2025 UPDATES

Course Adjustments and Other Changes for 2025

10/21/2024 - The trail from FS Rd 540 is now open to the Pinhoti Trail (Hilltop Blue to Coleman Lake):

Last year, while marking this section I discovered that the trail was totally blocked by huge fallen trees no more than 300 yds. from the Pinhoti Trial. We were forced to alter the route, staying on FSR 540 almost to Coleman Lake. After two full days at Coleman Lake area, the the trail is now clear to where it connects into the Pinhoti Trail, 5.72 Mile before Coleman Lake.

After runners leave the Hilltop Blue aid station they will follow the closed FS Rd for 3.36 mile to FSR 540. Runners will go left of 540 for 2.57 miles and turn right on another closed forest rd, 534. Follow the FS Rd for 1.7 miles downhill to where it connects into the Pinhoti Trail.

There are still trees down on the trail but they are easy to get over. I notched the largest, creating a step. The pile of three large trees is still there but it’s easy to use them as steps and climb over. The debris that were previously piled on top of the trees in now gone.

10/21/2024 - The trail from FS Rd 540 is now open to the Pinhoti Trail (Hilltop Blue to Coleman Lake):

Last year, while marking this section I discovered that the trail was totally blocked by huge fallen trees no more than 300 yds. from the Pinhoti Trial. We were forced to alter the route, staying on FSR 540 almost to Coleman Lake. After two full days at Coleman Lake area, the the trail is now clear to where it connects into the Pinhoti Trail, 5.72 Mile before Coleman Lake.

8/14/2024 - Shirts, Dry Bags and Buckles:

This is not really an update. There was never any question we would again have those same awesome race shirts, Finisher Buckles and Dry Bags we offered in 2024. The buckles will be a little bigger 2025. If you have not seen them, check out the photos below. The shirt design will, of course, be updated for 2025.

6/12/2024 - Course Change:

We are not going to use CR100 from the Coosa River in Coosa, GA, to Cave Spring this year. We are rerouting the course staying on the primary Pinhoti Trail. This will result in a slightly longer road section between Huffaker Aid Station and Cave Spring’s Rolater Park Aid Station. We will switch to GA 20 and GA 1 Loop. Both have very wide shoulders so runners can stay away from cars without having to run on the shoulder, in the grass.

Last year’s route from Huffaker to Sprout Springs Rd was 7.2 Miles. The new route will be 11.7 miles to Sprout Springs Rd. This will make the total distance on paved roads from Huffaker Aid Station to Rolater Park in Cave Spring 17.8 Miles, about 4 miles further than last year’s route. Huffaker Road to Cave Spring and the two miles past Rolater Park are the only road sections in the entire race, along with about a mile after West Armuchee in section 4. I do not count the places where the Pinhoti crosses a road but reenters the trail is a few hundred yards down the road.

6/12/2024 - Aid Station Change:

Big Tex Aid Station is no more. It is now the Huffaker Aid Station. We are moving it to where Huffaker intersects with GA 20. There is a nice grassy area adjacent to a Citgo gas station that will work much better and will all crew access. It’s also across the street from the “Even’s Deli and Auto Parts.” The aid station will be located between two convenience stores that might come in handy if you are out of something.

6/12/2024 - Tents, Tables and Heaters:

We are adding bigger tents to all the major aid stations. We will be purchasing 20X20 tents, with side walls, to serve as aid station tents. We will be adding tables and chairs to each major aid station so runners can sit down and eat or sort through dropbags. Since the race is in March, it could be cold. All aid station tents will be heated.

6/1/2024 - Cutoff Times:

Last year, for the first half of the race run, no one was within hours of the cutoffs. What we are doing is shortening the cutoff time for early aid stations. The later aid station cutoffs will remain calculated at a pace of two miles per hour. Everyone that ran last year and finished would still have finished with a 96 hour cutoff.

5/21/2024 - Course Change:

Originally for the 2024 race, we planned to use an old forest road to connect into the Pinhoti Trail about 6 miles past Hilltop Blue Aid Station. When I tried to mark the section, I found several huge trees had fallen in a very narrow gorge just a few hundred yards before reaching the Pinhoti Trail. There was no way to get over or around the “Treepocolypse” without hours of work. I had no option but to change the route and follow FS 540 for about 2 additional miles to where it intersected the Pinhoti.

I had found another route that reaches the Pinhoti Trail about 1/2 mile past the unusable section. It also needed work to make it runnable, but there was no time for that for the 2024 race. In October I am going back to this spot near Coleman Lake and open the trail to the Pinhoti. This route is reflected in the course maps and pace charts.

In 2025, the course will leave FS 540 at FS 534 for about a mile. The closed forest road “goes away” and becomes an obscure trail down to where it joins the Pinhoti. We will make it runnable.

4/30/2024 - Communication:

We had problems with communication this year at the SS200. Several aid stations had NO cell reception. We will remedy that for 2025. We will purchase several “Starlink” satellite phones for the “dead” aid stations. This may not affect runners, but it will help immensely with communication between aid stations and staff. ..