*61st JFK 50 Mile Ultra Marathon
When:61st Annual JFK 50 Mile 'America's Oldest Ultramarathon'
Starting at the Town Square on Main Street at 6:30AM, participants will make their way to the Old South Mountain Inn where they join the Appalachian Trail at mile 2.5 at 1,172 feet in elevation. This section of the AT is very rocky as it rolls across the mountain ridge. At approximately 14.5 miles the course drops over 1,000 feet in a series of steep switchbacks that then connects with the C&O Canal towpath. This section of the race is 26.3 miles of mostly flat unpaved surface. The route leaves the C&O Canal towpath at Dam #4 and follows paved roads the last 8.4 miles to the finish at Springfield Middle School in Williamsport.
In the 1960’s the JFK 50 Mile was one of many events held around the Country as part of President John F. Kennedy’s push for physical fitness. Washington County's is now the ONLY original remaining event. Open to everyone, the JFK 50 Mile is in spirit a Military race. The initial inspiration behind the event came from President Kennedy challenging his Military Officers to meet the requirements that President Roosevelt had set for his own Military Officers, to be able to cover 50 miles on foot in 20 hours to maintain their commissions.
www.jfk50mile.org
www.facebook.com/jfk50mile