OCTOBER 21, 2023
Sassquad Trail Running and the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference are proud to present the Harriman Big Bear SquaTCh South Half Marathon at Harriman State Park in Tuxedo, New York! Join us at 9am on Saturday October 21, 2023 for this historic trail half marathon. All runners and hikers will experience non-stop trail beauty on this single loop course through Harriman State Park! Your race registration is directly helping the Trail Conference restore the 100 year-old Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail. (The capitalized "TC" in SquaTCh stands for "Trail Conference"!!)
TRAIL PARTY DETAILS
CHECK-IN
The race will start and finish at Powerhouse Park: 57 Powerhouse Lane, Tuxedo, NY 10987. Check-in will be open from 8:15am-8:45am where you will receive your handcrafted wood medal (made with squatchy love in the Squatch Shop), race swag and bib. Runners and hikers will take home a swag item of their choice, we will have buffs, hats, travel mugs, beach towels available! Please note: pacers are not allowed. Members of the Trail Conference will be at the race to chat with you about the amazing work they are doing in New York and New Jersey.
CHARITY PARTNER
We are proud to be co-hosting this trail party with our friends at the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference! Please consider donating by using the add-on feature during registration. The NYNJTC maintains and protects over 2,000 miles of trails in New York and New Jersey. Your race registration is directly helping the Trail Conference restore the 100 year-old Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail.
TRAIL PARTY LOCATION
The race will start and finish at Powerhouse Park: 57 Powerhouse Lane, Tuxedo, NY 10987
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Start time: 9am
Check-in: 8:15am-8:45am
4.7M Aid Station Cutoff - 11:15am
9.5m Aid Station Cutoff - 12:45pm
13.1M Cutoff: 2pm (5 hours)
COURSE MARKINGS
The course will be well-marked with neon pink/reflective ribbon. We have large red directional arrows at each of the turns.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The 13.1 mile routes highlights the technical trails, beautiful views and steep climbs of Harriman State Park (this is not a flat course!). The course will be well-marked with neon trail ribbon and large directional arrows.
AID STATION
Our Volunteer Dream Team will bring all of the Trail Magic to the Aid Station! The first water/food aid station is at mile 4.7ish and the second water/food aid station is at around mile 9.5ish. Aid Station may include the following: fruit, ice pops, GF fruit snacks, granola bars, GF oreos, GF pretzels, GF tortilla chips etc.
REQUIRED GEAR
"NATURE"
Harriman State Park is home to a variety of critters. So this is your "nature disclaimer". Yes, there are Black Bears at Harriman. Here is what ya need to do if you see a bear during the race (this is from the NJ Dept of Environmental Protection): If you see a bear, make it aware of your presence and use common sense. Never approach the animal; observe it only from a distance. Clapping, talking, singing or making other noise lets the bear know you are nearby. Remain standing, avoid direct eye contact, back up slowly and speak in a calm, assertive voice if you encounter a bear at close range. Do not run.... More information on Bear Encounters.
VOLUNTEER DREAM TEAM
Our Volunteer Dream Team is what makes all of the Trail Magic happen! Join us as a Volunteer at this trail party as we support our squatchtastic running community. We have many Volunteer opportunities available such as Check-In, Aid Station Crew, Course Sweepers etc. Click here to Volunteer!
Safety first! Make no mistake about it - this is not a flat half marathon. The trails are technical and have some steep and rugged sections. ALL participants are REQUIRED to have the following with them at all times:
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Charged cell phone
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Water bottle or hydration pack
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At least 200 extra calories
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Whistle (most running packs have a whistle built into them)
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Course Map (you will receive this at check-in)
The following items are recommended, but not required:
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GPX of course map on phone or device
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Poles
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External battery pack for phone
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Buff/hat/gloves
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Wipes
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Ziploc baggie to pack out trash
GETTING TO THE RACE
The start/finish is at Powerhouse Park in Tuxedo, NY. When you turn onto East Village Road from 17, make your first left into the park parking lot. We will have Volunteers there to assist with parking.
FAQS
CAN I HAVE A PACER?
No pacers are allowed.
WHAT IS THE WEATHER LIKE?
October could really be any temp! Check the forecast for Tuxedo, NY. We should see some great fall foliage!
CAN I BRING MY DOG?
WILL I SEE SASQUATCH?
Sorry, but Buddy has to stay at home for this race. Our liability insurance does not cover dogs running our races; thank you for understanding!
CAN I SIGN MY KIDS UP?
We sure hope you do! Make sure you take a selfie with him if you see Squatchy out there!
WHAT WILL BE AT THE AID STATION?
Yes! We want the WHOLE family to come out to our events! Just understand that kids have the same rules as the adults, they have to finish each lap in an hour or less. We have a special discount code for families registering 3 or more Squatches in the same household. Please email us (trailpartydirector@sassquadtrailrunning.com) before you register so we can give you the code! Once you have the code, be sure to register your child separately and agree to the waiver for minors. And make sure to keep track of little Sally before during and after the race. We only have 1 search-party and they're already out there looking for Sasquatch.
WILL I SEE ANY WILDLIFE?
Bears. Beets. Battlestar Gallatica. Harriman State Park is home to many critters, including black bears, deer, beavers and coyotes. We are utilizing heavily trafficked trails, so it is unlikely you will encounter any larger critters!
Aid Station may include the following: fruit, ice pops, GF fruit snacks, granola bars, GF oreos, GF pretzels, GF tortilla chips etc.
WHAT ADDRESS SHOULD I USE TO GET TO THE PARK?
57 Powerhouse Lane, Tuxedo-NY
WILL THE COURSE BE MARKED?
We will have bright colored ribbons along the course and plenty at all of the turns. We will also have large directional arrows at each turn.
CAN I GET A REFUND?
Unfortunately we do not offer refunds for our non-refundable registration fee. Thank you for understanding!.
ME AND MY FRIEND AREN'T REGISTERED FOR THE RACE, BUT WE'RE STILL PLANNING ON COMING TO RUN. WE WON'T EAT FROM THE AID STATION OR TAKE A MEDAL OR SWAG. THIS IS OKAY, RIGHT?
NO THIS IS NOT OKAY. This is called being a "race bandit" and it is stealing. Not paying for a race and running the race is stealing from the race organization (even if you're not taking food or swag). Don't do this at a Sassquad trail party or ANY other race. It's not okay. And if you hear about someone else doing this, call them out. If you bandit a race, you will be banned from registering for any of our Sassquad events.