The Lake Arthur Half Marathon is a combination trail and pavement race taking place at Moraine State Park. The majority of the first half of the race is on the challenging single-track North Country Trail with majority of the second half on the paved North Shore bike path.
Course
The Lake Arthur Half Marathon will start on the North Country Trail at McDanels. The course follows the crushed stone section of the North Country Trail for about 1/2 mile to the North Shore Bike Rental. Stay to the right side of the parking lot and make a right turn onto the paved North Shore Bike Path. Follow the bike path for less than 1/2 mile and make a left onto the single track section of the North Country Trail. You will cross North Shore Drive very soon after getting on this trail. Follow this trail for about 3.5 miles to Mount Union Rd. Cross Mount Union Road and continue on the North Country Trail passing a pond. You will soon come to a sign that says “Marina.” Take the right branch of the trail toward the marina. This trail will lead you to Davis Hollow Marina. Once you are at the marina, follow the course markings to get onto the North Shore Bike Path at the Moraine Outdoor Center. Follow the North Shore Bike Path for about 7.25 miles back to the North Shore Bike Rental and then make your way to the finish where the race started.
Window Start
All half marathon participants will have from 8:00 am to 8:30 am to start the race in order to aid social distancing. The start will be chip timed so there is no penalty to starting later. All results will be based on net (chip) time.
Restrooms & Aid Stations
Portable restrooms will be placed near the start/finish area and along the course.
Aid Stations with refreshments and first aid kits will be available along the course.
Race Parking will be available near the Start/Finish area at the McDanel Boat Launch in the grass fields by the trail. Please do not park in the area closest to the lake and boat launch.
Awards
Awards will be given to the Top 3 Overall Male and Female Open & Masters Finishers as well as the top 3 male and female finishers in the following age groups: 19 & Under, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60+. There will be no in-person awards ceremony due to Covid-19. All awards will be mailed. A virtual awards ceremony will be posted on YouTube in the week following the event.
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Technical trail/ bike-path hybrid.
The race was a mix between very hilly technical trails ( 1000 feet of elevation gain) and bike paths. There was a good walk from the packet pick up area … MORE
The race was a mix between very hilly technical trails ( 1000 feet of elevation gain) and bike paths. There was a good walk from the packet pick up area to the start line. The course started on a bike path and turned onto a narrow wooded trail. The turns on the course were marked by very small blue plastic flags, and I missed the turn from the bike Path onto the trail. Let’s just say I did some bonus miles. After that initial mishap, I was paranoid about saying on the course for the rest of the race.
It had rained the evening before and the trail was slick and muddy. There were very technical areas about the the inclines and declines were somewhat slick. This is definitely a race to run in trail shoes. The path or somewhat narrow, but the trails very enjoyable if you enjoy off road running.
At about the halfway point, the race transitioned from the trail to a shaded bike path which ran along the shoreline of Lake Arthur. Despite the extra distance, I really enjoyed the scenery on this course. The finisher medal for the race was simple, but I really liked the gear bag that was included for participants.
The volunteers and staff on the course were very friendly and helpful. Bottled waters and Gatorade’s were provided every 2 miles or so. They were also occasional snacks at some aid stations as well.
If you are adventurous and enjoy off-road hiking/running, I would highly recommend this course if you can get the western Pennsylvania.