Blood Rock 50
50 Mile Endurance Trail Race
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The BLOOD ROCK 50
51.19 Mile ENDURANCE TAIL Race
8,659 ft. of Gain
23 Hour Cutoff
50 MILE RACE INFORMATION
WHERE: Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham, Alabama - 20 miles south of Birmingham
WHEN: 7:00 AM Saturday, December 6th
START LOCATION: The Meeting Center at the Cabins on Tranquility Lake
AID STATIONS: 7 Aid Stations - 3.1 to 7.9 miles apart
CUTOFF: 23 Hours
Due to the extremely difficult and remote nature of the backcountry sections of Blood Rock, we must enforce mandatory cutoffs.
There are two shirt cutoffs.
The first is October 20th.
SECOND CUTOFF - November 16th.
The November 16 cutoff is for the standard, poly/cotton blend race shirt. They are very nice, very comfortable shirts
THERE WILL BE NO LATE REGISTRATION
Registration closes December 1st. We will not accept registrations after that date.
THERE WILL BE NO LATE REGISTRATION FRIDAY OR SATURDAY BEFORE THE RACES.
The October 20 cutoff is for the “Totally Awesome,” Custom made, Fully Sublimated, Gender Specific, Race Shirts.
DO NOT RUN 50 MILES AND FAIL TO GET ONE OF THESE SHIRTS!
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Detailed Information on All Crew Accessible Aid Stations
The link below provides Aid Station Charts for all distances and information on which aid stations are crew accessible and which allow drop-bags. It also has detailed directions to each aid station, Google Maps link to each aid station, and GPS Coordinates for each.
The Summit Lake and Train Station aid stations can only be reached by leaving the park. Overnight crew members can only go to either aid station through the front, south gate, near I-65 over night. The north gate closes at 5:00 PM and does not reopen until 7:00 AM. (You must also return to the park through the south gate.) To get into the park overnight, you must have reserved lodging in the park or have the Blood Rock Crew Car Pass. Without one or both, you cannot get back into the park at night.
Lodging and Camping for Blood Rock
Lodging and camping in the park
There are 10 cabins 600 yards from the start of the Blood Rock 100 and 50 Mile, 50K & 25K race. We have reserved all 10 and they are available to Blood Rock Runners on a first-come first-served basis.
The Oak Mtn State Park Campground has been totally updated and only reopened on Memorial Day, 2024. The campground is just 2 miles from the start.
Hotels near the Start
There are 9 major hotels just 2.5 miles outside the south gate of Oak Mountain State Park. They are located at Hwy 119 (Cahaba Valley Rd) at Interstate 20 in Pelham.
Blood Rock 50 Mile Pace Chart
Blood Rock 50 Mile Aid Station Details
THE BLOOD ROCK 50 MILE LOOP GPX FILE
Almost every year people mess with flags and signs before and during the Blood Rock Races. Should the course marking be altered this year and you have the GAIA App and the BR GPX file downloaded to your phone, you can stay on course. I suggest downloading the app in advance and practice with it. It can be a bit confusing at first. After a few runs you will be a GAIA Pro. Better yet, if you live in the area, run part of the BR course using the app. The GAIA app does not need cell service.
The GAIA website had thorough directions on how to load your GPX file to the app.
YOU WILL NOT GET LOST AT BLOOD ROCK with the Gaia App.
WARNING #1
PLEASE NOTE: SUNSET ON DECEMBER 7TH IS 4:39 PM
In the recent history of the Blood Rock 50 Mile, (Since the addition of the backcountry sections, we have never had a runner finish under 10 hours. Only two have finished under 11 hours. Even though the course is a little easier than past years, most of those running the 50 Mile will finish well after dark. Plan ahead and place your preferred trail running light in a dropbag long before you think you will need it. Just in case, it’s a good idea to start the race with a small flashlight.
WARNING #2
FOR ALL DISTANCES:
ABOUT 300 YDS PAST “KINGS CHAIR” THERE IS A SPLIT.
25K RUNNERS GO RIGHT.
ALL OTHER DISTANCES GO LEFT.
WHEN YOU SEE SIGNS ON THE COURSE, READ THEM
We don’t carry signs miles up trails just for the fun of carrying them!
