Elizabeth Furnace 50 km

All runners who are not intimately familiar with this course should carry turnsheets describing the various blazed trails that will be followed over the course of the run. The turnsheet may be downloaded in the sidebar. Be sure to print it out and bring it with you, as it won’t be available at the start. There will be no other trail markings other than the blazes.

If you are prone to getting lost on mountain runs with unmarked trails, then this run is not for you. If you are color-blind, this run also may not be for you? The course is well marked, but it is marked only by the blazing along the trails. This course has a LOT of turns. In fact, a slight variation on the old Yogi Berra dictum applies to the EFA 50k: If you come to a fork in the trail, take it. At just about every opportunity the runner has to change from one trail to another, with a different color blaze, the course will call upon you to make that turn.

Anyone doing this run might also want to consider downloading a GPX file, which is available in the column on the upper left for your use during the run. As this course winds back on itself in places, you will NOT want to rely solely on the GPX file, but also reference your turnsheet to confirm you are heading the right way at all trail junctions! The area that is particularly tricky is during the Tuscarora Trail section on the Fort Valley side of the mountain. You will be coming down this trail twice from Meneka Peak. The first time you will turn right early on to take the pink-blazed Sidewinder Trail on your way to the first aid station; the second time will be closer to 20 miles, when you will take the second right on the combined blue-orange blazed trail to cross the Fort Valley Road and reach the second aid station.

Aid stations

This fat ass event will have relatively limited aid. Much of this course is inaccessible except on the trails at this time of year, since the Forest Service has to close some of their unpaved roads during the winter. The runners will provide most of their own aid. Each runner in the field should bring their own specific items that will be accessible at the two aid stations. Seal your food items up in two Ziplock bags, labeled with your name on each, and bring them to the check-in at the start. Each will then be waiting for your at Mudhole and at the Furnace. We will endeavor to get them back to the finish once volunteers return from each aid station, so look for them around the Signal Knob Cafe after you finish your run if you wish to reclaim the bags and their remaining contents.

We will also ask each runner to supply a single standard item for use at the common aid stations: Gatorade, sodas, cookies, candy, chips. The aid station volunteers traditionally add some more substantive fare (TBD, but usually some PB&Js, etc). So add other food items you may wish to have at mile 10 and at mile 22 in your two sealed and labeled bags.

Plan for the traditional fun post-run gathering in the Signal Knob parking lot after your finish, as well!

Cutoffs

There is only one cut off: Runners arriving at the Elizabeth Furnace aid station at 21.8 miles after 2:30 PM will be asked not to continue — not that anyone getting there after 7-1/2 hours would be likely to try to continue, especially with the evil climb on the pink trail up to Sherman Gap looming. That final loop of Sherman to Shawl gaps, with a particularly rocky and rolling section of ridge trail connecting them, takes most mid and back of the pack runners close to the 3 hours to negotiate. It is not easy — but it is great training and big fun!

Volunteers

If you can’t run but want to come out and play anyway, we would be happy to get some help from volunteers. Ideally, we would love to have a couple of volunteers at the Mudhole Gap trail head to man that aid station; additional volunteers to help at the Elizabeth’s Furnace aid station; and finally a couple of volunteers to handle the finish line with the RDs. Please contact Quatro Hubbard or Mike Bur if you have any questions about the Elizabeth’s Furnace 50K.

2024 volunteers

• Mike Bur - the Director Dude
• Quatro Hubbard - the Other Director Dude
• Chef Jeff Best - Mudhole Gap/Signal Knob Café
• Jade Graham - Mudhole Gap/Signal Knob Café
• Justin Faul - Mudhole Gap/Elizabeth Furnace
• Homer Komthirath - Signal Knob Café
• Carrie Drummond - Elizabeth Furnace
• Quinn McGlinchey-Drummond - Elizabeth Furnace
• Theresa McBride - Elizabeth Furnace
• Quincy Leech - Elizabeth Furnace
• Theo Mason - Elizabeth Furnace
• Cara Mason - Elizabeth Furnace

Directions to the start at Signal Knob:

From the DC Beltway (I-495) take 1-66 West approx. 60 miles to US 340 south (Exit 6, - the second Front Royal exit). Follow US 340 south 1.1 miles to the traffic light at VA Route 55. Turn right onto VA 55 and follow it west for 5.2 miles to Waterlick. Turn left (south) onto VA Route 678. Follow VA 678 1.8 miles into George Washington National Forest, and a total of 3.4 miles to the marked entrance of the Signal Knob parking lot, located on the right-hand side of the road. Parking can get a little tight on a nice mid-March day, even in this large lot. If you can carpool, please do so; and when parking take care to do so without wasting space. Map.