.

This guide is independent and for planning only. The course details, dates, distances, 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. The fueling and pacing advice is general and not medical advice.