Reading, PA, United States · Sunday, September 6, 2026

Timed 12 hours

Labor Pain 12 Hour Endurance Trail Run

Race completed

not publishedn/a Distance

not publishedn/a Climbing

not publishedn/a Grit

We hold no course length for this race — a timed or backyard event is measured by the clock, not the kilometre — so there is no Grit score to give you.

40.3357° N, 75.9269° W © OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap

What the course asks

Field size ~174 Mid-sized. Company early, well spread out by halfway.

DUV results for the 2025 edition (12h) — ranked runners only. Starters are not published, so the field was at least this big and no finish rate can be given.

Typical conditions, September

Daytime high 25°C

Night low 13°C

Rainfall Showers likely

Daylight 12 h 55 m of light

Regional 2001-2020 average for September — NASA POWER, grid elevation 179 m. Not a forecast.

Results history

Year	Race	Finishers	Men's winner	Women's winner
2025	12h	174	Cory Rogol · 99.940 km	Katie Bicksler · 104.607 km
2024	12h	188	Alexander Hoffer · 99.940 km	Tammy Rachau · 88.513 km
2023	12h	196	Gabriel Batdorf · 104.607 km	Susan Buesing · 80.467 km
2022	12h	159	Lou Donofrio · 99.940 km	Rhoda Smoker · 96.560 km
2021	12h	184	Brian Wiest · 112.654 km	Stephanie Kershner · 99.940 km
2019	12h	302	John Dragon · 120.700 km	Rhoda Smoker · 99.779 km
2018	12h	275	James Blandford · 112.654 km	Maggie Guterl · 104.607 km
2017	12h	259	Adam Kobialka · 99.779 km	Anna Piskorski · 99.779 km
2016	12h	230	Ryan Espulgar · 104.607 km	Amy Albu · 104.607 km
2015	12h	170	James Blandford · 112.654 km	Jess Gockley · 99.779 km

The field shrank 7% between 2024 (188) and 2025 (174). 50% of the 2025 field were women.

DUV results for the 2025 edition (12h) — ranked runners 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 this trail race.

Trail Running Shoes Cushioning on trail that is still there in the last quarter.
Race Nutrition Self-supported fuelling between aid stations.
Hydration Vests Flask capacity without the bounce.
Headlamps A 12 h limit puts you out there after dark.
GPS Watches Battery life first — an ultra outlasts most full-GPS modes.

Asics

Terrex Speed Ultra

RunRepeat found the Adidas Terrex Speed Ultra to have a grippy outsole and great lockdown, while iRunFar noted that the shoe works on a variety of trail conditi…

★★★★★ 4.5

Skratch Labs

Sport Hydration Mix

Clean electrolyte drink mix with real fruit flavor. Low sugar.

$20 ★★★★★ 4.5

Salomon

ADV Skin 12

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

$180 ★★★★★ 4.8

Petzl

NAO RL

1500-lumen reactive lighting headlamp with 15-hour runtime. Automatic brightness adjustment.

$150 ★★★★★ 4.7

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 Labor Pain 12 Hour Endurance Trail Run, organised by Pretzel City Sports, is a timed trail race in Reading, PA, with a 12-hour limit. Now in its tenth edition, it has been a fixture since 2015.

Runners complete a 5-mile loop, 95% of which is single or double track rustic trails, with the remaining 5% on dirt roads, asphalt, and grass. This format means the challenge is not a set distance but how many loops can be completed within the 12-hour time limit.

Similar races

Other trail ultras of the same format.