Note: this is the final Bethel Hill Moonlight Boogie 50-mile event. The marathon’s future is undecided; it may happen in 2025 or it may not.
The Bethel Hill Moonlight Boogie 50 mile event and Boogie Marathon will be hot and hilly and the difficulty is quite often underestimated by participants. It’s not an event to expect a new PR but it is one that you will get great satisfaction from finishing.
Marathoners Be Warned – this is not your normal marathon. This is all rural, not a city marathon. You will be in the middle of nowhere all the time with no porta-potties, no splits, no mile markers, no spectators, and late in the run possibly even no other runners. There are only 6 houses on the course and they have dogs. Aid stops are over 5 miles apart, so you will need to carry a water bottle. If you decide to quit, there are no pick-up vans, so you will either have to walk to the aid station or hitch a ride with somebody. The race will start at 6 pm and the temperature will probably be about 85 degrees with little shade. Darkness comes about 9 pm and there are no street lights. You will need a light for the reasons cited in the waiver. If you need to be catered to every couple of miles along the course or worry running in the dark, perhaps you should not come. We really have seen everything listed in the waiver except the polecats and they are there too. The drop out rate among veteran 50-milers is usually 40% or so. Think long and hard before you enter this event. Ask yourself “Am I ready for this. Or would I be better off doing an event where I still have somebody to look after me.” If you’re not ready to step up and be responsible for yourself all the way, stay away. Find an easier event.
Both courses are now certified. Five repeats of a 6-mile loop and a 4-mile out-and-back for the fifty miler. All rural and all paved. There are several long hills and some smaller ones too. This is not mountainous but is definitely not flat. The marathon course is the same as the 50 but with less repeats. Marathoners and 50 milers start together. Shortly after the start marathoners will make a left turn and do an out-and-back that is necessary to get the distance correct. The out-and-back just after the start is only done once and is not repeated on later laps. 50 milers will not do the early out-and-back.
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6 pm start time
This was a no frills, laid back race offering marathon and 50 mile distances. Both races start at the same time which happens to be 6 pm. This very hilly … MORE
This was a no frills, laid back race offering marathon and 50 mile distances. Both races start at the same time which happens to be 6 pm. This very hilly course has a 6 mile loop followed by a 4 mile out and back. 50 milers did the full course 5 times. Marathoners did an initial .2 side out and back, then two full laps and a final 6 mile loop.
Parking was along the course at the start/finish area, at the junction of the 6 mile loop and 4 mile out and back. Runners were then able to use their vehicles as their personal aid stops. There were on course aid stations and the start/finish line plus along the 6 mile loop, offering the usual race fare.
Definitely bring a head lamp and bug spray, along with sunscreen (it was 84 degrees at the start, with just partial shade).
All finishers received a locally made pottery mug.