Participant Guide Available In Month Prior to Event
Welcome to the Thunderbunny Trail Races
Experience some of the best singletrack trail Ohio has to offer and take your pick of the 50K, 25K, or 11K!
Join us for Athens' first and only ultramarathon!
All races on Saturday, May 10, 2025
The Thunderbunny 50K at Strouds Run State Park shows off some of the best trails in the region and gives participants a great experience, whether you are a first timer or a trail veteran. The course starts and ends on the namesake 3 mile Thunderbunny Trail, and in between runners will complete a loop around Dow Lake and run up and over the "Athens Ridge" to overlook the city! With the course boasting 95% singletrack trail, this is a favorite for trail enthusiasts as it provides smooth and flowing singletrack. While showcasing some of the great Appalachian Foothills that Athens is known for, this is also a very runnable course so it is a perfect option for your first ultramarathon or first trail race! Along with the 50K, there are also two shorter course options of 25K and 11K to choose from, both running on the same great trails as the 50K.
Race Details
Permits: This event is held in accordance with special use permits from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Parks and Watercraft Division for Strouds Run State Park. Please be considerate of the land and other users to ensure the future of the Thunderbunny.
Dates: Saturday, May 10, 2025
Location: Strouds Run State Park
Distance: 50K, 25K, 11K
Race Day Schedules:
Saturday
50K and 25K Pre-Race Meeting: 7:40am
50K and 25K Race Start: 8:00am
11K Pre-Race Meeting: 8:40am
11K Race Start: 9:00am
50K and 25K Race Close: 5pm (9 hour cutoff)
50K and 25K Cutoff Information:
The course cutoff for the Thunderbunny 50K and 25K is 9 hours. Please view the 50K and 25K aid station charts on the course information pages to see a detailed chart of these cutoff times. The 25K cutoff will coincide with the 50K cutoff times. Both races cutoff requirements will begin at the Dow Lake Dam Aid Station.
Please note that the cutoff times are when aid stations will pull you from the course. Please respect the organizers decision of cutoff times and understand these times when entering Thunderbunny. If you arrive at an aid station after the cutoff times you will be told to stop the race, and will be transported back to the finish line.
11K Cutoff Information:
We do not have a hard cutoff for the 11K course; with the race starting at 9:00AM on Saturday morning you will have plenty of time to finish the 11K course no matter what level you are at or what speed you plan on going. It is great for hikers! 3 hours for the 11K is 24 minute pace per mile, and 30 minute per mile pace for 11K is still under 3:30 - this will give most people the ability to finish before 12:30PM.
Packet Pick-Up
We encourage everyone to pick up their packet on Friday, so your race morning will go smoother!
Friday Packet Pick-Up:
3:00pm - 7:00pm
Location: Ohio Valley Running Company | 20 Station St. Athens, OH 45701
Saturday Morning Packet Pick-Up
6:00am - 8:30am
Location: Strouds Run Campground (start/finish area)
12981 Strouds Run Rd.
Athens, OH 45701
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Race Start/Finish Location
Directions: Address for directions to the race start/finish area:
Strouds Run Beach Parking Lot
12981 Strouds Run Rd
Athens, Ohio 45701
Race-Day Parking
There is ample parking at the Strouds Run State Park Beach Parking Lot, between a 1/4 mile and 6/10 of a mile walk to the starting area at the campground. When walking to the start/finish area, please watch for traffic on Strouds Run Rd. We will have this patrolled.
With that said, SEOTR still recommends a couple of ways to make the parking lot less crowded and easier to navigate on race morning.
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Carpool with friends or family who also plan to be at Thunderbunny.
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If you are camping in the Strouds Run campground, walk to the start/finish area (1/4 mile)
Below is a picture of the parking lot area at the Strouds Run Beach to help you get familiar with the area (the orange dotted line denotes the walking route to the starting area).
On-Site Camping and Area Lodging
Group Camp Option ($5): Choose this option during checkout while registering. You can choose to camp at the group campsite in the Strouds Run State Park Campground. We have rented the entire group campground for Friday and Saturday night of the Thunderbunny weekend. There is room for 50 campers so it is a great way to socialize with fellow Thunderbunny runners! Be ready for a primitive camp experience though as there is no flush toilets, electric, or showers; the group camp does have pit toilets, a water spigot, picnic tables and fire rings. The cost is just $5 per tent, so bring the family, just make sure you select this option while registering.
Individual Campsites: You need to arrange this yourself with Strouds Run State Park. CLICK HERE. Strouds Run State Park has over 50 individual campsites for rent all within a half mile from the Thunderbunny race start/finish area. Sites are non-electric and there are no showerhouses, but the campground has running water and pit toilets.
See all the great lodging options in Athens County and close to Strouds Run State Park by visiting the Athens County Visitors Bureau website: https://athensohio.com/stay/
Registration and Pricing
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No Paper Registration or Race-Day Registration. All participants must register online before the race close deadline or before the race fills.
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This race is limited to 400 participants for all the events (combined). If we reach the capacity limit regular registration will be closed immediately, and we will move to a waitlist (see below).
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To register and pay online click the registration tab above and complete the race registration instructions. You will receive confirmation e-mail upon completion.
Registration Open Date: Sunday December 1, 2024
Registration Close Date: Wednesday May 7, 2025
Cost:
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50K: $82.18 after opening, $98.12 after December 31, $115.32 after March 31
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25K: $60.93 after opening, $71.56 after December 31, $87.50 after March 31
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11K: $34.37 after opening, $45.00 after December 31, $55.62 after March 31
*Ultra Signup recently adopted a new "All-In Pricing" policy to display the total price with all fees and taxes shown before checking out, so now there will be no hidden fees on the base registration price. The prices shown above reflect the "All In Price" of registration with all fees and taxes included. You can read more on UltraSignup's All-In Pricing policy by CLICKING HERE.
*Changes to the 11K from previous iterations*
In 2022 and 2023 we held the 11K distance on Friday evening, and it also represented the Collegiate Running Association Trail Running National Championship for those years. Starting in 2024 and being the case again in 2024 the 11K will not represent the CRA Trail Running National Championship, and the race will be moved back to Saturday morning, and will start one hour after the 50K and 25K start.
Walkers are welcome to register for the Thunderbunny 11K!
Capacity and Waitlist
The capacity for the 50K, 25K, and 11K is 400 total participants - if we reach 400 participants regular registration will be closed, but you'll still be able to register for the waitlist until the registration close date.
As runners withdraw from the race leading up to the event, the next person on the waitlist will be notified and will have the opportunity to move onto the entry list.
The next person invited into the race from the waitlist will coincide with what race the person withdrawing was in. (ex. someone from 50K withdraws, someone on the waitlist for the 50K is invited in).
You do not get charged to be on the waitlist, and your credit card will only be charged the entry fee once you accept your invite from the waitlist. You'll be notified via email once this happens, and you'll have the option to accept or decline your entry. We will accept people off the waitlist until the registration close date on the Tuesday before the race.
Participant Swag and Other Perks
Performance Shirts: Each entrant will receive a technical short-sleeve race shirt with a special Thunderbunny design on the front! Shirts are gender specific and you'll be able to select 'unisex' or 'female' styled sizes when registering. If you are a female and wish to have a traditionally cut shirt, simply select a "unisex" size when registering.
Finishers Award: Finishers of the 25K and 50K will receive a finishers award at the finish line! Finishers awards vary from years to year, and can be items such as medallions, cups, or etc. etc. It is up to the race organization on what the finishers award is. 11K runners will not receive an award when finishing, unless you earn a category award (below).
Post-Race Pizza: All 50K and 25K runners will be have pizza provided for them after their race on Saturday. Runners may purchase additional "pizza tickets" for family, friends, and crew members when they register for an additional $5.00. 11K runners will not have pizza provided for them as part of their registration, but they can purchase a "pizza ticket" when registering if they want to hangout after their race to spectate and cheer on the 50K and 25K runners.
Category Awards
50K
1st Place Overall M/F
2nd Place Overall M/F
3rd Place Overall M/F
4th Place Overall M/F
5th Place Overall M/F
1st Place Master (40-49) M/F
1st Place Grandmaster (50-59) M/F
1st Place Supermaster (60+) M/F
25K
1st Place Overall M/F
2nd Place Overall M/F
3rd Place Overall M/F
1st Place Master (40-49) M/F
1st Place Grandmaster (50-59) M/F
1st Place Supermaster (60+) M/F
11K
1st Place Overall M/F
2nd Place Overall M/F
3rd Place Overall M/F
Thunderbunny Courses
-toggle to each distance in upper left
-downloadable GPX files via the right side menu
Course Description
The Thunderbunny Trail Race courses offer some of the best singletrack trails in Ohio, and runners will be treated with beautiful springtime foliage, full of flowers and lush greenery along the entire course! The 50K course gives everything Strouds Run and Athens has to offer in one go-around, and the 25K+ and 11K courses provide a shortened preview of the best Athens trails! All three distances start with a one mile road section to let the field space out before entering the namesake Thunderbunny Trail. After completing the Thunderbunny and Hollow Point trails the 11K runners will be finished, and the two longer distances continue to make a loop around Dow Lake on the Sundown and Hickory trails. It's not until runners reach mile 15.8 miles that the 50K and 25K split; 25K runners will have just one and a half more miles to the finish, and the 50K route begins the "back half" of the course. The three hardest climbs of the course come in the second half of the 50K - up Finger Rock, up Hope Drive, and then up Athens trail from Sells Park. After the three hardest climbs, 50K runners will still need to complete the Thunderbunny and Hollow Point trails before heading to the finish line.
Enter the 50K to experience a challenging variety of steep long hills on the back half along with the gentler rolling hills in the first half, while running through the best scenery in Athens County! If you're looking for a more gentle experience at Thunderbunny you have the 25K+ and 11K distances that traverses the best singletrack in the park!
50K Terrain Overview
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3517 feet of elevation gain
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29 miles of singletrack trail
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1 mile of gravel road
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1 mile of pavement
50K Aid Station Chart (Download Chart)
25K Terrain Overview
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1608 feet of elevation gain
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16.1 miles of singletrack trail
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1 mile of pavement
25K Aid Station Chart (Download Chart)
11K Terrain Overview
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610 feet of elevation gain
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5.84 miles of singletrack trail
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1 mile of pavement
11K Aid Station Chart
Cutoff Details
*Please note that the cutoff times are when aid stations will pull you from the course, or, "cut you off" from the course, and is slower than 9 hour pace. We give you some wiggle room early in the race with regard to the cutoff pace in case you run the second half of the race faster. Please respect the organizers decision of cutoff times and understand these times when entering Thunderbunny. If you arrive at an aid station after the cutoff times you will be told to stop the race, and will be transported back to the finish line.
**For 25K runners, pay special attention to the "Dow Lake Dam" cutoff time, as that is the one true hard cutoff for the 25K course. This time coincides with the 50K cutoff at this location. After the Dow Lake Dam, 25K runners will have a plenty of time to make the Gillette Junction cutoff time, and this is due to that aid station remaining open for the duration of the 50K race.
We do not have a hard cutoff for the 11K course; with the race starting at 9:00AM on Saturday morning you will have plenty of time to finish the 11K course no matter what level you are at or what speed you plan on going. It is great for hikers! 3 hours for the 11K is 24 minute pace per mile, and 30 minute per mile pace for 11K is under 3:30 - this will give most people the ability to finish before 12:30PM.
Results
Thunderbunny Course Records
50K Records
Overall Male - Josh Park - 3:44:48 (2024)
Overall Female - Shannon Kilbane - 4:30:14 (2017)
Master 40-49 Male - Paul Lincke - 4:43:40 (2017)
Master 40-49 Female - Crystal Shinosky - 5:48:02 (2016)
Grandmaster 50-59 Male - Tim Sheridan - 5:15:19 (2019)
Grandmaster 50-59 Female - Erin Brady - 6:14:08 (2022)
Supermaster 60+ Male - Jeff McAdoo - 6:22:40 (2022)
Supermaster 60+ Female - Ellen Rowe - 7:07:57 (2022)
25K Records
Overall Male - Jordan Bendura - 2:07:28 (2023)
Overall Female - Jenny Brewer - 2:20:36 (2024)
Master 40-49 Male - Tim Myers - 2:17:27 (2024)
Master 40-49 Female - Audrey Larrimer - 2:38:15 (2019)
Grandmaster 50-59 Male - Dan Campbell - 2:29:25 (2017)
Grandmaster 50-59 Female - Cheryl Cleverly - 3:22:16 (2022)
Supermaster 60+ Male - Jerry McCreery - 4:06:14 (2016)
Supermaster 60+ Female - Janalee Stock - 3:15:00 (2018)
11K "Open" Records
Overall "Open" Male - Sai Brazier - 48:57 (2024)
Overall "Open" Female - Madelyn Bartolone - 54:08 (2024)
Master 40-49 Male - Tim Sykes - 50:12 (2022)
Master 40-49 Female - Leather Kilburg - 1:05:13 (2022)
Grandmaster 50-59 Male - Phillip Schniter - 57:55 (2022)
Grandmaster 50-59 Female - Lori Foringer - 1:15:14 (2023)
Supermaster 60+ Male - Ted Niemann - 1:11:18 (2023)
Supermaster 60+ Female - Janalee Stock - 1:23:10 (2022)
11K "Collegiate Championship*" Records
Overall "Collegiate" Male - Stuart Terrill - 41:27 (2023)
Overall "Collegiate" Female - Ellen Isaac - 50:37 (2019)
*The Collegiate Trail Running National Championship was represented at the Thunderbunny 11K in 2019 and 2022-2023. It was run together with the "general field of runners" so we've separated the two course records from "open" and "collegiate."
*Note that the 11K was formerly labeled a 12K in distance.
Photos
Sponsors and Partners
Waiver Form: To participate in the Thunderbunny Trail Races you are required to complete and sign all waivers. If under the age of 18 yrs old, a parent or guardian must sign waiver form.
Refund/Rollover Policy:
Like most events of this nature and because items for the event are purchased months in advance of the race, the Thunderbunny Trail Races cannot provide full refunds close to the race date, but we follow a refund and rollover schedule that will help give a little back to those who need to withdraw from the race. Our "Refund/Rollover Window" is as follows:
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45 or more days before the race = 100% refund or rollover
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20-44 days before the race = 50% refund or rollover
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0-19 days before the race = 0% refund or rollover
To request a refund/rollover: You must have an UltraSignup account to request your refund/rollover. If you registered as a "guest" please email the race director and we will need to manually process your refund/rollover. Follow these steps:
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Log in to Ultrasignup.com
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Go into your account info and click "Registration History."
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Click "edit" next to the race you wish to withdraw from.
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After this scroll to the bottom of the page and click the red "Cancel Registration" button.
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Once you select cancel registration a box will appear giving you an option to receiving either a Refund or Rollover.
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Click "Process."
Please note that in some cases a bank will not accept a refund back onto a credit card if the original purchase was made over 90 days ago; in that case the race director will be notified and will send your refund via a check through the mail.
Further Rollover Policy:
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Inside 20 days before the event we will not process any refunds or accept any rollovers.
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Once your entry has been "rolled over" to next year's event you will be removed to the current year's race, then receive an invite into the next year's event via email once that registration has opened.
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Your Rollover credit is only valid for the next year's event and cannot be applied to other events or other runners.
Transfer Policy: SEOTR does not allow transfer of bibs at any of our races and strictly prohibits runners selling their bibs to other runners, wearing someone else's bib, or recreating a look-a-like. This is considered "Banditing" and it will get you banned to all future SEOTR events.
Distance Switch: Participants may transfer distances until 4 day prior to the event. If you made an account on UltraSignup while registering you can do this yourself; otherwise, notify the race director.
Cancellation Policy: The Thunderbunny Trail Races will take place rain or shine unless conditions become unsafe, ODNR revokes our permit, or there is any other unforeseeable event that warrants unsafe conditions. The Race Director will have the authority to make changes in order to best meet the group’s interests and the safety of participants, volunteers and spectators in case of extreme weather or other unforeseeable events. The Race Director will determine if and when the event shall be postponed, resumed, or canceled. The "Refund/Rollover Policy" listed above is implemented in the case of a cancellation.