Free to Run

The Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service (BURCS) is excited to present 2025's Free to Run Trail Races!

We continue to support Free to Run, Inc., an organization whose is to enable women and girls to safely and boldly engage in outdoor activity in conflict-affected regions. Through a combination of sports programs, life skills development, and community outreach, they help women to reclaim public spaces and work to change views about the roles that women can (and should!) play in a society. Their programs are designed to develop community leaders who can bring people together across cultural, ethnic and religious lines. They work to provide our participants with the tools to succeed because they can and will be a force for positive change.

The Basics

Date: June 21, 2025
Distances: 15k/25k/50k
Start Times: 50k: 8:00 AM. All other distances, 9:00 AM
Location: Pittsfield State Forest, Pittsfield MA.

Course: This is BURCS' "hard" race! The course features long climbs, fast descents, and some of the most beautiful scenery in the county. As always, we are stoked to share pthe wonderful Pittsfield State Forest with our running community.

Race options for 2025 include a 50k ultramarathon, a 25k, and a 15k.

The race course is designed as a double-loop/figure 8, combining for approximately 15.5 miles and 3000 feet of vertical gain. The "Big Loop" is about 9 miles long, and consists of climbs to Pine Mountain, Tower Mountain, and Berry Hill. This loop features several breathtaking vistas, a fun section along the Taconic Crest Trail, and a fast, winding descent back to the start/finish line. The "Little Loop" is approximately 6.5 miles long, climbing the gorgeous Lulu Brook trail back to the Taconic Crest Trail. This loop features a fast descent along Daniels Brook and along smooth double-track back to the start-finish line.

For those of you who have done the race in recent years, we are making a couple of minor tweaks to the course, to simplify the first loop and to avoid as much ATV trail as possible on the second. We listen to you guys! But, no substantial changes to the course are planned.

15k runners will complete the "Big Loop." 25k runners will complete both the "Big" and the "Little" loops one time, and 50k runners will complete both loops twice.

Cutoffs: 50k must be completed within twelve hours (by 8:00 PM) for an official finish. One hard cutoff, the last "small loop" must be started by 5:00 PM (nine hours).

Aid Stations: Two major aid stations. including at the start/finish line, and two water drops along the course. This is designed to be a challenging race and the expectation is that runners will carry water and some calories with them on the course.

Awards and Shirts: Each finisher will receive a finishers award. All runners who register prior to May 19th receive a shirt; runners who register after that date will receive a shirt on a best-efforts basis.

Camping: There are multiple campsites in Pittsfield State Forest complete with showers and bathrooms. Runners are responsible for booking their own campsites with Pittsfield State Forest
We reserve the right to convert this to a virtual event, should we be unable to secure race permits or if state or local officials prohibit our ability to hold this as an in-person event.

Because we donate profits to charities, we do not offer refunds or deferrals, with the exception of pregnancy deferrals. If you can not make it to the event, please consider your registration a donation.

What is BURCS?

The Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service was founded in 2013 by three passionate long-distance runners from Western Massachusetts. The BURCS crew is composed of runners of all ages who seek to use their passion for sport and activism to spread awareness about important social, civic, and environmental issues. Please check out burcsrunners.org, as well as our Facebook group, for more information.

Event's current local time: 1:54 PM ET