This trail race takes place in forested, rolling terrain through the lush Northern Virginia woods. It’s primarily well-traveled, single-track dirt trail. There are a handful of tiny stream crossings; most of them have footbridges, but if the park gets heavy storms right before the race, your shoes could get muddy or wet. You’ll visit five aid stations with fluid and food, and the distance between aid stations is no more than about 3 miles.

The course is mostly the same as it’s been since 2005, although a recent reroute of the Bull Run Occoquan Trail has lengthened the second half of the course. The race used to be a little shorter than a true 13.1-mile half-marathon. Now it’s a little longer. (Think of it as more bang for your buck.)

Detailed course description

GPS track of the Women’s Half Marathon. Color of the track (blue, orange) reflects the color with which the trail is blazed.

The race begins in the parking lot of Fountainhead Regional Park. You’ll follow the paved road toward the park entrance on Hampton Road. About 3/4 of a mile later — just before you reach the park entrance — the course veers right off the road onto a blue-blazed trail. (This initial paved section allows runners to spread out and gives you the chance to take a race position you like.)

The rest of the race is on rolling trails. After a little less than 2 miles on the trail (about 2.5 miles cumulative), you reach the first aid station, the Do Loop Aid Station. After passing through this aid station, you enter the famous “Do Loop.”

The Do Loop is like a lollipop on a stick. You’ll run out on the “stick,” turn right, and run the “lollipop” in the counter-clockwise direction. You’ll encounter lots of steep uphills and downhills during this section of the course. To take your mind off the challenge, be sure to watch for the rusted-out Ford Fairlane and Nash Rambler on the loop. (Classy. We spare no expense.) When you get back to the lollipop’s “stick,” you’ll run straight into the Do Loop Aid Station again (5.1 miles cumulative). From the aid station, you’ll retrace your steps back to the paved the park road. Cross the road and hop back on the trail, which veers left to lead you back to the parking lot, where you’ll find the Fountainhead Aid Station (7.5 miles cumulative). To ensure that all runners will be finished by 1 p.m., we will have an intermediate cutoff time of 10:45 a.m. to reach the Fountainhead Aid Station. If you arrive after this time, you may not continue as an official entrant.

From here, you’ll re-enter the woods to your right on the blue-blazed Bull Run Trail and make your way to the Wolf Run Shoals Aid Station (10.9 miles cumulative).¹ From the aid station, you’ll cross Wolf Run Shoals Road and head downhill. After about half a mile, you’ll cross a small stream on a bridge, turn right at the end of the bridge, recross the stream (without the bridge) and go back (a course marshall will guide you). It’s about 10.5 miles cumulative at the bridge. Then it’s back uphill to re-cross Wolf Run Shoals Road, pass through the aid station once more, and retrace your steps back up to the parking lot. Once you reach the trailhead, you’ll turn right onto the grass abutting the parking lot, run through the marked finishing chute, cross the finish line, and bask in the glory of your accomplishment.