Fire on the Mountain 50K & 25K

The Fire on the Mountain Ultra Marathon course measures approximately 32.8 miles and features an out-and-back presentation in a style similar to the beloved Catoctin 50K. However, the RD does not feel this course runs like a traditional out-and-back course in that the experience in the reverse direction, especially the final quarter of the race, is a very different experience than what runners traversed on the first quarter of the race. Come on out and try a training run if you don’t believe it.

The course will, as always, start at Point Lookout on Carroll Road in the southeast corner of Green Ridge State Forest’s 48,000-plus acres. After 0.2 miles of dirt road and about 1 mile of downhill on hardcap, runners will enter the Long Pond (red) trail. The red trail intersects with the Deep Run/Big Run (green) trail, which takes you to Kirk Road and Log Roll Overlook (at mile 16.4, it remains the “oasis” and midway as in FOTM’s first five years).

Runners simply retrace their steps back 16.4 miles to reach the finish line. The course change significantly lowers the cost of staging the event by eliminating the need for buses. As for degree of difficulty, the RD thinks it’s harder than before.