Wild Goose Trail Festival
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Wild Goose Trail Festival
Wild Goose Trail Festival takes place September 18–20, 2026 at Ringwood State Park in Ringwood, New Jersey. The event uses three repeatable trail loops and a single central aid station, with staggered starts so participants are on course across the weekend. The organizers relocated the 2026 festival to Ringwood after the original host park could not staff the event and kept the course layout close to the original plan.
Race format includes multiple timed and distance options:
- 36-hour format
- 100 miles
- 100K
- 50 miles
- 50K
- 13.1 miles
- 10K
- Kids 1 mile
Three loop lengths are used repeatedly: 4.75 miles, 5.5 miles, and 7.75 miles. Trail terrain combines hard-packed wide trails and technical singletrack with rocks and roots. Approximate elevation gain by distance includes 11,025 ft for the 100 mile, 6,502 ft for the 100K, 5,009 ft for the 50 mile, 3,520 ft for the 50K, 1,200 ft for the half marathon, and 500 ft for the 5.5 mile loop.
Cutoffs are specified by distance: 36 hours for the 100M/100K/50M, 12 hours for the 50K, and 10 hours for the half marathon and the 5.5 mile loop. Capacity is capped at 500 participants across all events. Ringwood requires a $5 parking hangtag payable in cash; public transit is not available and organizers can assist with carpool coordination. The festival partners with Bigger Than The Trail, a 501(c)(3) organization focused on mental health support through trail running. The event does not offer refunds; published deferral and volunteer-for-deferral policies apply. Banditing is prohibited. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
