Nov 1, 2025
7:00 AM
Trail
$25+
Ipswich
1-100
Challenging
Forested
The 2024 Trail Animals Running Club (TARC) Stone Cat Trail Festival, set for November 2, in Ipswich, Massachusetts, offers a 10K, half marathon, marathon, 50 mile, and 100K, along with a free youth fun run.
Held at Willowdale State Forest, the event is known for its challenging and scenic course, combining double track and single track trails filled with roots and rocks. The rolling terrain of the course has about 1,100 feet of elevation gain per 12.5 mile loop.
All distances from the half marathon onward are on the same 12.5 mile loop. The 100K runners complete this loop five times, 50 mile participants four times, marathoners will do two loops plus two additional 1K loops around the field and school at the start, and half marathon participants will complete one loop plus one additional 1K loop. The 10K race has a different course, sharing the first four miles with the longer distances before splitting for a mile and rejoining for the final stretch back to the start/finish area. The courses have reflective flagging and signs to keep racers on course, but the organizers encourage runners to read the course maps and download the GPX file onto GPS watches.
The race has plenty of cupless aid stations that offer a variety of vegan-friendly snacks and hydration options.
Fees go to the Appalachian Mountain Club, Department of Recreation and Conservation, Essex County Trail Association, and Greenbelt: Essex County’s Land Trust.
Visit the race website to for past race results.
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