Description
Join us for the 20th anniversary of the Blues Cruise 50K Trail Ultramarathon. The course circles the beautiful Blue Marsh Lake, near Reading PA. The 31-mile loop is very runnable, with a varied terrain that includes fields, plenty of rolling hills, single track and less than .5 miles of public roadway. The “Ski Slope” is the only major climb (240 feet in vertical accent). We have one optional water crossing where you can choose to splash through or cross on a bridge. Our themed aid stations are well stocked and serviced by local ultra runners. The 9-hour (strictly enforced) time limit makes this the perfect race for those newer to trail or ultra marathons.
New for 2025: We are moving the race start up 30 minutes to 8:00 AM to allow us to extend our hard cut off from 8.5 hours to 9 hours (finish by 5PM). We are required to be out of the park and gates locked at 6 PM. Aid stations 5 and 7 will have strict cut off times (see charts under “Aid Station”) to facilitate this deadline, and a sweep vehicle will be available for runners who are cut (expect some wait time). We will offer spectator access to the post-race buffet for a fee, dry camping (5 miles from the start line) will also be offered on a limited basis.
BLUES CRUISE 2025 IS A ROAD RUNNERS CLUB OF AMERICA REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT
Blues Cruise 50K RELAY: A captain should be designated for each team 0f 2-4 runners. Each person must individually register as a relay contestant. The per-person relay fee is lower than the 50K price.
Each 2-4-person team will complete 4 legs of the 50 K course.
• Leg 1: “The Lead Out” start to Aid Station 2, ~6.8 miles
• Leg 2 “The Mountaineer” Aid Station 2-4, ~7.1 miles including the famous Ski Slope
• Leg 3 “The Voyageur” Aid Station 4-7, ~13.3 miles
• Leg 4 “The Sprinter”, ~4.7 miles to the finish, where the entire team can cross the line together and receive Blues Cruise finisher awards. Prizes for the fastest teams! Due to the speed of the relay teams, Aid station support will be limited. All registered runners will have access to all post-race activities and the buffet.
Don’t miss: The Pagoda Pacers Triple Trail Challenge 50.3 Series. Runners that complete the Charlie Horse Trail Half Marathon (May 25), Run for the Ages Trail Chase 10 K (June 15), and Blues Cruise will receive a sweet bit of runner swag at no additional price. No special registration is required. Links to the Triple Trail Challenge 50.3 can be found at
https://www.pagodapacers.com/Races-Results/Races/Triple-Trail-Challenge-Series.aspx
Race Directors Michael Whalen & Elaine Cook are experienced trail and Ultra runners and long-time members of the Pagoda Pacers. With more than 200 members, the Pagoda Pacers have years of experience organizing first class trail and road races. www.pagodapacers.com We expect to have over 100 members, most of them trail/ultramarathon runners, on site to support our participants and manage 7 of the best aid stations you ever encountered. If you have any questions about our race or ultra running in general, please don't hesitate to contact us. bluescruiserd@gmail.com Most questions and ongoing race information can be found on the Blues Cruise 50K Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/65364255002 ) and on the newly developed Blues Cruise Participant Guide
Early registration is $90.00. Price will increase to $100.00 on August 1, 2025. The guaranteed swag deadline is September 1, 2025. Online registration will close on September 28, 2025, at midnight. Race day registration will be available, but race swag is not guaranteed for anyone registering after September 1.
Late Entry
Any registration after September 1, 2025 is NOT guaranteed to receive race swag. ALL finishers will receive special swag!
Event's current local time: 11:45 PM ET
