Location, Parking & Schedule
Race HQ is at Watkins Lodge in Ontario County Park at Gannett Hill. Driving past the Lodges, there is a one-way, counter-clockwise loop for accessing a baseball field and several pavilions. We have reserved these pavilions for event parking. We will be directing traffic on the day of the races, so keep an eye out for our volunteers. We would like to fill in spaces starting at the end of the loop, so keep driving forward on the loop until directed.
Please do not park on the race course, the main park road, or the lot by Wilson Lodge. Please do not park in the small lots by the jump off, as these are reserved for other visitors to the park. Note that the main park road is one-way, counter-clockwise, so be careful when leaving the park.
7:00 AM - Packet pickup and same day registration open @ Watkins Lodge
8:00 AM - Early start of the long course
8:45 AM - Packet pickup and same day registration closes
9:00 AM - Regular start of the long course
9:05 AM - Packet pickup re-opens. After the start of the Half the field will be set, so no new registrations.
9:45 AM - Packet pickup closes
10:00 AM - Start of the short course
11:00 AM - Post-race food and drinks available @ Watkins Lodge
Course
The course consists of mostly rolling tree-covered single-track located mostly around the summit of Gannett Hill, the highest point in Ontario County. You will run on nearly every trail within Ontario County Park, as well as several miles on the Finger Lakes Trail and private property. There will be rocks, roots, wooden bridges, and some awe-inspiring views.
Aid Stations
There will be three fully-staffed aid stations around miles 3, 6, and 9 with water, Skratch Labs Hydration, GU gels, candy, watermelon, and salty snacks. We strongly encourage long course runners to bring their own hydration packs, especially if the weather is warm. We encourage everyone to bring their own drinking vessel of choice, as the number of cups at aid stations will be limited. We will entertain requests for transporting personal drop bags to aid stations.
Short Course
The short course starts just like the long course, but runners will turn a different direction at Aid Station 1 (approximately mile 3). The course stays completely within Ontario County Park and stays on trails with relatively little elevation change.
Friday Activities
We encourage all athletes to camp over the weekend at Ontario County Parks. If you're looking for a place for dinner on Friday, we recommend:
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Brew and Brats (4 min drive)
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Roots Cafe (10 min drive)
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Naples Wood Fired Pizza (12 min drive)
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Birdhouse Brewing (19 min drive)
Saturday morning we'll put out some breakfast foods consisting of fruit, oatmeal, coffee, tea, and baked goods from Plenty the Bakery.
Post-Race Activities
After the race, kick up your feet and hang out with us in Watkins Lodge for a while. Post-race activities will include:
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Hand-made burritos from R's Market!
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Beer from Peacemaker Brewing and a wide selection of other beverages!
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A variety of fruit and snacks!
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Cheering for finishers!
Volunteers
Ontario Summit runs on the spirit of volunteerism. We would like to reward this with some special giveaways:
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All volunteers will receive breakfast, post-race meal, and a race shirt.
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Four key volunteer positions (Crossroads Station Captain, Gell Station Captain, Finish Captain, and Sweeper) will also receive their choice of
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Entry to Ontario Summit 2028;
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Entry to Common Ground Winter Trail Series 2028; or
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Two tickets to the Trail Running Film Festival 2028
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Any non-profit organization volunteering as a group of 5 or more will receive a portion of the race revenue, to be determined after the event.
Use the Volunteer registration button or contact the Race Director for more information.
Event Policies
Registration fee is:
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Half marathon: $40 (+ $3.50 in UltraSignup fees). No price increases.
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Short course: $25 (+ $3.50 in UltraSignup fees). No price increases.
Distance switching will be allowed at any time up to race-day check-in. There is no fee.
Deferrals to next year's event will be allowed through September 10th at 11:59PM ET. There is no fee for deferrals.
Refunds will be available through September 3rd at 11:59PM ET. Refunds will include 100% of the registration fee, but will not include UltraSignup fees.
The Race Director reserves the right to disqualify participants for unsporty actions, including:
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Any abusive behavior towards race staff, volunteers, or fellow participants. Zero tolerance.
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Littering, excessive damage to the trails, or tampering with course markings.
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Receiving aid outside designated areas or pacing from non-participants.
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Course-cutting, in particular cutting across switchbacks. In most cases, participants who run short will not be removed from the results, but may not be eligible for awards.
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