Snowy Owl 10 Mile info
Thanks for your interest in the Snowy Owl 10 mile on Sunday, January 4, 2026!
This is a trail race and will be on a combination of trails in beautiful York River State Park. Five miles of the course will be technical single track. About 3/4 mile on the road and the rest will be on dirt fire road trails. The course will feature rocky sections, twisting single track, a boardwalk with beautiful views and fast fire roads. The elevation gain on the course is about 600 feet, some of the rolling terrain will be quite challenging!
This race benefits AWARE (Alliance of Wild Animal Rehabilitators and Educators). Individuals from AWARE will be onsite with owls and fun educational information! (similar to my summer Night Owl race) https://awarewildanimals.com/
Packet pick up is race morning only starting at 7:30am. The start time will be 9am and plan for cold temperatures!
There will be 3 aid stations on the course with water and light snacks, like gels and fruit. Hot coffee, cocoa and yummy snacks will be available at the finish. All finishers will receive a cool ceramic medal featuring the logo. All registered runners will receive a race logo, winter hat and free entry into the park. Long sleeved T-shirts are available for purchase separately and the deadline to order is December 15, 2025.
Awards will be given to overall top 3 and top 3 in 10 year age groups male/female.
The course terrain breakdown is as follows:
0-1.5 mile Fire road dirt trail (Woodstock Pond/Backbone)
1.5-3.5 mile Single track trail (Marl Ravine)
3.5-4.5 mile Fire road dirt trail (Backbone/Powhatan Forks East)
4.5-6 mile Single track trail (John Blair Trail C)
6-7.5 mile Fire road dirt trail (Majestic Oak)
7.5-8.5 mile Single track trail (John Blair Trail A)
8.5-9.25 Fire road dirt trail (Pamunkey/Backbone)
9.25-10 mile Paved down hill (Entry Road to Finish at playground picnic shelter)
This event will have a 4 hour cutoff! This generous cutoff allows for a hiking option! Please email me if you have any questions: ultraellen@gmail.com
Weather plan! Please read before registering
When registering please note, if there is dangerous weather forecasted for the event, the race will be moved to Sunday, Jan. 11. There are no refunds or deferrals to the following year if this change is made. I will give as much notice as possible. Please take this into consideration when registering. I consider "dangerous weather" to be weather that makes it dangerous for participants to get to the race from out of town. Over 50% of racers typically travel one hour +. Although it would be fun to actually run/hike in the snow, it would likely cause the race to be moved due to the road conditions for participants. Again- please understand this policy before registering!
Aid Station Mileage
Aid Station MARL RAVINE (AS #1) Backbone (1.5 mile, 9 mile)
Aid Station RIVERVIEW- (AS #2) (end of Backbone trail at Riverview Road) (3.5 mile)
Aid Station MAJESTIC OAK (AS #3)- (exit to John Blair C on Majestic Oak) (6 mile)
Event's current local time: 1:58 PM ET
