Boonsboro, Maryland · Mixed
Official site ↗JFK 50 Mile
America's oldest ultramarathon: 50.2 miles from Boonsboro to Williamsport, Maryland, over the Appalachian Trail and down the C&O Canal towpath, with a 13-hour limit.
Distances
- Distance
- 50.2 mi (81 km)
- Cutoff
- 13 hr
| Distance | Cutoff |
|---|---|
| 50.2 mi (81 km) | 13 hr |
Course records: Rachel Drake 5:57:33 (2024) · David Sinclair 5:08:27 (2024)
About
The JFK 50 Mile runs every November in Washington County, Maryland, and bills itself as America's oldest ultramarathon. The 2026 race is the 64th. It starts on Main Street in Boonsboro and finishes at Springfield Middle School in Williamsport, 50.2 miles later.
The field is big for an ultra, with 1,112 finishers in 2025, and the front of the race is fast. David Sinclair set the course record of 5:08:27 in 2024, and Rachel Drake set the women's record of 5:57:33 the same day. Jim Walmsley, Hayden Hawks and Adam Peterman all have runs in the race's all-time top ten.
Course
Four sections, point to point. The first 5.5 miles leave Boonsboro on pavement and climb 1,172 feet to the Appalachian Trail, joining it at mile 2.5. About ten miles of rocky ridge follow, ending with the Weverton Cliffs switchbacks, which drop 1,000 feet to the Potomac at mile 15.5. Then come 26.3 flat miles on the dirt of the C&O Canal towpath, past Harpers Ferry and Shepherdstown, to Dam #4 at mile 41.8. The last 8.4 miles are rolling farm roads into Williamsport.
Every aid station has a cutoff, from 7:15 a.m. at South Mountain Inn (mile 2.5) to 6:30 p.m. at Downsville (mile 46.0). Anyone still on the course after 7:30 p.m. is picked up by sweeper vehicles.
How to register
Entry is sign-up on RunSignUp for runners 13 and older, and it sells out. The 2026 window opened at midnight on March 1, and the race says it sold out in record time. Everyone goes off together in one mass start at 6:30 a.m., and the start line closes five minutes later.