5 DE ABRIL DE 2025

Sassquad y la Conferencia de Trail de Nueva York y Nueva Jersey se enorgullecen de presentar la cuarta edición de Harriman Big Bear SquaTCh North en el parque estatal Harriman en Bear Mountain, Nueva York. ¡Únase a nosotros el sábado 5 de abril de 2025 para el evento más difícil de nuestro calendario de Trail Party! ¡Este evento se agotará antes del día de la carrera, así que regístrese temprano para evitar que lo agreguen a la lista de espera!

QUICK STATS

RACE FORMAT: 13.1M, 10K and 10K Ruck on a lollipop course

CUTOFFS: 6 hour cutoff for all events. Half Marathoners need to maintain a 27 min 30 sec per mile pace. 10Kers need to maintain a 58 min per mile pace

ELEVATION/TERRAIN: Very challenging race with breathtaking views! There are steep climbs and descents with cliffs and several scrambling sections. Not recommended for brand new trail runners and folks with a fear of heights and not recommended for kids under the age of 16. The 13.1M has 2,600 ft of elevation gain and the 10K has 1,400 ft of elevation gain.

CAPACITY: Sold out the last 4 years! Typically sells out by the end of March. Capped at 400 participants across all three events.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: Metro-North Railroad / NJ Transit to Peekskill Station or Harriman Station + 20 min rideshare. Please check train/bus schedules; if they don't match your start time; Email us and we can help coordinate a carpool!

This is one of the toughest races in our series. Make no mistake about it, this is a true northeast mountain race! Runners and hikers will experience non-stop trail beauty, scrambling, epic climbs, and vistas. Your race registration is directly helping the Trail Conference maintain the trails at Harriman State Park and Bear Mountain State Park. (The capitalized "TC" in SquaTCh stands for "Trail Conference"!!) 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. Please consider donating to the Trail Conference so they can continue to maintain the trails that we will be enjoying!

WHAT'S INCLUDED IN YOUR REGISTRATION?

Bib & safety pins
Swag item
Handcrafted Finishers' Medal
Aid Stations with water, Skratch and snacks
Awards for top 3 male, female and non-binary

Our course highlights the technical trails, beautiful views, and steep climbs of Harriman State Park. This is NOT a flat course; this is a MOUNTAIN race. We have rerouted this course and changed the distances three out of the four years due to storm damage and trail reroutes. The extensive storm damage from July 2023 still keeps many of the trails at Harriman and Bear Mountain closed. We are using the same 10K and 13.1M courses from 2024 for the 2025 rendition of the Big Bear SquaTCh North. The 10K packs in 1,400 ft of elevation gain and the half marathon climbs over 2,600 ft! Both the 10K and the 13.1M courses are rugged, technical, and have steep climbs/descents, cliffs, and scrambling. This event is not recommended for kids under the age of 16.

The half marathon starts with a 7.5 mile lollipop course that is much less rugged than the second lollipop that follows the 10K course; this lollipop will be marked with blue at the intersection where the 10K and half marathon split up. Half Marathoners will return to the start/finish after the first 7.5M lollipop course before going out for the second lollipop which is the 10K course. The 10K course is tough but your hard work will be rewarded with incredible views of the NYC skyline, the Hudson River and the Hudson Valley. Highlights include Cat's Elbow and West Mountain - it's absolutely squatchtastic!

The start/finish is at the Anthony Wayne Recreation Area off of Palisades Interstate Parkway in Bear Mountain, NY. Interested in carpooling? Email us!

All events:

8:15am-8:45am - Check-in
9:00am - Start
12:30pm - Half Marathon: Mile 7.5 (start of the second lollipop) cutof
3:00PM - Course closes (6 hour cutoff)

There is a 6 hour cutoff for both events. Half Marathoners need to maintain a 27 min 30 sec per mile pace to make the cutoffs. The 10Kers need to maintain a 58 min per mile pace to finish by 3pm (no on-course cutoffs for the 10K).

HOW TO DOWNLOAD GPX

13.1M GPX

10K GPX

The course will be marked with ribbons, and we have large directional arrows at each of the turns. The 10K course is marked in only pink ribbons. The first 8ish miles of the 13.1M are marked in blue ribbons. To learn more about how we mark the course and what the ribbons and signs look like, squatch on over to the Sassquad Trail School to watch the information video about our course markings!

REFUND/DEFERRAL POLICY

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 21 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, minus 15% of the registration fee that you originally paid.
If you sustain an injury less than 21 days from the race date, we will extend a 100% deferral if you come to that race to volunteer. For distances less than 50K, you'll need to volunteer for at least 4 hours and for 50M+ distances, you'll need to volunteer for at least 8 hours to get a 100% deferral.
If the race that you want to drop from is sold-out with an active wait-list and are able to fill your spot: if you notify us via email (not through social media, text or phone call) at least 3 days before the race, 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, minus 15% of the registration fee that you originally paid.

The race credit is the amount that you paid for the race, minus 15% (total credit does 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 double-check that you can make the race you're deferring to.

PREGNANCY, ADOPTION, & POSTPARTUM POLICY

Whether planned or unplanned, the beginning or end of a pregnancy requires healing and recovery time. We are committed to supporting you in this regard. If you are experiencing a pregnancy or postpartum healing and recovery, or have adopted a child, we are pleased to offer a deferral of up to three years from the current event. Simply send us an email and we will arrange the deferral for you. This deferral policy includes partners and spouses and is also extended to folks who are going through the IVF process.

Our race course is NOT flat and the trails are very technical, steep and rugged. Both distances will be a challenge for even the veteran mountain runners/hikers. We do not recommend this event to kids under the age of 16.

ALL participants are REQUIRED to have the following with them at all times:

- Charged cell phone
- Water bottle or hydration pack - we recommend packing at least 1.5L of water.
- At least 200 extra calories
- Whistle (we will give you one at check-in)
- GPX of course map on phone or device

The following items are recommended, but not required:
- Poles
- External battery pack for phone
- Head lamp and extra batteries
- Buff/hat/gloves
- Wipes
- Ziploc baggie to pack out trash

Throughout the course, you'll notice yellow signs with large letters on them (A, B, C etc). These are our Safety Checkpoints; in the event of an emergency, you can use these signs to easily identify your location. As your pass by them, just take mental note in case you need to reference them. The NY State Park Rangers will be on-site to provide any needed support during the event.

AID STATIONS:

The half marathon will go through the Queensboro Aid Station at mile 4 where they will be met by our Volunteer Dream Team who will be ready to dish out snacks and water! We will have snacks, water, and Skratch ready for the half marathoners when they arrive back at the start/finish at mile 7.5 before heading out for the back half of the course. There is a water-only aid station at the West Mountain Shelter around mile 11. The 10K will pass through this water-only aid station at the West Mountain Shelter at mile 4. Please note: both on-course aid stations are NOT crew-accessible! The Queensboro Aid Station is only accessible via a residential deadend street and there is no parking available (even our aid station volunteers have to hike in!). Breaking this rule will jeopardize our permit and standing in the good-local community, so please be respectful of this rule.

PACERS:

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 pre-register your pacer with us before the start of the Trail Party. Pacers are not allowed for folks under the age of 60 and who are not an AWD.

CREW:

All runners/hikers can have a Crew join them at Squatch HQ (the start/finish) for the duration of the event. Crew access is only available at Squatch HQ. Crew cannot aid their runner/hiker at any other spot on the course. Crews are encouraged to bring ice if they anticipate their runner/hiker needing ice during the event. The parking lot at Anthony Wayne is MASSIVE; plenty of room to hang out. Remember, both of the on-course aid stations are NOT crew-accessible. Queensboro Aid Station is only accessible via a residential deadend street and there is no parking available (even our aid station volunteers have to hike in!). Breaking this rule will jeopardize our permit and standing in the good-local community, so please be respectful of this rule.

We've got two divisions for Rucking based on weight: Lightweight (15 lbs) and Heavyweight (30 lbs). Both divisions are open to men, women, and nonbinary athletes. You gotta use a pack or ruck for carrying the weight (no weight vests!). The 15 lbs or 30 lbs is your pack's "dry weight", so that's weight before you add water, snacks, your umbrella and poncho etc etc. All rucking participants will receive a GoRuck patch!

Bear Mountain, 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 noises 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.

FAQ'S

Q: I could get lost in a brown paper bag. Will the course be marked?

A: We will have bright colored ribbons along the course and plenty at all of the turns.

Q: Can I bring my dog?

A: Sorry, but your pup has to stay at home for this race. Our liability insurance does not cover dogs at our events; thank you for understanding!

Q: Are there restrooms at the start/finish area?

A: Yes there are portajohns at the start/finish. These are the only restrooms on the course so we recommend packing wipes (bring a ziploc bag to pack-out your wipes!)

Q: Can I have a pacer?

A: 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 fill out the pacer registration form ahead of time and be sure to pick-up a pacer bib during check-in! Pacers are not allowed for other runners and hikers without prior approval from the Trail Party Director.

Q: 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?

A: 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. If you bandit a race, you will be banned from registering for any of our Sassquad events.

Q: Can I sign my kids up for the Trail Party?

A: We do not recommend this event for kids under the age of 16. 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 Westley and Buttercup before during and after the race. We only have 1 search-party and they're already out there looking for Sasquatch.

GRAN OSO SQUATCH NORTE

GRAN OSO SQUATCH NORTE

QUICK STATS

PREGNANCY, ADOPTION, & POSTPARTUM POLICY

FAQ'S