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⏵ Course guide · Finger Lakes ultra

Twisted Branch 100K Course Guide

Twisted Branch is a point-to-point 100K on the Bristol Hills Branch of the Finger Lakes Trail, running from Naples to Hammondsport and finishing on Keuka Lake, and it carries two facts you need before you sign up: it plays long, feeling closer to a 65-mile effort than a standard 100K, and a sub-20-hour finish is the only Western States 100 qualifier in the state of New York. I will walk you through the course first, then give you a pacing and fueling plan built for a distance that is not what it says on the entry form.

⏵ At a glance

Twisted Branch 100K quick facts

Date
Mid-to-late August (2026: Saturday, August 22)
Location
Point-to-point, Finger Lakes region: Naples to Hammondsport, finishing on Keuka Lake
Distance
100K, single distance, on the Bristol Hills Branch of the Finger Lakes Trail
Elevation change
About 10,000 ft of gain and 11,000 ft of loss (race estimate)
Cutoff
20 hours overall
Aid stations
11 total, 5 crew-accessible
Qualifier status
A sub-20-hour finish is the only Western States 100 qualifier in New York, plus 4 UTMB points
Entry fee
$312.35 with fees for 2026 (UltraSignup)

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: a 100K that plays long

Twisted Branch runs point-to-point from Naples to Hammondsport, finishing on Keuka Lake, almost entirely on the Bristol Hills Branch of the Finger Lakes Trail, singletrack that has been there for 60-plus years. On paper it is 100 kilometers. In practice, runners consistently describe it feeling more like 65 miles.

Why the distance lies to you

With roughly 10,000 feet of climbing and 11,000 feet of descending packed into a course that never really lets up, plus technical, root-and-rock singletrack for nearly the whole way, Twisted Branch takes far longer than a runnable 100K would. Here is the part people miss: they plan their day off their standard 100K time and show up with a pace and a nutrition plan built for the wrong race.

Treat this as an ultra-distance effort closer to a 100K-plus-change, not a fast trail 100K. That reframing alone changes how conservatively you should start.

Remote, technical, and mostly self-navigated between aid

Beyond the singletrack, the course threads in logging roads, streambeds, and a short paved stretch, but the character of the day is remote Bristol Hills trail. There are 11 aid stations, but only 5 are crew-accessible, so a meaningful chunk of the race is you, your pack, and long stretches without a friendly face at a table.

This is not a course to under-prepare for on navigation or self-sufficiency. Know where the non-crewed stretches are before race day, not while you are in them.

The prize at the finish line: a Western States qualifier

A sub-20-hour finish at Twisted Branch is the only Western States 100 qualifier in the entire state of New York, and it also carries 4 UTMB points. That is why the field sells out. If the Western States lottery is on your radar and you live anywhere near the Northeast, this course is not just a hard 100K, it is the ticket, and that changes how much margin you should leave yourself against the cutoff.

Pacing strategy for a course that runs long

With about 10,000 feet of climbing, 11,000 feet of descending, and a course that plays closer to 65 miles than 100 kilometers, Twisted Branch punishes runners who pace off the label on the entry form instead of the terrain underfoot.

Pace by grade and effort, not by your 100K PR

Your flat or road 100K pace tells you almost nothing here. What matters is grade-adjusted effort on the climbs and controlled, deliberate footing on the technical descents, both repeated for the better part of a day. Use a grade-adjusted pace to set honest climbing and descending targets instead of chasing a number that assumes a runnable course.

Build a finish prediction that respects the 20-hour clock

Because this course plays long, a generic 100K finish predictor will lie to you. A vert-aware finish prediction that accounts for the roughly 10,000 feet of gain and the technical Bristol Hills singletrack gives you a realistic window against the 20-hour cutoff, and lets you see how much margin you actually have heading into the non-crewed stretches.

⏵ Free tools to pace this course

Fueling strategy for the non-crewed stretches

With 11 aid stations but only 5 crew-accessible, and a course that takes longer than a standard 100K, Twisted Branch demands a fueling plan built around self-sufficiency, not just aid station spacing.

Carbs: plan for longer than 100K math suggests

Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour, and size your total carry and drop-bag plan off the actual time you expect to be out there, which for most runners will be longer than a typical 100K. Practice your target rate on long technical training runs so it holds up when you are tired and the footing is demanding your attention.

Sodium and self-carried fluid for the gaps between crew

Sodium in the 300 to 700 milligram per liter range covers most runners, scaled to conditions and your own sweat rate. Because only 5 of the 11 aid stations are crew-accessible, build your plan around what you can carry or drop in advance for the non-crewed stretches, not around the assumption that help is always close.

⏵ Build your fueling plan

Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight, your goal time, and this course’s real duration 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’s real difficulty, and your projected splits against the 20-hour cutoff. Summit Line reads your real training, builds a plan for a 100K that plays long, and rehearses your fueling so race day is something you execute, not guess at.

Start free →Explore the demo

Twisted Branch 100K FAQ

How hard is the Twisted Branch 100K?

Twisted Branch is a genuinely hard 100K, and the number one thing to know going in is that it plays long. Runners consistently report it feeling closer to a 65-mile effort than a standard 100K, on point-to-point Bristol Hills singletrack with roughly 10,000 feet of climbing and 11,000 feet of descending. Combine that with a 20-hour cutoff and you get a race that rewards ultra experience and conservative early pacing over raw 100K speed.

Why does Twisted Branch play long?

The course covers 100 kilometers on paper, but the terrain, the climbing and descending, and the technical singletrack on the Bristol Hills Branch of the Finger Lakes Trail all add real time compared to a runnable 100K. Do not plan your day off a flat 100K time or a generic pace chart. Plan off effort and off comparable technical-terrain ultras, and build in more time than the distance alone suggests.

Is Twisted Branch a Western States qualifier?

Yes, and it is the only Western States 100 qualifier in the state of New York, which is a big part of why the race sells out. A finish inside the 20-hour cutoff earns you a Western States qualifier and 4 UTMB points, so if you are chasing the Western States lottery from the Northeast, this is your closest and often only in-state option.

How should I fuel for the Twisted Branch 100K?

Plan for a long day, likely longer than a typical 100K given the course’s reputation for playing long, with 11 aid stations along the way and only 5 of them crew-accessible. Most runners do well on roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour and sodium in the 300 to 700 milligram per liter range depending on conditions. Because several aid stations are not crew-accessible, plan your drop bags and self-carried nutrition around the non-crewed gaps specifically. Run your numbers with the free ultra fueling calculator.

What are the cutoff times for the Twisted Branch 100K?

The overall cutoff is 20 hours. Given the course’s reputation for playing long relative to its 100K distance, treat that 20 hours with respect rather than assuming a standard 100K pace will comfortably clear it. Confirm any intermediate aid station cutoffs in the current race-day details before you start.

What is the terrain like at Twisted Branch?

The course runs point-to-point from Naples to Hammondsport, finishing on Keuka Lake, almost entirely on the Bristol Hills Branch of the Finger Lakes Trail, singletrack that has been in use for 60-plus years, along with some logging roads, streambeds, and a short paved stretch. It is remote, technical in stretches, and demands real trail-running skill on top of fitness, which is part of why the field sells out every year.

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, including exact endpoints and direction, with the official race before you register or run. The fueling and pacing advice is general and not medical advice.