Burning River Endurance Run & Relay

The courses

The 100 Mile is an out-and-back from Cuyahoga Falls to Silver Springs Park and back.¹ The 50 Mile covers the outbound half, point-to-point from Cuyahoga Falls to Silver Springs Park, and the Back Half 50 Mile runs the return.¹ The marathon is point-to-point from Oak Hill to Silver Springs Park.¹

The 2026 participant guide breaks the 100-mile course down as roughly 70 miles of singletrack and bridle trail, 12 miles of crushed limestone towpath and 18 miles of road.² Approximate elevation gain is 8,000 feet for the 100 Mile, 4,000 feet for the 50 Mile and 2,000 feet for the marathon.³

Course maps and GPX files are posted online, and the organizers warn that maps can change up until the day before the race.³ Course flags are placed no more than a tenth of a mile apart.²

Start times and cutoffs

The 100 Mile has a 4:00 a.m. start with a 30-hour cutoff and a 2:00 a.m. early start with a 32-hour cutoff.¹ The 50 Mile starts at 5:30 a.m. with 15 hours, and the Back Half 50 Mile starts at 4:00 p.m. with 18 hours.¹

The marathon has a 6:30 a.m. start with a 14-hour cutoff and an 8:00 a.m. start with a 12-hour cutoff.¹ The relay starts at 7:00 a.m. and has 27 hours.¹

The participant guide states that the only cutoff time is the finish line.² A 100-mile runner can drop to the 50-mile race at any point from mile 50 onward.⁸

To be eligible for overall awards, 100-mile runners must take the 4:00 a.m. start and marathoners the 6:30 a.m. start.⁷

Western States qualifier and Midwest Grand Slam

The 100 Mile is a qualifier for the Western States lottery, and all finishers qualify.¹ Western States lists Burning River 100M among its qualifying races for 2027 with a 32-hour limit.⁴

The race is also the third leg of the Midwest Grand Slam of Ultrarunning, which was established in 2012 and is earned by completing any four of the Midwest's premier 100-mile trail races.¹⁵

Pacers, crew and drop bags

Pacers may join 100-mile runners from mile 50. Runners aged 60 and over in the 50 Mile and 100 Mile can have a pacer at any point.¹ A runner can use several pacers but only one at a time.²

Crew can only help within 100 feet of a crew-access aid station, and crew and pacers are limited to one car per participant.²

Drop bags have to be handed in at the race expo on Friday. There are no race-day drop bags.² The maximum size is 16 by 20 by 16 inches, and hard cases are not allowed.²

Aid stations do not stock gels, so runners should carry their own.² Anyone starting before sunrise needs a headlamp or handheld light.² Trekking poles are allowed for all participants.²

The relay

The eight-person relay uses the same out-and-back course as the 100 Mile.¹ Teams do not have to declare who runs which leg, and exchanges at aid stations work on the honor system with no formal exchange area.²

There is no drop bag service, no pacers and no busing for relay teams.² For co-ed awards, women on the team must run at least 25% of the segments.⁶

Packet pickup, parking and shuttles

Packet pickup is at a tent in the grass lot at the Sheraton in Cuyahoga Falls, 1989 Front Street.² There is no race-day pickup, and bibs are not available at the start line.² In 2026 the expo ran Thursday afternoon and evening and again on Friday.²

For the 100 Mile, the 2026 guide points to free weekend parking in the public garages on Olde Town Loop in Cuyahoga Falls.² 50-mile runners can park at Silver Springs Park, 5120 Young Rd, Stow, and take a bus to the start that leaves at 4:30 a.m.²

There is no parking at the Oak Hill marathon start, though runners can be dropped off.²

Lodging and camping

The event is based at the Sheraton Suites Akron Cuyahoga Falls.⁹ The lodging page notes that suites typically sell out for Burning River weekend.¹⁰

Camping is available at Silver Springs Park, which is the 50-mile split and finish.²

Awards and finisher items

100-mile finishers who complete the course within 32 hours receive a belt buckle.⁶ 50-mile and marathon finishers receive a medal for their distance.⁶

All 2027 participants receive a race poster, a race sticker and a finisher medal.¹ Awards go to the top three men and women overall and in five-year age groups.⁷

Refunds and transfers

• 100-mile and 50-mile entrants can get a 50% refund through RunSignup by May 31. Marathon and relay entries are not refundable.⁸
• There are no deferrals.⁸
• Relay bibs can be transferred for a $20 fee. Bibs for the 100 Mile, 50 Mile and marathon cannot be transferred.⁸
• If the race is canceled for reasons beyond the organizers' control, participants can defer to the following year, with no refunds.⁸

The name and what the race supports

The name refers to the Cuyahoga River's fires, which the participant guide describes as a symbol of pollution that helped spark the environmental movement of the late 1960s.² Parts of the course follow the Towpath Trail, the same path once used to tow canal boats between Cleveland and Akron.²

Runners can fundraise for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, the Summit Metro Parks Foundation and Boston Township.¹¹ The 2026 race was its 20th anniversary.¹²