Burning River 50 Mile 2027

Expected late July 2027 · Cuyahoga Falls, OH · Point to point through Cuyahoga Valley National Park

miles, point to point

~4,000

ft of climbing

15 hr

cutoff

The Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath curving alongside the canal through lush summer greenery in Cuyahoga Valley National Park — The Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, the spine of the Burning River course. NPS photo, public domain.

The race in 60 seconds

Course

Point to pointCuyahoga Falls to Silver Springs Park in Stow

Terrain

Trail + towpathCuyahoga Valley National Park and Summit Metro Parks

Start

5:30 AMheadlamp for the first ~45 minutes

Cutoff

15 hours18:00 per mile average, aid station cutoffs apply

Organizer

Western Reserve Racingalso runs the 100 mile, marathon, and relay

Field

500 to 1,000across all Burning River events

One thing to know if you're hunting qualifiers: the 100 mile is the Western States qualifier at Burning River. The 50 is not, so pick your distance accordingly.

Narrow gravel trail winding through tall summer grass and wildflowers in Cuyahoga Valley National Park — Singletrack through the Boston area of the park in high summer. NPS photo, public domain.

Moss-covered Sharon Conglomerate rock wall at the Ledges in Cuyahoga Valley National Park — The Sharon Conglomerate at the Ledges in July. Public domain (CC0).

Getting in

No lottery, no qualifying standard: registration is first come, first served, and the price climbs as race day approaches. The 2026 tiers are below as your guide until 2027 fees post. Registering early saves you $50.

When you register	50 mile fee (2026 reference)
Through December	$160
January to April	$170
May to June	$190
July	$210

Pacing the 15-hour cutoff

Fifteen hours sounds generous until mile 35. The table below is overall average pace, including every aid station stop. Most runners bank nothing on the towpath sections and give time back on the singletrack, so know your target band before the gun.

Finish time	Average pace	Feels like
9:00	10:48 /mi	Front of the field
11:00	13:12 /mi	Strong trail runner
13:00	15:36 /mi	Solid first 50, hike the climbs
15:00	18:00 /mi	The cutoff: no cushion for long stops

What race day feels like

Late July in the Cuyahoga Valley typically means lows near 63°F at the 5:30 AM start and highs around 83°F by mid-afternoon, with real humidity. The forgiving part: much of the course sits under tree canopy in the national park. The unforgiving part: you'll run the hottest hours of the day on tired legs, so practice your heat and hydration plan in training, not on race day.

Logistics and where to stay

Burning River is point to point, which means a real logistics plan. The race hub and host hotel is the Sheraton Suites Akron Cuyahoga Falls, walking distance from the start, and the 50 finishes at Silver Springs Park in Stow, about 15 minutes away by car. If you have crew, they drive the gaps; if you're solo, sort your finish-line ride before the race. Cuyahoga Falls and Akron have the closest beds, and booking early matters on race weekend.

More Ohio ultras

Aug 16, 2026Another Dam 50k & 25kEnglewood · 50K, 25K
Sep 5, 2026Tuscazoar Endurance RaceDover · 100M, 75M, 50M, 25M
Sep 12, 2026East Fork 100mi / 100K / 50KBethel · 100M, 100K, 50K, 15M
Sep 12, 2026Hocking Hills Trail RunLogan · 50K, 20M, 10M, 5M, 5K

See every Ohio ultramarathon →

Running Burning River? After the race we publish finisher results matched to the Strava activities runners actually recorded, like our Mohican 50k results page. Check back post-race to find yours.

Facts sourced from Western Reserve Racing and RunSignUp. Photos: National Park Service (public domain) and CC0 via Wikimedia Commons. Last reviewed July 31, 2026. Spot an error? Tell us and we'll fix it fast.