Here you can pick up a pacer, access your drop bag or crew and head back out for the final 13Km loop to complete your ultra in the pines. You’ll again follow the course within the County Park to Highlands Aid but this time following the Soldiers Trail all the way back to the the start/finish area around mile 24.
This will bring you back to Sinclair Aid around the halfway point in your race. Once connecting back with the Soldiers Trail, you continue all the way to the northern end of the park where you’ll hop on the Flagstaff Urban Trail System (FUTS TRAIL) heading north out of the Tuthill Park. Returning into the county park, you’ll follow the Soldiers Trail to the Highlands Trail & Highlands Aid. In an effort to keep some of these trails and to keep the ultra distance interesting, we’ve mapped out a new 53K course.ĥ3K breakdown: Runners will now get to head out of the Fort Tuthill County Park early on heading west on the Rodgers Lake Connector Trail and looping back on the Powerline Trail to Sinclair Aid. There is a section near the Rodgers Lake area that is now considered an easement zone and therefore will not allow us to run on these trails in a permitted race.
May 12 Update – 53 Km: There has been a rather significant change to the original 52K course we had planned on using this June. The course is well graded for beginners while allowing the more experienced runner to stretch their legs and gun for a fast time while still maintaining the challenge of being at a higher elevation. Welcome to the 8th annual Big Pine Trail Runs at Fort Tuthill County Park! Runners will get to experience both the Soldiers Trail and Highlands Trail Loop (6 Km runners will only run on a partial Soldiers Trail loop) which winds through the ponderosa pines above 7,000 ft, eventually topping out on a mesa with expansive views of mountain landscapes before being enveloped back into the trees. The trail ranges from narrow single track to wide well-maintained forest paths. North Parking Lot (just before Flagstaff Extreme on Regiment Road)