Belmar Bridge Half Marathon

Sun October 10 2021
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Sun October 10, 2021 Directions
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Experience The Most Scenic Rail Trail in PA!

Belmar Bridge Half Marathon

$95 $65 8:00AM EDT - 12:00PM EDT Registration includes: Custom Finisher Medal, Long Sleeve Performance Shirt, Drawstring Bag, Digital Finisher Certificate and an Individual Refreshment Package
Experience The Most Scenic Rail Trail in PA!

Pacers

$0 8:00AM EDT - 12:00PM EDT Pacers must be able to run 15 minutes faster than pace they are assigned. Event staff will email pacers who are selected.
Belmar Bridge Half Marathon
Description
Experience the Only Race at the Sandy Creek Trail!

The Sandy Creek Trail, located in Venango County, is a stunning rail trail. The trail was developed from 2000 to 2005 when the former Franklin and Clearfield Railroad was converted to the now 12-mile paved trail. The Sandy Creek Trail winds its way along the Allegheny River and East Sandy Creek. The rail trail travels through the nearly untouched wilderness of Venango County, Pennsylvania. The trail boasts an impressive 8 bridges.

"12 Miles of Beautiful Views" - Pittsburgh Magazine 

The Belmar Bridge is the most breathtaking feature of the Sandy Creek Trail. At 1385 feet long, this wooden deck bridge crosses the Allegheny River and offers sweeping views of the river valley.

"The Belmar bridge over the Allegheny River is one of the most spectacular views I've ever encountered..." -brody TrailLink 

Not only does this trail feature bridges, but it has a tunnel as well – the Deep Valley Tunnel – that is. This tunnel is another focal point of the trail and is 967 feet long. Ten percent of your race registration fee supports the Allegheny Valley Trails Association (AVTA), a volunteer, non-profit organization that continues to maintain and develop recreational trails throughout the Oil Heritage Region of Pennsylvania. 

"It’s impossible to resist the urge to stop and take in the view." - Pittsburgh Magazine

 

30 Minute Window Start:

All participants will have the option to start their race at any point from 8:00 am to 8:30 am in order to aid social distancing. The start will be chip timed so there is no penalty to starting later. All results will be based on net (chip) time. 

Restrooms & Aid Stations:

  • Portable restrooms will be placed near the start/finish area and along the course. 
    Aid Stations with refreshments and first aid kits will be available along the course.
  • Race Parking will be available along Belmar Acres Road. 

Awards:

Awards will be given to the Top 3 Overall Male and Female Open & Masters Finishers as well as the top 3 male and female finishers in the following age groups: 18-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60+. There will be no in-person award ceremony due to Covid-19. All awards will be mailed. A virtual awards ceremony will be posted on YouTube in the week following the event.

Course: 

Out & back on the flat, paved Sandy Creek Trail. Course Time Limit 3.5 hours (16:01 min/mile). Attainable by walking or running. 

Directions:

The Belmar trailhead is at Belmar Village on the west side of the River. Access is from Route 8, 3 miles south of Franklin. Turn on Pone Lane and drive past Franklin High School to Belmar Road. Turn right and follow it to the parking area at the foot of the hill with the river and bridge in sight. GPS N 41 19.983 W 79 46.467

For more race information, please visit https://wolfcreektrackclub.com/belmar-bridge-half-marathon/

Pricing

Opening: $55 (February 3 – February 5)

Early: $65 (February 6 – April 30)

Regular: $80 (May 1 – August 9)

Late: $95 (August 10 – September 10)

Travel

Host Hotel

Holiday Inn Express Franklin - Oil City (225 Singh Dr, Cranberry, PA 16319) 

Other Lodging Options (Distance from Start/Finish Area)

Flights

Check for flights into these local airports:

International

  • Erie International Airport (ERI)
  • Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT)
  • Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE)

Regional/Domestic

  • Venango Regional Airport (FKL)
  • DuBois Regional Airport (DUJ)
  • Northeast Ohio Regional Airport (JFN)
Local Attractions

DeBence Antique Music World (7.1 miles)

Venango Museum of Art, Science & Industry (14.5 miles)

Freedom Falls & Rockland Tunnel (21.8 miles)

Oil Creek State Park (21.8 miles)

Dennison Point Overlook (22.9 miles)

Kennerdell Overlook (24.2 miles)

Drake Well Museum (28.3 miles)

Course Records

Male Overall: Jeffery Eide (Seminole, FL) 1:17:32.29 (2020)

Female Overall: Morgan Camerlo (Hidden Valley, PA) 1:24:06.41 (2020)

Male Masters: Tommy McNear (Negley, OH) 1:32:04.85 (2020)

Female Masters: Melissa Good (Linesville, PA) 1:43:58.15 (2020)

Sponsors
Travel Time from Regional Cities

Franklin, PA - 15 minutes

Oil City, PA - 30 minutes

Grove City, PA - 35 minutes

Butler, PA - 60 minutes

Cranberry Township, PA - 70 minutes

Youngstown, OH - 70 minutes

Erie, PA - 90 minutes

Pittsburgh, PA - 90 minutes

Cleveland, OH - 2 hrs 15 min

Morgantown, WV - 2 hrs 30 min

Buffalo, NY - 2 hrs 45 min

Harrisburg, PA - 3 hrs 45 min

COVID-19 STATEMENT

At Wolf Creek Race Management, we take COVID-19 very seriously. We will do everything in our power to offer a safe and fun event for all participants. We have taken several steps to ensure the safety of all participants, staff members, volunteers, and spectators. These steps in accordance with PA-state government & CDC guidelines include: 

  • Limiting High Contact Points
  • 30 Minute Social Distance Start Window
  • Encouraging Social Distancing
  • Disinfecting commonly touched surfaces
  • Providing pre-packaged food and drinks
  • Making hand sanitizer readily available
  • Wolf Creek Staff members wearing masks when social distancing is not possible
  • CDC COVID-19 signage displayed at the event

This event was approved during the pandemic and will occur as long as Pennsylvania remains in the green phase. If this event is no longer able to occur due to COVID-19 restrictions, all participants will receive a full refund. Refunds for any other reason will not be granted. 

FAQs

Is there a course time limit?

  • Yes, participants in the Half Marathon must run under 4 hours.

Is there an awards ceremony?

  • Not this year. To lower the risk of COVID-19, we are eliminating the high contact aspects of the event. All medals will be mailed post-race and should arrive within 2-3 weeks depending on your location.

Can I walk?

  • Absolutely, as long as you can finish the race in the given course time limit.

Will there be race day registration?

  • No.

Are pets allowed?

  • No. 

Are strollers allowed?

  • No.
Race Contact Info

If you have any questions about this race, click the button below.

Directions

Sandy Creek Trail - Belmar Bridge Trail Head

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