CLEARFIELD – The first-ever Chinklacamoose Marathon will be held April 21 in Clearfield. Participants will have a choice of competing in a full or half marathon or a marathon relay.
The course is primarily on trails and dirt roads that will be intermixed with hardtop segments on sparsely travelled country roads. The course was designed to showcase the beauty of the region, as it passes through farmland and dense hemlock forests while paralleling the West Branch of the Susquehanna River and its tributaries throughout most of its length.
The half marathon is a flat out and back, located entirely on the Clearfield-Grampian Rails Trail. The full marathon offers challenging single track trails and ascents, which run peak to peak through the river gorge – it is a true ridge runner’s marathon. The relay breaks the course down into diverse segments for teams with runners of varying ability levels.
Proceeds benefit the Clearfield County Conservation District, the Curwensville Lake Recreation Area and the Clearfield County Rails to Trails.
The marathon begins at 7 a.m. at the trail-head for the Clearfield-Grampian Rails
Trail on Linden Street in the Clearfield Borough. Each mile is marked.
Registration is open to everyone. Amenities, such as the “goody bag,” official
Chinklacamoose Marathon T-shirt, etc., are not guaranteed after March 31. All finishers will receive a finisher’s medal.
Participants are encouraged to register early. There will not be event-day registration. Race fees are: marathon, $60 until March 31 and $70 after and half marathon, $55 until March 31, and $65 after.
There are two opportunities to receive your race packet. The first is from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. April 19 at the Clearfield County Conservation District Office. The second is from 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. April 20 at the CCCD Office.
A pre-race pasta dinner will be held from 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. April 20. Admission to the pre-race dinner can be purchased at time of registration. Cost of the dinner is $10.
Marathon participants can leave their belongings at the starting line in a car located at the trail-head. They can be picked up at the finish line in the bay. Your belongings will be identified by race number.
