Blue Hill Mountain Trail Fest

Race Description

Blue Hill Mountain Trail Fest is a multi-distance race and gathering in celebration of the mountain overlooking the coastal town of Blue Hill. Runners and hikers of all abilities are welcome, with your choice of distance: 5k- starting at the Mountain Rd field, runners will turn onto Mountain Rd, run a short out-and back on Post Office Trail before continuing up Osgood Trail to summit, then down the Service Road trail, returning to the start/finish. 10k- one “upper loop” on the figure-eight profile for a first summit just as the 5k runners will do, then a full figure-eight loop along Mountain Rd, down Pleasant St, turning onto the Post Office Trail head. Continuing up Post Office Trail to Osgood Trail, runner will complete a second summit and descent for a 10k(+). 25k- Three full figure-eight loops, after a shorter "upper loop" 50k- 7 full figure-eight loops. You’ll be awestruck at the beauty as you traverse fields of wildflowers and up densely-forested technical trail, only to be greeted by coastal vistas second-to-none. Profits from the event will be transferred to Blue Hill Heritage Trust and Wabanaki Alliance.

Start and Cutoff Times

50k: 5:00am. 10-hour cutoff 25k: 8:00am 5-hour cutoff 10k: 9:00am. 3-hour cutoff 5k: 9:00am. 2-hour cutoff

Packet Pickup

Packet pickup is from 4-6pm on Friday, July 31st in the Mountain Rd Field. There is an optional pre-race meeting at 5pm on Friday, August 1st, to review the course and answer questions. We encourage all runners to pick up packets and attend the meeting on Friday, but if you are unable, you can still check-in prior to race start on Saturday. We will live stream the Friday meeting on Instagram, @bhmtrailfest.

The Mountain and Land

Blue Hill Mountain is a 934-foot monadnock (isolated mountain) that has long been a local landmark and is now mostly conserved and under the management of Blue Hill Heritage Trust. Awanadjo, meaning “small, misty mountain” was the name given to the mountain by the Penobscot Tribe of the Wabanaki Confederacy. Since humans have lived in coastal Maine, Blue Hill Mountain has been central to the identity of the region’s residents. Blue Hill Heritage Trust acknowledges that the land we conserve is part of the homeland of Wabanaki peoples who have lived in this region from time immemorial, and who are now sovereign tribal nations.

Trail Sisters Approved

We are proud to be a Trail Sisters Approved Race. As such, we offer: -Equal Podiums & Awards -Women’s Specific Apparel & Swag -Menstrual Products at Aid Stations -Women On the Starting Line -Pregnancy & Postpartum Policy. Whether planned or unplanned, an expected or unexpected start or end to a pregnancy, healing and recovery time are required for a woman’s overall health. In consideration of this, deferral to the following year or full refund at any point will be granted upon request.

Pricing

5k- Early bird through May 31st, 2026- $45 After May 31st, 2026- $55 10k- Through May 31st, 2026- $60 After May 31st, 2025- $70 25k- Early bird through May 31st, 2026- $75 After May 31st, 2026- $85 50k- Through May 31st, 2023- $95 After May 31st, 2026- $110 Fees are waived for Wabanaki Tribal Members. Please contact [email protected] for code. All revenue is either immediately invested in the race or donated. Outside of our pregnancy/post-partum policy, we can offer deferrals to the following year prior to July 15th, but not refunds.

Aid Station and Drop Bags

The race hub is the main aid station, right at the start/finish, with a full compliment of hydration needs, snacks (salty, sweet, vegan), even whoopie pies (a Maine delicacy)! . There is also a smaller aid station at the intersection of Post Office/Osgood/Mountain Rd, stocked with water/electro and limited snacks. We will have a designated drop bag area for 50 and 25k runners.

Support Crew

25k and 50k runners may have a crew present and stationed at Osgood/Mountain Rd. No pacers are allowed for any race category.

Lodging

Blue Hill peninsula has myriad coastal inns, B&Bs, motels, etc. Finding vacancy in the summer can be challenging. We highly encourage that you book accommodations within suitable driving distance as soon as you register for the race if you're coming from out of town. Please contact directly for camping considerations.