Shawnee Trail Runs
West Portsmouth, United States • 11 Oct 2025
Event overview
The Shawnee Trail Runs take place on Saturday, October 11, 2025, in West Portsmouth, Ohio (4404 OH-125). The event offers the following distances:
- 54 Miles - 11,000 feet of climbing
- 50K - 6,500 feet of climbing
- 13.1 Mile - 2,600 feet of climbing
Registration closes on October 9 at 11:59 PM ET.
Course and terrain
The courses run on Shawnee State Forest trails and include remote wilderness sections. The 54 mile route begins with a 7 mile "Opening Loop" followed by a continuous 47 mile loop that finishes at the start location. It covers most of the 40 mile Shawnee State Forest Backpack Trail in a clockwise direction. At around mile 36 runners leave the Backpack Trail at "Campsite 6" to follow a 9 mile Wilderness Area Side Trail, a remote section referred to as "The Dark Side" (miles 36-46), then rejoin the Backpack Trail for the final 8 miles.
The 50K bypasses the Opening Loop to start on the Backpack Trail, follows the 54 mile course until about mile 20, then turns onto the Mackletree Bridle Trail for 2.3 miles, continues 2 miles on Service Road #2, and rejoins the Backpack Trail toward the finish. The 13.1 mile course, added in 2023, includes some notable hill and smoother, more runnable trail sections. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.