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Harpers Ferry from above in autumn, with the river, its railroad bridges and wooded ridges behind
Joshua Hummell / Unsplash

JFK 50 Mile course map and cutoffs

America's oldest ultramarathon: 50.2 miles from Boonsboro over South Mountain, along the Potomac on the C&O Canal towpath, and into Williamsport.

November 21, 2026 Boonsboro to Williamsport, Maryland

The JFK 50 Mile was first run in the spring of 1963, when President Kennedy was pushing the country to get fit, and it hasn't missed a year since. That makes it the oldest ultramarathon in the US. It's open to anyone, but the race still thinks of itself as a military event, and its top award, the Kennedy Cup, goes to the best military team. In 2025 it had 1,112 finishers.

The course is point to point. You start in downtown Boonsboro, climb onto the Appalachian Trail along South Mountain, drop down the Weverton Cliffs switchbacks to the Potomac, then run 26.3 flat miles of the C&O Canal towpath before country roads take you into Williamsport.

The towpath has no car traffic, and your crew can only reach you at three points all day. Download the course map before you go so you and your crew both know where the next aid station is and how far it is to the next place you can meet.

This is an unofficial guide: Goat Maps isn't affiliated with JFK 50 Mile. Check the official site before you enter or race.

JFK 50 course map

Every course's aid stations on the Goat Maps topo map. Each course has a map of its own further down.

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JFK 50 courses

CourseDistanceClimbingStartTime limit
50 Mile50.2 mi (81 km)Sat, Nov 21, 6:30 AM13 h

JFK 50 50 Mile

Rocky Appalachian Trail on South Mountain, then the canal towpath beside the Potomac and farm roads to Williamsport.

Distance
50.2 mi (81 km)
Start
Sat, Nov 21, 6:30 AM
Time limit
13 h

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The first 5.5 miles climb 1,172 feet. You leave Boonsboro (570 feet) on pavement and join the Appalachian Trail at mile 2.5, with two miles of paved road between miles 3.5 and 5.5. The trail on the ridge is very rocky in places. Around mile 14.5 it drops more than 1,000 feet down the Weverton Cliffs switchbacks, passes under Route 340 and meets the towpath.

From mile 15.5 to 41.8 you're on the C&O Canal towpath, almost totally flat dirt and gravel along the Potomac, past Harpers Ferry and Shepherdstown across the river. You leave it at Dam #4 for the last 8.4 miles, on gently rolling paved roads through Downsville to the finish at Springfield Middle School in Williamsport (452 feet).

The race says there will be at least 14 aid stations. The map shows the eight with published cutoffs, taken from the 2026 cutoff table.

aid stations

miWhereCutoff
0Boonsboro (start)
2.5South Mountain Inn Sat 7:15 AM
9.3Gathland Gap Sat 9:15 AM
15.5Weverton CrewSat 11:30 AM
27.3Antietam Aqueduct CrewSat 2:00 PM
34.4Snyder's Landing Sat 3:45 PM
38.7Taylor's Landing CrewSat 4:45 PM
41.8Dam #4 Sat 5:30 PM
46Downsville Sat 6:30 PM
50.2Springfield Middle School, Williamsport (finish) Sat 7:30 PM
An iron railroad bridge and a stone pier at Harpers Ferry, below a rocky cliff in fall color
Joshua Hummell / Unsplash

Registration

Entry is on RunSignUp, and it's open to anyone 13 or older. Registration for 2026 opened at midnight on March 1, and the race says it sold out in record time.

Entries can't be refunded, transferred or deferred to another year. You pick up your number in Hagerstown at Homewood Suites by Hilton, 1650 Pullman Lane, on the Thursday or Friday before the race, 3:00 to 7:00 PM, alongside the expo. There are no numbers on race morning.

The 2027 date hadn't been announced when this page was checked.

Getting to Boonsboro and back

A long road bridge across a wide river at Harpers Ferry, under a wooded ridge
Brandy Willetts / Unsplash

Race headquarters and the host hotels are in Hagerstown, about 70 miles by road from Washington, D.C. and 72 from Baltimore. Give the code JFK when you book one of the four host hotels, and they'll match or beat third-party prices.

On race morning, park at the Boonsboro Educational Complex, at MD Route 66 and Alternate U.S. 40, about a 10 minute walk from the start line, which is across from the Historic Boonsboro Inn. Bag transport takes your bag from the start to the finish. After you finish, buses run back to the Boonsboro Educational Complex from 3:00 to 8:30 PM. Spectators at the finish park at Williamsport High School and take a shuttle.

Crewing

Crews may meet runners only at Weverton (the crew rules put it at mile 15.0), Antietam Aqueduct at mile 27.3, and Taylor's Landing at mile 38.7. There's no crew access on the last 8.4 miles, and no bicycles anywhere on the course. Break either rule and your runner is disqualified.

Pacers aren't allowed. Racine MultiSports runs GPS tracking, so family and friends can follow you all day.

Weather and rules

A dirt path beside calm water and autumn trees at Great Falls Park in Potomac, Maryland
Sebastian Schuster / Unsplash

In November, Hagerstown averages highs of about 54°F and lows of about 37°F, with 2.63 inches of precipitation over the month (1991 to 2020 normals at Hagerstown Regional Airport).

Miss a cutoff and you must withdraw. Sweeper vehicles pick up anyone still out after 7:30 PM, with no time or medal. Headphones and other personal listening devices are banned on the whole course, because the Appalachian Trail is singletrack with dangerous footing. Officials disqualify anyone caught using one.

JFK 50 aid stations and GPS coordinates

For crews and spectators: each place on the map in decimal degrees, latitude first. Paste them into any map app or add them as waypoints in Goat Maps.

  • Boonsboro (start)

    570 ft (174 m)

    39.50668, -77.65228

  • South Mountain Inn

    39.48457, -77.62053

  • Gathland Gap

    928 ft (283 m)

    39.40573, -77.63977

  • Weverton

    39.33269, -77.68207

  • Antietam Aqueduct

    39.41748, -77.74583

  • Snyder's Landing

    305 ft (93 m)

    39.46538, -77.77777

  • Taylor's Landing

    312 ft (95 m)

    39.49899, -77.76749

  • Dam #4

    39.49537, -77.82446

  • Downsville

    463 ft (141 m)

    39.54843, -77.80166

  • Springfield Middle School, Williamsport (finish)

    452 ft (138 m)

    39.59263, -77.81226

JFK 50 FAQ

When is the JFK 50 Mile 2026?

Saturday, November 21, 2026, the 64th running. Everyone starts together in Boonsboro at 6:30 AM, and the start line closes at 6:35 AM. The 2027 date hadn't been announced when this page was checked.

Is the JFK 50 Mile sold out?

Yes. 2026 registration opened on RunSignUp on March 1 and has sold out. Entries are non-refundable and non-transferable, and they can't be deferred to another year.

What are the JFK 50 Mile cutoffs?

You have 13 hours, so the finish closes at 7:30 PM. Along the way you need to reach mile 2.5 by 7:15 AM, mile 15.5 at Weverton by 11:30 AM, Antietam Aqueduct (mile 27.3) by 2:00 PM and Dam #4 (mile 41.8) by 5:30 PM. Every official finisher under 13 hours gets a medallion.

Can you have a pacer at the JFK 50 Mile?

No. Pacers aren't allowed, and neither are headphones or other personal listening devices.

Where can crews see runners at the JFK 50?

At three places only: Weverton, Antietam Aqueduct and Taylor's Landing. There's no crew access on the last 8.4 miles, from Dam #4 to Williamsport.

How much of the JFK 50 Mile is on the Appalachian Trail?

The course is on the Appalachian Trail from mile 2.5 to mile 15.5, except for two miles of paved road between miles 3.5 and 5.5. It then runs 26.3 miles on the C&O Canal towpath and finishes with 8.4 miles of road.

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Updated . An unofficial guide, from the organizer's published information. Coordinates from the organizer's course and OpenStreetMap contributors. Photos from Unsplash. Organize a race? We help with course files.