JFK 50 Mile 2026: Course, Cutoffs, Crew Points and What to Carry
Quick answer: The JFK 50 Mile is on Saturday, November 21, 2026. One mass start goes at 6:30 AM in downtown Boonsboro, Maryland, and the 50.2 mile point to point course finishes at Springfield Middle School in Williamsport, with a 13 hour limit. You run about ten miles of rocky Appalachian Trail, 26.3 flat miles of C&O Canal towpath and 8.4 miles of farm roads. Crews may meet you only at three points, pacers are not allowed and personal listening devices are banned anywhere on the course. 2026 entries are sold out, so this guide is for runners who are in, and for their crews.
JFK 50 Mile 2026 at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date and start | Saturday, November 21, 2026, one mass start at 6:30 AM; the start line closes at 6:35 AM |
| Start | Downtown Boonsboro, MD, across from the Historic Boonsboro Inn |
| Finish | Springfield Middle School, Williamsport, MD; open until 7:30 PM |
| Distance | 50.2 miles, point to point |
| Time limit | 13 hours, with nine cutoffs (table below) |
| Aid | The race lists a minimum of 14 fully stocked aid stations |
| Crew access | Weverton, Antietam Aqueduct and Taylor's Landing only |
| Pacers and headphones | Neither is allowed |
From the JFK 50 Mile race site and its race details page, read October 10, 2026.
The course in three parts
- Miles 0 to 15.5, roads and the Appalachian Trail: pavement out of Boonsboro and a climb of 1,172 feet to the Appalachian Trail, then rocky ridge running. The section ends with the steep Weverton Cliffs switchbacks, which drop about 1,000 feet to the Potomac. The race page gives the trail section as miles 5.5 to 15.5 but also says the course reaches the trail at mile 2.5, so check the course map for the exact point.
- Miles 15.5 to 41.8, the C&O Canal towpath: 26.3 flat miles of dirt along the Potomac, past Harpers Ferry and Shepherdstown.
- Miles 41.8 to 50.2, farm roads: you leave the towpath at Dam #4 and finish on 8.4 miles of gently rolling roads into Williamsport.
The course map PDF shows the mile markers, aid stations, cutoff times and an elevation profile. If you want to practise reading one before race day, see how to read a trail race course profile.
Cutoffs
| Mile | Location | Elapsed time | Clock time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 | South Mountain Inn | 0:45 | 7:15 AM |
| 9.3 | Gathland Gap | 2:45 | 9:15 AM |
| 15.5 | Weverton | 5:00 | 11:30 AM |
| 27.3 | Antietam Aqueduct | 7:30 | 2:00 PM |
| 34.4 | Snyder's Landing | 9:15 | 3:45 PM |
| 38.7 | Taylor's Landing | 10:15 | 4:45 PM |
| 41.8 | Dam #4 | 11:00 | 5:30 PM |
| 46.0 | Downsville | 12:00 | 6:30 PM |
| 50.2 | Finish, Williamsport | 13:00 | 7:30 PM |
Runners who miss a cutoff must withdraw and receive no time or medal. Anyone still on the course after 7:30 PM is picked up by sweeper vehicles. Every official finisher under 13 hours receives a medallion.
Water, aid and what to carry
The race promises a minimum of 14 fully stocked aid stations but names only the nine cutoff points, and it does not list what the stations serve. Before you decide how much to carry, mark every station from the course map on your own pace chart. Two stretches are worth planning on purpose:
- Weverton (15.5) to Antietam Aqueduct (27.3): 11.8 miles of towpath between named checkpoints. There are aid stations in between, so find them on the map rather than assuming the gap.
- Taylor's Landing (38.7) to the finish (50.2): 11.5 miles in which your crew cannot reach you.
Plan your water by the time to the next reliable refill, not by the mile count, as we explain in how much water to carry on a trail run. If you want both hands free for the rocky Appalachian Trail section and the Weverton switchbacks, a vest carries your water on your chest instead of in your hands. A 5L vest such as the LECAMO ROOT5 comes with two 500ml soft flasks, one liter in total, and has room for a phone, fuel and a light layer. If you want space for a warmer layer and more food, the ROOT8 is an 8L vest that ships with two soft flasks. You can compare all three capacities on our trail running packs page.
Buying a new vest for JFK? Run in it at least once with your full race load before race day. The pack chooser compares the 5L, 8L and 18L packs.
Daylight, cold and a light
NOAA normals for Hagerstown give a November average high of 54°F and an average low of 37°F, so you start cold and may warm up through the day. On November 21 the sun rises at about 7:02 AM and sets at about 4:52 PM in Williamsport, and civil twilight ends at about 5:21 PM (our calculation from the NOAA sunrise equation). The 6:30 AM start is about half an hour before sunrise, and the finish stays open until 7:30 PM, so a runner on pace for 11 to 13 hours finishes in the dark. The race pages do not list a headlamp rule. If your pace chart has you on course after about 5 PM, carry a light where you can reach it without stopping; our guide to carrying a headlamp in a running vest covers where to pack it.
Crew, pacers and rules
- Crew points: Weverton (the race lists it at mile 15.0 for crews), Antietam Aqueduct (27.3) and Taylor's Landing (38.7). There is no crew access on the last 8.4 miles, and violations lead to disqualification. Our article on fast vest handoffs with your crew can help you plan those three stops.
- No pacers anywhere on the course.
- No personal listening devices anywhere on the course. Officials will disqualify runners using them, and the race explains that the Appalachian Trail is single track with dangerous footing.
- No bicycles on any part of the course, including for crews.
Packet pickup, parking and buses
- Packet pickup and expo: Thursday and Friday of race week, 3:00 to 7:00 PM, at Homewood Suites by Hilton Hagerstown, 1650 Pullman Lane, Hagerstown, MD 21740. No numbers are given out on race morning.
- Start parking: Boonsboro Educational Complex (MD Rt. 66 and U.S. Alt. Rt. 40), about a 10 minute walk to the start line.
- Bag transport: bags go from the start staging area to the finish. Label yours with your name, address and phone number and leave valuables out. Our guide to preparing a finish bag separate from your race vest covers what to pack.
- Spectators at the finish: park at Williamsport High School and take the shuttle.
- Return buses: from Williamsport back to the Boonsboro Educational Complex, 3:00 to 8:30 PM.
Awards and a little history
The top 10 men and women share prize money from $1,500 for first to $250 for tenth, and a new course record earns a $3,000 bonus. Age group, team and Kennedy Cup awards (for the first five runners from the same military branch or base) are presented at Springfield Middle School. In 2025, Hans Troyer won in 5:10:24 and Jade Belzberg won the women's race in 6:07:53. The race was first held in the spring of 1963, took the name JFK 50 Mile Memorial in 1964, and calls itself America's oldest ultramarathon.
FAQ
Can I still enter the 2026 JFK 50 Mile?
No. The race site says 2026 registration is sold out.
Can I run with headphones at JFK?
No. Personal listening devices are prohibited anywhere on the course, and officials will disqualify runners who use them.
Where can my crew meet me?
Only at Weverton, Antietam Aqueduct and Taylor's Landing. There is no crew access on the last 8.4 miles.
Do I need a headlamp?
The race does not list one as required, but the sun sets at about 4:52 PM and the finish is open until 7:30 PM. If you expect to be out after about 5 PM, carry a light.
How long is the towpath section?
26.3 miles, from mile 15.5 to mile 41.8, flat and on dirt along the Potomac.
Sources: JFK 50 Mile race site and course map, RunSignUp, UltraRunning Magazine 2025 recap, NOAA 1991-2020 normals via Current Results. Read October 10, 2026. Sunrise and sunset times are our own calculation. LECAMO is not affiliated with the JFK 50 Mile.