Coopers Rock 50 km and Half Marathon Trail Race
The next date for this race will be Saturday, April 27, 2024. Registration will open on Ultrasignup.com on Monday, November 6, 2023! Use the link below to register, or use our Contact Us form for questions.
https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=98882
Check out a video of the race by Michael Meyer:
Description: This is a rocky, challenging, and scenic trail race at Coopers Rock State Forest in north central West Virginia. The 50 km course covers nearly every trail on the south side of the forest, features several scenic overlooks of the Cheat Canyon and Cheat Lake, towering boulder formations, and has 5000 feet of elevation gain. The half marathon course is a shorter version of the same trails and has 2000 feet of elevation gain.
Location: Coopers Rock State Forest is located at Exit 15 off of I-68, roughly 15 minutes east of Morgantown, WV. The race starts at the Overlook Area. After exiting the interstate, turn towards Coopers Rock State Forest and continue south down the main forest road for 3 miles until reaching the Overlook Area.
Date and Time: Both the 50 km and Half Marathon races will start at 7:00 am, April 27, 2024. There will be a brief pre-race meeting at 6:40 am on April 27.
Race Cap: Both races combined will be limited to 250 entries.
Packet Pickup: Packets can be picked up on Friday, 4/26/2024 from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm at the Overlook Area at Coopers Rock State Forest, or on Saturday, 4/27/2024 from 5:30 am – 6:50 am at the same location.
Aid Stations: There are 6 aid stations on the 50 km course and 3 aid stations on the Half Marathon Course, spaced 3 – 7 miles apart. Please carry water and food between aid stations. Aid stations will be stocked with a standard ultra-marathon cuisine, including cookies, chips, candy, sandwiches, water, gatorade, and et cetera. Aid station #1 will have a limited selection of food, as well as water and gatorade.
50 km Aid Stations:
Aid 1: 5.0 miles Cutoff time: 8:30 am
Aid 2: 10.4 miles Cutoff time: 10:00 am
Aid 3A: 15.9 miles Cutoff time: 11:45 am
Aid 3B: 19.8 miles Cutoff time: 12:50 pm
Aid 4: 26.9 miles Cutoff time: 2:55 pm
Aid 3C: 29.5 miles
Finish: 31.1 miles Cutoff time: 4:00 pm (9 hours total)
Half Marathon Aid Stations:
Aid 1: 5.0 miles Cutoff time: 8:40 am
Aid 4: 8.8 miles Cutoff time: 10:05 am
Aid 3: 11.4 miles
Finish: 13.0 miles Cutoff time: 11:30 am (4 hours 30 minutes total)
Additional Rules:
1. You must start on time. Late starts will not be permitted.
2. You must follow the marked course and check in at every aid station. One of the race volunteers will record your bib number and time at every aid station.
3. 50 km runners must finish the race with two punch marks on their bib to be considered an official finisher.
4. If you miss a cutoff time, you must follow the instructions from a race volunteer on how to return to the start/finish area.
5. The race management may ask you to discontinue the race at any time if they believe that you are unfit to continue, or for any other reason deemed necessary by the race management.
6. If you drop out of the race before finishing, you must tell one of the race volunteers.
7. Pacers are not permitted.
8. Crews are not allowed at Aid Station #3 (near the McCollum Campground) unless they park at the Overlook area or the Day Use parking lot and walk or ride a bike to the aid station (approximately 1.5 miles from either parking lot via the Roadside Trail). Cars are absolutely not allowed to be parked at Aid Station #3, at McCollum Campground, or at the RV dump station near the campground. Crews may park at the large gravel parking lot at the Overlook Area to access Aid Stations #1 and #2, or at the Day Use parking lot to access Aid Station #4.
9. All entrants must be at least 18 years of age or older for both races.
10. Disrespectful behavior by the runners or their crews towards any of the event volunteers or the WV Division of Natural Resources staff may result in being disqualified from the race and banned from future races.
11. Failure to follow any of these rules will result in being disqualified from the race and banned from this race in the future.
Shirts: All entrants who register by 4/9/2023 will receive a Sweat Vac short sleeve technical t-shirt. Both men’s and women’s sizes will be offered. If you don’t get a shirt because you registered late, then check back with us after the race at the finish line to see if we have any extras.
Awards: Awards will be given to the top 3 men and women finishers of each race. There will not be a formal awards ceremony. Awards will be given out as the top finishers cross the finish line. All finishers will receive a finisher’s award.
Lodging: There are campsites available at Coopers Rock State Forest at the Rhododendron Campground and McCollum Campground, which are reservable in advance (61 County Line Drive, Bruceton Mills, WV 26525, https://wvstateparks.com/park/coopers-rock-state-forest). Additional camping is available nearby at Chestnut Ridge Campground (346 Chestnut Ridge Camp Road, Bruceton Mills, WV 26525, 304-594-1773, http://www.chestnutridgepark.com). The closest hotels are the Lakeview Resort and Spa (One Lakeview Drive, Morgantown, WV 26505, 304-594-1111), the Super 8 (603 Venture Dr, Morgantown, WV 26508, 304-296-4000) or Holiday Inn Express (605 Venture Dr, Morgantown, WV 26508, 304-291-2600) at the Pierpont Road Exit 7 on I-68. Other hotels are available in Morgantown.
Lunch: A post-race meal of meat and veggie sandwich burritos, and desserts will be free to registered runners after the race, starting around noon. Pepperoni and veggie rolls will be available for runners before noon. Extra lunches can be purchased for $10 either in advance or at packet pickup.
Drop Bags: For 50 km runners only, you may leave a bag inside Picnic Shelter #1 at the Overlook Area. This picnic shelter will be Aid Station #2 in the 50 km race. Please label your drop bag with your name and bib number. Alternatively, you may return to your car to pick up items as needed after checking in at Aid Station #2. You will run through the parking lot immediately after stopping in Aid Station #2, so it is highly recommended that you leave your drop bag items in your car.
Contact us: For other questions, please use the Contact Us form on our website, coopersrock.org.
About us: The Coopers Rock Foundation is a volunteer-based, non-profit organization that is dedicated to service projects at Coopers Rock State Forest. Any profit from this race will be reinvested into maintenance of the trails and facilities at Coopers Rock.
50 km Map and Course Profile
Half Marathon Course Profile
