Blaze Pioneer Trail Run

Close out the year in style on Pioneer Trail!
It only seems right to close out the year with a great trail race that is unlike any other you’ll find in Northeast Florida. The Blaze Pioneer Trail Run offers 3 great distance options with a 10K, 25K and a 50k on the challenging Pioneer Trail. This year’s event will feature 2 new sections of trail that weren’t in last year’s race in the Cross Cut Trail, which eliminates the need for running on the sandy suffer-fest that was Powell Ford Road and Section 5 of Pioneer Trail, a rugged young trail that will take runners to the site of a future crossing of North Fork Black Creek that will allow us to do longer races in the future. Both the 25 and 50k courses will be out and back courses that will feature plenty of vertical gain and loss while traveling through the ravine of Black Creek.
10K Course

Runners will start at Dunn’s Farm Trailhead and take Cross Cut Trail (green blazes) approximately 2.8 miles to the junction of Cross Cut Trail and Powell Ford Road. From here runners will take Section 4 of Pioneer Trail (blue blazes) to the Crossroads and head back through the Palmetto Forest on the pink blazed trail to the Finish Line.
25K Course

Runners will start at Dunn’s Farm Trailhead and immediately turn left onto the new Cross Cut trail and follow it 2.8 miles to the first aid station at the junction with Section 5. They will run out and back on Section 5, then cross Powell Ford Road to Section Four and run 2.5 miles to the Crossroads. From the Crossroads, runners will veer left onto the Pioneer/Dunn’s Farm Shared Trail (pink/blue blaze) where they’ll pass 3 waterfalls. After about a mile, runners will come to a 3 way junction and keep left to join the Pioneer Trail (blue blaze) and follow it to Ellis Ford Road (aid station 2) where they will check in and turn around. From here, runners will follow the Pioneer Trail (blue blazes) back to the 3 way junction before veering left onto the Dunn’s Farm Trail (pink blaze) to the Crossroads, then left on the pink blaze Dunn’s farm trail across Powell Ford Road and through the Palmetto Forest to the Finish
50K Course

Runners will start at Dunn’s Farm Trailhead and immediately turn left onto the new Cross Cut trail and follow it 2.8 miles to the first aid station at the junction with Section 5. They will run out and back on Section 5, then cross Powell Ford Road to Section Four and run 2.5 miles to the Crossroads. From the Crossroads, runners will veer left onto the Pioneer/Dunn’s Farm Shared Trail (pink/blue blaze) where they’ll pass 3 waterfalls. After about a mile, runners will come to a 3 way junction and keep left to join the Pioneer Trail (blue blaze) and follow it past Ellis Ford Road (aid station 2) and Knights Landing Road to Indian Ford Road (Aid Station 3 and turnaround) where they will be able to access their drop bags. From here, runners will follow the Pioneer Trail (blue blazes) back to the 3 way junction before veering right onto the Pioneer/Dunn’s Farm Shared Trail (pink and blue blaze) to the Crossroads, back on Section 4, to section 5 out and back, and finish with a flat 2.8 miles to the finish line on Cross Cut (green blaze) with a short stretch on the pink blaze Dunn’s farm trail to the Finish
All courses will offer aid stations with water and Tailwind Nutrition. Runners should carry their own food if needed other than liquid nutrition. We’ll have radio communications at the Start/Finish line and at all aid stations in the event a runner needs assistance.
Cut off time for the 50k will be 4:45 PM – this is an 18 minute-per-mile pace.

Cut off time for the 25k will be 1 PM – this is just over a 19 minute-per-mile pace.
Cup-Free Race

In order to keep the Jennings State Forest clean, this will be a cup-free race. Runners will need a hand bottle or hydration vest/pack with collapsible bottles or bladder or can take a collapsible cup provided by our sponsor Tailwind Nutrition with them on the course.
Water and Tailwind will be provided at aid stations.
What about the Swag?

All finishers will receive a custom race medal and top male and female finishers for each distance will receive prizes from our event sponsors. Top Finishers in the 50k and 25k will receive shoes from Altra Running and Top Finishers in the 10k will receive recovery footwear from Oofos.
Drop Bags – 50k

50k runners can drop a single gallon sized ziplock bag that they will have access to at the turn around at Indian Ford aid station. Please write your name and bib number on your bag. Bags will be thrown away post-race so please only include items you do not need to have returned.