⏵ Course guide · Central Pennsylvania single-loop 50
The Tussey Mountainback runs a USATF-certified single loop through Rothrock State Forest, roughly 5,500 feet of climbing and descending on gravel and forest roads, one of the few certified single-loop 50 milers in North America. A 50K, half marathon, 8-person relay, and 100 mile share the same start and finish. I will walk you through the 12-leg course first, then give you a pacing and fueling plan, plus free tools to dial in your own numbers.
These facts come from the official Tussey Mountainback site. Check the current year details, cutoffs, and aid stations before you commit. Race logistics change year to year.
The 50 mile is broken into 12 named legs between aid stations, starting and finishing at Tussey Mountain Ski Area. The 50K follows the same course for its first 22 miles before splitting onto a shorter connector, and the half marathon shares the final several miles in reverse.
Unlike a lot of ultras built on repeated laps, Tussey Mountainback's 50 mile is a genuine single loop, USATF-certified and historically used for the national 50 mile championship. That means no second chance to learn a tricky section: study the course map and elevation profile beforehand, since every mile is new terrain.
Leg 6 is the course's defining climb: after a short flat stretch, it turns into a nearly continuous 3.7 mile ascent to a gated fire tower road, officially named "Stairway to the Stars" and rated most difficult on the course. It arrives after roughly 19 miles, so manage your effort on the first five legs with this climb in mind rather than burning matches early.
The 50K runs the same course as the 50 mile for its first 22 miles, then diverges onto a former road, described as something between a gravel road and a wide double-track trail, before rejoining the 50 mile course at mile 26.8 for the run back to the finish. The half marathon starts its own way but joins the 50K's route after the first 5.9 km, running the last 14 km of the 50K course in the same direction toward the finish.
With no repeated sections and a defining climb around mile 19, your pacing plan needs to bank effort for Stairway to the Stars rather than spend it on the earlier, easier legs.
A grade-adjusted pace target for legs 1 through 5, which are mostly gently climbing to flat, keeps you honest before the course turns hard. Since this is a certified, competitive course that has hosted national championships, it is easy to get pulled out too fast by a strong field early; resist it, since leg 6's climb punishes anyone who arrives there already depleted.
With 11 aid stations spaced 4 to 6 miles apart on the 50 mile course, you get frequent checkpoints to compare against a race-time calculator projection. Build your target splits leg by leg rather than as one flat average pace, since the course profile genuinely varies from easy rolling terrain to a sustained 3+ mile climb.
⏵ Free tools to pace this course
Late October in Rothrock State Forest can start cold at a morning start and swing warmer by afternoon, so plan your intake to shift across the day.
Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour. With aid stations every 4 to 6 miles offering hydration, nutrition, and medical support, you have consistent access across the single loop, so plan to top off at each one rather than carrying a full race's worth of calories from the start.
Sodium in the 300 to 500 mg per liter range covers a cool morning start, moving toward 500 to 700 mg per liter as the day warms into the afternoon, particularly through the exposed gravel road sections. Relay runners covering a single leg have less need to manage this shift, but 50 mile, 50K, and 100 mile runners should plan for the full arc of the day.
⏵ Build your fueling plan
Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight, your goal time, and a cool-to-warm Pennsylvania fall 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 certified single-loop course profile, and your projected leg splits. Summit Line reads your real training, builds a plan for a course that peaks with its hardest climb at mile 19, and rehearses your fueling so race day is something you execute, not guess at.
The 50 mile is a USATF-certified single loop through Rothrock State Forest with roughly 5,500 feet of total elevation gain and loss, on gravel and forest service roads with rolling hills throughout. It is runnable rather than mountainous, but 50 miles of a true single loop with no repeated sections means you never get a familiar stretch to lean on, and the course has hosted the USATF 50 mile national championship, a sign of how competitive and well-measured it is.
The official course page states approximately 5,500 feet of total elevation gain and loss for the 50 mile, and approximately 3,200 feet of gain for the 50K, which follows the same course for its first 22 miles before cutting onto a shorter connector back to the finish. The climbing is spread across 12 named legs rather than concentrated in one defining ascent, with the steepest sustained climb coming on leg 6, "Stairway to the Stars," a nearly continuous 3.7 mile climb.
Well-stocked aid stations sit every 4 to 6 miles on the 50 mile course, offering hydration, nutrition, and medical support. Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour and sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range, adjusting for late-October Pennsylvania weather that can range from cool mornings to warm afternoons. Relay teams should have their support vehicle stock food and liquids since the race's own aid is oriented around ultra runners rather than relay legs. Build your numbers with the free ultra fueling calculator before race day.
The 100 mile has a 28 hour cutoff, with checkpoints requiring runners to reach Aid Station #6 by 2:15 PM Sunday, Aid Station #8 by 4:30 PM, and Aid Station #10 by 6:00 PM on the daytime loop. The 50 mile and 50K pages do not publish a specific overall time limit, so confirm current cutoffs on tusseymountainback50.com before you commit, especially if you are targeting the back of the field.
The 50 mile course also runs as an 8-person relay, with each runner covering one of 12 legs ranging from about 2.9 to 5.5 miles. Relay teams submit an absolute rotation order before the race that must stay fixed all day, no alternates and no reordering after the first rotation, and each team gets one support vehicle that must follow strict course rules (run on the left, drive on the right, no cruising beside runners).
A USATF-certified, well-marked single loop with 11 aid stations every 4 to 6 miles gives a first-time 50 mile runner real structure and support. The course is rolling rather than mountainous, roughly 5,500 feet over 50 miles, which is moderate for the distance. The relay option is also a good way to experience the course and community before committing to the full solo distance.
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<a href="https://runsummitline.com/guides/tussey-mountainback">The Tussey Mountainback course guide</a><iframe src="https://runsummitline.com/embed/race/tussey-mountainback" style="width:100%;max-width:420px;height:180px;border:0;" loading="lazy" title="Tussey Mountainback course guide by Summit Line"></iframe>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.
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