Escape the Notch is not a road marathon and half marathon. Both races will be run on the East Coast Greenway. The course is a mix of stone dust and gravel footing. The first 6 miles of the marathon will be on paved bike path.
The full marathon starts near the Bolton Notch Park trail head. Runners will head west on Charter Oak Greenway for 3 miles before heading back to the starting line and then will head North onto the Hop River Trail for 3.6 miles before turning back and continuing on the Hop River Trail heading to Columbia. Runners will enjoy a “Net” downhill from 13.1 miles to the finish line in Columbia. Course limit will be 6 hours.
The half marathon starts at Bolton Notch Park trail head. Runners will head South on the Hop River Trail. Runners will enjoy a “Net” downhill run into the finish line in Columbia. Course limit will be 5 hours.
The goodies:
– Long Sleeve shirt
– Finisher medal
– Custom race bib
– Post race food pack
– Chip timing; both races will have splits on the course for runner tracking
– Water refill stations
– Full Marathon will have 7 aid stations
– Half Marathon will have 3 aid stations
– You must provide your own water containing device, e.g. Bottle, hydration pack, etc.
– The water refill stations on the course will not have anything besides water. (This is a cupless event.)
– Any additional nutrition you must provide yourself.
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Beautiful course through the leaves!
Super small, inaugural race with only 20 marathoners, but excellent organization! Race started on time, just after the RD gave a full description of the course. There were volunteers at … MORE
Super small, inaugural race with only 20 marathoners, but excellent organization! Race started on time, just after the RD gave a full description of the course. There were volunteers at all road crossings and turns, so it was easy to navigate the course. Runner tracking, wooden medals, and nice, soft tech shirts were all nice touches, especially for such a small race.
There are a few hills in the first 6 miles, but after that, it’s all on a rail trail. Therefore, there are slight inclines/declines, but overall, a very pleasant run through the woods of CT.
Due to CoVID, there was no transportation available from the finish back to the start, but Uber was readily available. I would highly recommend this race for anyone looking for a fall marathon in the Northeast.