The Squatchy Surprise

Squatchy Surprise

Squatchy Surprise is a trail running event on July 25, 2026 at South Mountain Reservation in West Orange, New Jersey. The event uses a luck based loop selection: runners draw color coded golf balls before each loop to determine which of the available loops they will run. A black golf ball allows the participant to choose any loop. Runners repeat the draw process after each loop until the event timer ends. One optional Charity Mulligan is available for a $20 cash donation; proceeds go to the partner charity Bigger Than The Trail.

The event formats are 12 hour, 6 hour, and 3 hour options. Participants may stop at any time; only loops completed before the timer ends are counted. The field is capped at 250 participants across all formats.

Distances and loop characteristics:

• 2M Yellow/Black - 285 ft elevation, Hemlock Falls and a punchy climb
• 3M Checkered - 432 ft elevation, mostly packed carriage trails with steady climb
• 4M Blue - 371 ft elevation, mix of carriage trails and technical singletrack
• 5M Pink - 491 ft elevation, packed carriage trails with a long mid-race climb
• 0.1M Disco Ball - 0 ft, loop revealed on race day
• 0.5M Mini Loop - half mile grass loop at Tulip Springs, used if runners opt in

Course terrain mixes wide carriage roads and technical singletrack with rocks and roots. Squatch HQ at Tulip Springs is the single aid station with first aid supplies, AED, hydration, varied food including gluten free and vegan options upon request, private changing tents, and a quiet Jackalope Tent. Volunteers track completed loops and provide course support. Public transit access notes include NJ Transit bus route 73 and train to South Orange with walks to the venue. GPX files and a course map are provided for the loops. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.