Ray and I practiced that part of the course (on the Appalachian Trail) back in July, and once in September, too. Parts that look like the picture above require a kind of fast-stepping walk instead of a run - it takes some practice! For the entire race course, we plan to run 11:00- or 11:30-minute miles. For this part of the race course (about 11 miles of the race), we think we'll run/walk 14:00- or 15:00-minute miles.
The course of the JFK 50 also has a lot of elevation in it; in the first 5 miles, we'll climb over 1,000 feet! I guess the organizers really want you to feel like you've accomplished something when you're done! Runners say that the trail is the most interesting section, and the rest of the race can be rather boring.
Here's a mile-by-mile description, in case you're curious:
0 – START in downtown Boonsboro on Alternate U.S. Rt. 40 at 66, adjacent to the Boonsboro Educational Complex, elev. 570. Run 2.5 miles East on Alternate Rt. 40.
2.5 – Get on Appalachian Trail at Turner’s Gap, elev. 1071. We run 13 miles on the AT (but really only 11, because we get off onto a paved road for two miles of that).
3.5 – Here we get on paved road for two miles, says the packet – you can see it on the MapMyRun map.
5.5 – Back on trail.
6.1 (roughly) – Lamb’s Knoll, highest point of race at elev. 1750 or so. We have climbed 1,172 feet! White Rocks overlook. Then we have a steady descent back down to …
9.5 (roughly) – Crampton Gap Shelter (elev. 1000) in Gathland State Park, where there will be an aid station and a crew meeting place. After a further dip to 905, we’ll have 130- to 200-foot climb and then small ups and downs until…
13.6 (roughly) – Ed Garvey Shelter (a.k.a. Rocky Run Shelter, elev. 1100). Then we drop from 1100 to 290 ft, a loss of 810 ft.
15.5 – Aid station no. 3 and crew meeting place, and then the AT meets the C&O Canal Towpath (near mile-marker 58), elev. 290. We run 26.3 miles on the towpath, climbing roughly 74 ft. Regular aid stations – seven over this next section.
27.1 – Antietam Aqueduct, crew meeting place.
38 – Taylor’s Landing, crew meeting place.
41.8 – Dam #4 Road (just past towpath mile-marker 84). Elev. 364. Get ready to climb – but not much (about 90 ft.) Two aid stations on this stretch.
46 – Right turn onto Spielman Road (MD Rt. 63). Aid station, crew meeting place.
48.7 – Junction with MD Rt. 68. Aid station nearby. Follow Rt. 68 for 0.9 miles.
49.6 – Right at Sunset Ave. Continue 0.5 miles to...
50 – FINISH in front of Springfield Middle School on Sunset Ave., elev. 452.
