2023 Update
Bold Coast Runners is excited for the Bold Coast BASH to return in 2023 for the 4th year! of some of Maine's most knarly trail running!!
Full event details set to be released in early June, and tentatively opening registration Saturday July 1, 2023 at 7am ET
Note there will be a price increase in 2023.
Registration, Event Cap, and Wait Lists
Provisionally registration is set to open at 7:00am on Saturday 1 July 2023 at 7:00am. We expect the 10 miler, in particular, to fill quickly.
There is no day of registration, bib pick-up only..
Entry is $30.
Entrants are capped at 60 in each race due to the fragililty of the ecosystems and to avoid congestion and disruption of other visitors. Once we reach capacity, wait-lists will automatically open and as spots become available people on the wait-list will be notified by email based on their sign-up order. If you would like to add your name to the wait-list simply use the green "Register" button on this page.
If you have registered but are unable to participate please let us know ASAP at boldcoastrunners@gmail.com so we can fill your spot.
**Bold Coast Runners is unable to issue refunds.
About
One of 10 Maine Races to Run Before you Die!
"One of the most beautiful race courses in the Northeast"
A seriously challenging single track trail race along the stunning cliffs of the Bold Coast together with an inland section through mud and rocks and along slippery bog bridging. The Course does not have huge amounts of elevation change but can be extremely slippery, particularly with rain and ice as there may be on race day. The roots are slippery, the rocks are slippery, the mud is slippery, the bog bridging is extremely slippery, and some of it is also wobbly, broken, unstable and in many places has 6” long nails projecting from it. Other sections behave like a teeter-totter and if you (or someone else) steps on one end, the other end, may flip up in someone’s face. Please be careful on them – and along the unfenced cliff tops!
The course is a figure 8 with a short middle section run twice on each lap. Each lap is about 16.7 kms (10.4 miles). Please pay attention to which loop you are on and be sure to alternate directions so you complete figure eights. You must return to the Start/Finish/Aid Area at the end of each lap. All course turns and junctions will be well marked with blue surveyor’s flags.
A course map is here:
and a Strava segment here: Strava Segment
There will be marshals at various points and all runners are responsible for ensuring marshals note their bib number so that if we have to come and rescue you we know where to look. As you approach a marshal please check your bib is easily visible and it is really helpful if you call out your bib number in advance – when you are about 20 metres away (this also wakes up any sleeping marshals!). 50K runners must also ensure their bib number is noted by the Start/Finish marshal on setting out on their second and third laps.
Your mandatory equipment will be checked at the start of each lap.
The only aid station is in the Start/Finish area, there are no aid stations on the course, you must be self-supporting for all requirements - expect each lap to take between 2 and 4 hours.
Drop bags, including chairs and small pop-up tents can be left in the Start/Finish area.
Learn more about Cutler Bold Coast Trail (please note: their trail map is out of date)
And get a taste from a short (10 minute) video by one of our 2021 runners Ian Golden from the Trails Collective :
Time Limits / Cut-offs
Every runner will have 6.5 hours to complete the first two laps. Your individual cut-off time will depend on your individual start time. If you started at 6:00am your cut off will be at 12:30 pm. If you started at 6:10am your cut off will be 12:40pm. etc.
Mandatory Equipment – for ALL runners
Yes, you will be checked before you go out on the course and at the start of every lap - this is a serious course at a time of year when conditions can also get serious very quickly.
- windproof or waterproof jacket (depending on conditions)
- warm mid layer
- warm head covering
- warm gloves
- foil blanket
- whistle
- at least 200 calories instant energy (eg. gels)
- headlamp when starting the third lap – (you may also want it on the first lap as the forest can be dark, but it is not required.)
Cell phones are optional as coverage is spotty. An emergency phone number will be provided on race day.
We may announce a waiver of some of these requirements if the weather is particularly good on race day, but we take safety seriously.
Race Swag
In addition to finisher Medallions all participants will receive a Bold Coast Runners memento (not a cotton t-shirt or other stuff that just collects dust in our attic/basement). Each year we'll try to do something new and useful to the everyday trail runner. ;)
Awards
The male and female winners at each distance will receive awards. Based upon participant data, other categories may be added at the discretion of the race directors.
Course Records
50K:
8:35:55 Courtney Marchetti (2021)
6:34:12 Ben Nephew (2021)
10.5 mile:
2:21:45 Caitlin May (2021)
2:02:38 Ren Salisbury
21 mile: (race not offered in 2022)
4:32:04 Molly Siegel (2021)
3:44:32 Erik Brooks (2021)
Note: the 2019 race used a slightly different course. Records for this course were:
20 mile:
3:38:59 Jenn Britz (2019)
2:54:45 Patrick Caron (2019)
10 mile:
2:33:56 Gillian Welch (2019)
1:58:36 Andrew Deigham (2019)
Accommodation
Local motels are within 30-45min drive from the Cutler Coast parking lot. We recommend looking for accommodations/Airbnb’s in Lubec, Cutler, Whiting, or Machias. Solo runners looking for simple accommodations for 1 or 2 nights should check with the Cobscook Institute, runners highly recommend their accommodations. https://cobscookinstitute.org/lodging
For the hardy, the Bash has been given special permission by the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands to use the nearby Cocoa Mountain parking area 600 metres north of the Bold Coast Trailhead. This is limited to 12 vehicles and no open fires are permitted. There will be a portable toilet on site. There is no fee but please ensure the area is left cleaner than you find it. If you reserve a space and then change your mind you must let us know immediately at: boldcoastrunners@gmail.com so that we can offer it to other participants.
COVID_19
We will be complying with all guidance regarding COVID-19 as issued by the Federal and State governments, the RRCA, ATRA, and ACORD, at the time of the event. In case of change in the official COVID-19 guidance we may make adjustments at short notice but these will be communicated to you in advance.
Bold Coast Runners
Who we are The event is organized by the local Bold Coast Runners - a welcoming, encouraging and supportive group of crazy people who run the roads and trails of way Downeast Maine, the Canadian Borderlands, and beyond. We welcome everyone, from beginners to old-timers and from tortoises to hares. We run distances ranging from 1 mile to 100 miles and on anything from smooth tar to rugged single track. If it's hot: we run, if it rains: we run, if it's snowy: we run in snowshoes, if icy: in spikes. We just run, mostly for fun, but some of us are also competitive!
Local time: 1:42 PM
