A 103-mile single loop circumnavigating the Pine Creek watershed in the remote Pennsylvania Wilds, with 20,000+ feet of climbing on the storied Mid State and Black Forest Trails. “Graduate-level trail running” by the race’s own description, with a finish rate that has averaged just under 50% since 2014.
Quick facts
- Location: Little Pine State Park, Day-Use Area, Waterville, PA (start/finish)
- Date: August 8–9, 2026 (start 5:00am Saturday, cutoff 5:00pm Sunday)
- Distance: 103 miles, single loop, 98% single/double-track; 36-hour cutoff
- Website: easternstates100.com
- Contact: Benjamin Mazur (Race Director) and Jade Oakes (Co-Race Director), via easternstates100.com — an Eastern States Trail-Endurance Alliance event
- Registration: Opens October 1 annually, first come first served, 300-runner cap. Requires a completed 50K-or-longer trail race since Jan. 1, 2024 to register.
Course description
A single, non-repeating 103-mile loop through the Allegheny Plateau’s “PA Wilds” region, circumnavigating a portion of the Pine Creek watershed — nicknamed the “Lost and Bewildered River.” The course visits storied trails including the Mid State Trail and the Black Forest Trail, along with named sections like Wolf Path, Cougar Run, Hemlock Mountain, Jerry Run Falls, Panther Run, and the Algerine Wild Area, crossing single track, old logging roads, and abandoned stone quarries. Deer, black bear, bald eagles, and rattlesnakes are all regularly seen on course. Other than well-stocked aid stations, the only signs of civilization runners pass through are Ramsey, Blackwell, Hyner Run State Park, and Slate Run — this is a genuinely remote course run in the heat and humidity of August.
Elevation change
Over 20,000 feet of climbing, with a net elevation change exceeding 40,000 feet — some of the longest, most technical and remote climbs of any Eastern 100-miler. In nine runnings since 2014, only one finisher has ever broken 20 hours.
Aid stations
17 aid stations line the course, stocked with water, Tailwind hydration/energy drink, ginger ale, cola, and standard aid-station food, with soup and hot coffee at later stations. Drop bags are accepted Saturday morning only and transported to five stations: AS3 Lower Pine Bottom, AS7 Hyner Run, AS10 Tomb Flats, AS12 Blackwell, and AS14 Barrens. Crews and spectators are permitted only at AS3, AS7, AS10, and AS12 — crewing anywhere else risks the runner’s disqualification. Pacers may join starting at AS7 Hyner Run.
Special conditions & average temps
Early August in the PA Wilds typically brings a high near 82°F and a low near 63°F, with roughly a 1-in-3 chance of an afternoon thunderstorm and real humidity throughout. Both the 2023 and 2024 editions were affected by severe weather, with 2024 canceled outright after remnant flooding from Hurricane Debby triggered a statewide disaster declaration. Since the race began in 2014, the average finish rate across nine runnings is just 49.8%, dropping into the 30% range in especially hot years — this is not a course that forgives underpreparation.
Recent results — top 3, men & women
The 2024 race was canceled due to flooding from Hurricane Debby; the years below are the three most recent runnings.
2025
- Men: 1. Michael Busada 22:30:28 · 2. Alec Cline 23:16:36 · 3. Gabriel Batdorf 23:16:58
- Women: 1. Justyna Wilson 24:49:37 (masters course record) · 2. Marissa Kovach 27:10:20 · 3. Carre Zatwarnytsky 27:46:15
2023
- Men: 1. Reagan McCoy 22:23:59 · 2. Eddie Pantoja 22:59:35 · 3. Raymond Stoltzfus 23:09:13
- Women: 1. Karen Dunn 25:30:54 · 2. Colleen Moffatt 25:39:49 · 3. Justyna Wilson 26:49:11
2022
- Men: 1. Ryan Clifford 20:13:27 · 2. Emanuel King 22:47:35 · 3. Tristan Baxendale 23:47:10
- Women: 1. Justyna Wilson 26:04:37 · 2. Nicole Werner 27:58:52 · 3. Jill Dennes 29:09:42
Registration deadline & how to get in
Registration opens October 1 each year on a first-come, first-served basis for a 300-runner cap, at $295 entry. All entrants must have completed an officially organized 50K-or-longer trail race (with publicly posted results) since January 1, 2024 before registering — timed events, FKTs, OCRs, and non-trail races don’t qualify. The race explicitly states it is not entry-level: “if you need to ask whether you are prepared, the answer is likely no.”
Traveling to this race? Find lodging near the venue via Hotels.com.