Frederick, MD, United States · Saturday, June 20, 2026

Fixed Distance 50K

Catoctin 50k Trail Run

Race completed

50 km Distance

not publishedn/a Climbing

2.5 est Grit · Entry level

Calculated from 50 km alone — the organiser has not published an elevation profile. Read 2.5 as a floor, not a verdict.

39.4143° N, 77.4105° W © OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap

What the course asks

Time limit 9 hours 10:48 min/km average. Generous. Walkable throughout for most of the field. Climbing is unpublished, so this pace is a ceiling on the effort, not a measure of it. Tighter than 71% of 50K races. Measured against 1034 races of the same distance. Cut-off calculator →

Field size ~89 Mid-sized. Company early, well spread out by halfway.

DUV results for the 2026 edition (50km) — finishers only. Starters are not published, so the field was at least this big and no finish rate can be given.

Typical conditions, June

Daytime high 28°C

Night low 16°C

Rainfall Showers likely

Daylight 14 h 57 m of light

Regional 2001-2020 average for June — NASA POWER, grid elevation 191 m. Not a forecast.

Results history

Year	Race	Finishers	Men's winner	Women's winner
2026	50km	89	Jaroslav Candler II · 05:43:55	Jessica Honeycutt · 06:50:49
2025	50km	93	Patrick Blair · 05:00:04	Denise Gravelle · 06:35:19
2024	50km	116	Patrick Blair · 04:54:09	Kristen Kelman · 06:33:28
2023	50km	101	Patrick Blair · 05:26:12	Niki Cochran · 06:58:06
2022	50km	120	Patrick Blair · 04:45:20	Jana Fridrichova · 05:43:00
2021	50km	141	Nicolas Crouzier · 04:39:12	Michelle Miller · 05:42:04
2019	50km	82	Lance Dockery · 05:14:52	Rylee Schwee · 07:00:53
2018	50km	125	Lance Dockery · 05:18:53	Gina Slaby · 05:39:01
2017	50km	142	Daniel Frank · 05:38:48	Emily Richard · 05:51:48
2016	50km	120	Jason Lantz · 05:06:15	Caitlyn Tateishi · 05:59:36

The field has held steady: 93 in 2025, 89 in 2026. 18% of the 2026 field were women.

DUV results for the 2026 edition (50km) — finishers only. Starters are not published, so the field was at least this big and no finish rate can be given.

The Aid Station

Course-specific beta from the community

👟 gear

With trail terrain, choose a shoe with moderate cushioning for optimal performance.

By UltraHub Expert

Gear for this race

Chosen for 50 km of trail.

Trail Running Shoes 50 km of trail — cushioning that is still there in the last quarter.
Race Nutrition 50 km of self-supported fuelling between aid stations.
Hydration Vests Flask capacity for 50 km, without the bounce.
GPS Watches Battery life first — a 50 km day outlasts most full-GPS modes.

Brooks

Catamount 3

RunRepeat found the Brooks Catamount 3 to have a cozier upper that enhances the overall fit, though breathability and durability could be better. iRunFar noted…

★★★★★ 4.5

La Sportiva

Prodigio Pro

RunRepeat found the La Sportiva Prodigio Pro to have a secure, locked-in fit due to its premium upper, and also praised the shoe's energetic ride, particularly…

$225 ★★★★★ 4.6

Tailwind

Endurance Fuel

All-in-one calorie and electrolyte drink mix. 200 calories per serving.

$25 ★★★★★ 4.8

Salomon

ADV Skin 12

Industry-standard 12L race vest with front flask pockets and minimal bounce.

$180 ★★★★★ 4.8

COROS

APEX 2 Pro

GPS running watch with 75-hour GPS battery, topo maps, and training metrics.

$500 ★★★★★ 4.7

All gear guides →

Overview

The Catoctin 50k Trail Run, a fixed-distance 50k trail race in Frederick, MD, has been held 10 times since 2016, with the latest edition in 2026 seeing 89 finishers.

With a 9-hour time limit, this race has a tighter cutoff than 60% of 1024 peer 50k races, requiring a pace faster than 10.8 minutes per kilometer. The field of 89 finishers is larger than 76% of 2667 peer 50k races.

The course is an out-and-back on rocky, slow, difficult, and demanding trail, starting at the Tea Room in Gambrill State Park.

Similar races

Other 50K trail ultras, closest in distance first.