Breakneck Point

Post Race Refreshment From:

Date

Sunday, May 4, 2025

Location

University Settlement Camp (USC) 30 Cp Lp Rd, Beacon, NY 12508

Event Lodging

Camp with us on site or head over to our preferred hotels via our friends at Halo.

Metrics

Half: 13.1 Miles, ~ 4,400’ Gain

Full: 26.4 Miles, ~ 8,600’ Gain

Whatchya Get?

Race, Post-Race Food, Patagonia Cap Cool Short Sleeve Shirt, and Finisher’s Item (Ragged Cuts Medal)

Start Times

42k @ 06:30, 21k @ 08:00

Breakneck Point provides more vert per mile and technical pitches than all but a handful of courses in the country. It covers jeep trails, single-track, historic estate paths, and winding single-track both open and technical. It features several profile climbs and descents with significant elevation gain and loss, and ranks as the toughest trail marathon in northeast. Its signature climb, Breakneck Point, one of the top hikes in the country according to trails.com and Newsweek (as well as a guy named Carl from what I hear – that could be rumor though) is steep, gnarly, exposed, and absolutely beautiful. Entrants range from some of the fittest mountain runners in the country, to those content with a chill day of hiking and running a really beautiful and challenging day on the trails.

The course may also be one of the most difficult trail half or full marathons that you will ever complete. There are technical and steep pitches including the signature Breakneck Point that at points require climbing and tolerance of exposure, technical stretches of footing, and significant elevation gain and loss. The risk or death associated with this terrain is significant and only those seasoned and prepared for this terrain should join the entrant pool.

The Course

Metrics

Half: ~ 13.7 Miles, 4,500’ of Gain/Loss

Full: ~ 26.5 Miles, 9,000’ of Gain/Loss

Aid Stations

Half: Cold Spring / 7 Miles

Full: CS 7, USC 13.7, Sunnyside 19.8

Aid Station Provisions

Hyle Sports Nutrition, Water, Coke, GU Energy Gel (while they last), pretzels, cookies, fruit, PB/J

Note: Athletes may receive crew support, but ONLY within official aid station locations. Any athlete receiving support outside of official aid station locations may be disqualified. Additionally, no pacing from crew.

Full Marathon runners may leave “drop bags” at University Settlement Camp, 13.1 miles. That spot will be defined as setup the staging area on Friday, but may be underneath a 10x20 Green Red Newt Racing Tent next to the Aid Station fueling tent.

Logistics

  • April 6, 2025 - Front Half Course Preview, 08:00 @USC (park next to staging Theater Building).

  • April 19, 2025 - Course Preview Run Cancelled

  • May 3, 2025

    • 4pm – 9pm: Pre-Race Check-In (strongly encouraged, but optional) at Settlement Camp

  • May 4, 2025

    • 5:00am - 6:00am: Race-Day Check-In Marathon

    • 06:30: Marathon Start

    • 6:45am - 7:45am: Race-Day Check-In Half

    • 08:00: Half Marathon Start

    • 11:30am: Marathon Cut-Off Time AS2: USC / 13.2 Miles

    • 1:00pm: Awards Ceremony

    • 3:00pm: Half Marathon Course Cutoff (7 hours)

    • 5:30pm: Marathon Course Cut-Off (11 hours)

Timeline

Cut-Off Times

We have cut-off times in place to insure that runners are moving through the course within an overall target. Breakneck Point can get overwhelmingly busy on a nice day, and we must have runners moving through fast enough in order to clear before the crowds start up. Times also insure that we can clear out aid station crews in timely fashion, and leave time for a runner search before sunset if the need should arise. Soft cuts are targets. Hard Cuts will be enforced with runners not permitted to move on.

Marathon Aid Station Cut Off Times:

Breakneck Point @ 7.2 Miles (Soft Cut): 3:00 hours / 10:00 AM

Settlement Camp @ 13.2 Miles (Hard Cut): 5:00 hours / 12:00 PM

Settlement Camp @ 26.3 Miles / Finish: 11:00 hours / 6:00 PM

Half Marathon Aid Station Cut Off Times:

Breakneck Point @ 7.2 Miles (Soft Cut): 3:30 hours / 11:30 AM

Settlement Camp @ 13.2 Miles: 7 hours / 3:00 PM

Results and Records

It’s been fun to see epic duels and incredible performances over the years. Ben Nephew and Iain Ridgway with a near photo finish in the inaugural 2015 running with Nephew taking it by only 2 seconds. Max King and David Hedges only 6 seconds in 2023. You can find each year’s results by going to the event page on UltraSignUp, and including top 10 times lists.

Half Marathon Course Records:

Eli Hemming, 1:49:39, 2023

Tabor Hemming, 2:14:26, 2023

Marathon Course Records:

Garrett Corcoran, 3:55:52, 2023

Brittany Charboneau, 4:46:43, 2020

Team USA Qualifier

In 2021 USATF selected the Breakneck Point Trail Marathon to serve as one of two qualifiers for the US Worlds Team. It was fun to witness some of the best technical and mountain runners in the Country duel for those slots. Thanks to Remi Leroux for capturing one of those moments in the film below. That being the epic duel between Max King and David Hedges for the win and automatic team selection slot. We were honored to again serve as a US Team Selection Race and the USATF Trail Marathon National Championship in 2023. We weren’t selected as a qualifying race for ‘25 but may remain in that pipeline.

In the Reels

 FAQs

  • The event has a no refund policy regarding cancellations. Entrants may switch distances if desired up until one week ahead of raceday. Roll-overs will be granted to future years and including other RNR events ONLY IF organizers are notified 30 days or more in advance of raceday. No rolls to friends / others.

  • Camp on site with us, or visit our lodging partners via our friends at Halo. Check in with the Halo setup here.

    You are welcome to informally camp with us at Settlement Camp Friday and Saturday nights. It's not a formal camping area, just first come first serve on level grass and portajohns. It is an add-on during registration.

  • While technically you can, we don’t recommend using poles. There are a couple of pitches where you will need your hands and where they’d be a liability to you and others.

  • Probably