OCTOBER 19, 2024
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 19, 2024 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"!!) This event WILL sell-out before race day so register early to avoid being added to the waitlist!
TRAIL PARTY DETAILS
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.
REGISTRATION
Half Marathon - $65
WHAT'S INCLUDED?
-
Bib & safety pins
-
Swag item
-
Handcrafted Finishers' Medal
-
Two on-course aid stations with water, Skratch and snacks
-
Awards for top 3 male, female and non-binary
TRAIL PARTY LOCATION
The race will start and finish at Powerhouse Park in Tuxedo, NY
COURSE MARKINGS
The course will be marked with pink ribbons and we have large directional arrows at each of the turns.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
HALF MARATHON: 5 HOUR CUTOFF
Check-in: 8:15am-8:45am
Start time: 9am
Finish line cutoff: 2pm
COURSE DESCRIPTION
There is 1,000 ft of gain in the first 4 miles! The Half Marathon has 2,200+ ft of cumulative gain. After leaving Powerhouse Park and joining the Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail, runners/hikers will enter Harriman and soon bear left on the yellow-blazed Triangle Trail to Parker Cabin Mountain and then bear left on the Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail. After a half mile on the R-D, turn right on the blue-blazed Victory Trail to the end of Lake Skrenonto. At the southern tip of the lake, turn left on the yellow-blazed Triangle Trail. Continue on to the white-blazed White Bar Trail and keep left at the split onto the blue-blazed Blue Disc Trail to Claudius Smith Den. Turn left on the Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail to return to Powerhouse Park for the finish.
REQUIRED GEAR
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:
ALL participants are REQUIRED to have the following with them at all times:
- Charged cell phone
- Water bottle or hydration pack
- At least 200 extra calories
- Whistle (most running packs have a whistle built into them)
- Course Map (you will receive this at check-in)
The following items are recommended, but not required:
- GPX of course map on phone or device
- Poles
- External battery pack for phone
- Buff/hat/gloves
- Wipes
- Ziploc baggie to pack out trash
"NATURE"
Tuxedo, NY is home to a variety of critters. So this is your "nature disclaimer". Yes, there are Black Bears. Here is what ya need to do if you see a bear during the race (this is from the 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!
GETTING TO THE RACE
The start/finish is at Powerhouse Park in Tuxedo, NY. There is a $3 parking fee for the commuter lot
FAQS
CAN I HAVE A PACER?
As with all of our events, Squatchers over the age of 60 and AWD (athletes with disabilities) can have a pacer/guide at any time. Please register your pacer prior to the start of the event! Pacers are not allowed for other runnres and hikers without prior approval from the Trail Party Director.
WHAT IS THE WEATHER LIKE?
The month of Octoberin the Hudson Highlands can see a lot of different weather! Use the weather forecast for Tuxedo, NY and be ready for anything!
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 STATIONS
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. water and Skratch
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. All markers have reflective tape so they will be easy to see at night when your headlamp shines on them.
CAN I GET A REFUND?
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?
Like many other race organizations, we do not offer refunds for our events. Please take the time to double check your calendar before registering for a Trail Party. Please understand that we do not offer refunds under any circumstances. If you notify us via email (not through social media, text or phone call) more than 45 days from the date of the Trail Party, we will extend a deferral to any of our events that fall within one calendar year of the Trail Party that you were registered for. If you sustain an injury less than 45 days from the race date, we will extend a deferral if you come to that race to volunteer for at least 4 hours. The race credit is the amount that you paid for the race (not including UltraSignUp fees) so you will need to cover any difference in fees; refunds will not be issued if the deferred event costs less than your race credit. You can only defer one time so please doublecheck that you can make the race you're deferring to.
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.