Tussey mOUnTaiNBACK 50 Mile Relay and Ultramarathon

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Tussey mOUnTaiNBACK 50 Mile Relay and Ultramarathon

The 2026 race dates will be announced soon. Registration will open in March. Run just for the hill of it! Your generosity makes a difference!

The Tussey mOUnTaiNBACK is dedicated to serving runners of all levels and giving back to the regional community. Our primary events take place on a Race Weekend each year in October in Central Pennsylvania's Rothrock State Forest and include ultramarathons (100 miles, 50 miles, and 50 kilometers), a 50-mile relay (for teams of 2-8 runners), a half marathon, and a kids' mile. We also host a series

of free races from February through June called the Tussey Teasers, and a training series from August into October called the Discovery Series on unique routes in Rothrock State Forest. Our certified 50-mile single-loop course is 84% unpaved, offering a soft and nontechnical running surface. Proceeds from our events support nonprofit organizations in Centre County.

04/27/2026

Are you ready for challenging run this weekend? Come out and join us for the umpteenth running of the Beidelheimer Sidewinder 10 and 20 km. The race begins and ends at Whipple Dam, on Beach Drive near the restrooms. If you're up for a moderate run, do the 10k from the lake to the bottom of Beidelheimer Road and back, following Greenlee Road. If you are getting frisky, head up Beidelheimer Road to where we have aid station four on big race, at the intersection with Gettis Ridge Road. Turn around and head back to the lake. We promise a great run. Since it's a free race, the price purses are sized accordingly (think chocolate). Details at www.tusseymountainback50.com. Run just for the hill of it!

03/16/2026

Exciting news runners!

We have been approved to hold the 2026 race on Saturday, 24 October. This is a big change from past years and should allow easier travel for those coming from out of town. We will have more details soon, but the race day schedule will be a lot like earlier years.

Registration will open at 0001 on 16 March, in just a few hours

Sign up now at https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=136865.

Watch this space for exciting information about opportunities for charitable groups to both benefit the race and to benefit from the race.

As always get out there just for the hill of it.

03/08/2026

A big thank you to the 20 runners who joined us on Saturday for the Laurel Run Switchbacker. Matthew Beyerle and Marisa Deicheva battled it out to be the captain of the swithbacks. When it counted, Marisa pulled ahead for the overall win and the coveted chocolate!

We’re taking a short break in April, but come back on May 2 for the Beidelheimer Sidewinder from Whipple Dam State Park to aid station four and back - 10.8 miles of beautiful forest running. See you then!

One last thing, watch this space this week for exciting news about the 50 miler.

03/01/2026

The weather is breaking just in time for you to run the Laurel Run Switchback for the second of the Tussey Teasers. Keep in mind that the forest roads are not maintained in winter. Bring your shoe spikes if you have them. We will meet at the lower end of the Tussey Mountain Ski parking lot at 9:30 on Saturday 07 March. The usual prizes for the leaders will be given. Come out and enjoy the fun and run just for the hill of it. See the full elevation profile at www.tusseymountainback50.com.

02/16/2026

We are very happy to announce that the 27th annual running of the Tussey Mountainback 50 miler races will be held the weekend of 23-25 October. We are still working out the details for the weekend, so keep an eye on the website. Registration will open in March. Be like this guy and run just for the hill of it. www.tusseymountainback50.com

02/09/2026

A big thank you and congratulations to the hardy runners who braved the cold and high wind for Saturday’s Colyer Lake ‘Sno Big Deal run. While we had to shorten the course to 5km due to the cold conditions, they put in a great effort.

Congratulations to Clair, Natalie, and Katie for first, second, and third in the women’s category. Owen, Braden, and Phoenix led the charge for the men.

We hope to see all of them and you on March 7th at Tussey Ski resort for the Laurel Run Switchbacker 10k.

Details are on the web site at www.tusseymountainback50.com

02/06/2026

So, we don't like to cancel races but do concede to making changes. Tomorrow is going to be freckin cold. Like penguin or polar bear cold. Like the freezer in your kitchen is 20 degrees warmer than outside cold.

However, we are tough and we expect one or two hardy souls to show up anyway.

With a nod to the realities though, we will shorten the course to a three mile out and back. The turn around will be a the intersection of Boal Gap Road and Krise Vally Road.

We will have warming trucks at both the start and the turn around point.
Be well and dress smartly.

02/02/2026

We are getting close to the inaugural 2026 Tussey Teaser! Break out your cold weather gear and shoe spikes for a great run from Colyer Lake up Boal Gap Road to the famous Brother-in-Laws cabin sign.
This is a roughly 10 kilometer (6.14 m) fairly easy run with 106 meters of elevation (350 feet). Remember, however that the State Forest roads are not maintained in the winter. The last half-mile before the turn around is on Forest Road and will have snow. You will enjoy the beautiful views moving along the peaceful Boal Gap Run. With the recent temperatures, this is not a race for those who can not actually run the full course.
See you at the Colyer Lake south parking lot at 9:30 on Saturday for registration. We’ll do first place awards as runners finish. Remember, it’s just for the hill of it.
See the details at https://www.tusseymountainback50.com/tussey-teasers

01/20/2026

We are happy to announce our support of the Jana Marie Foundation for last year's race. Stay tuned for more coming announcements!

01/12/2026

Happy January to all! Join us beginning in February for the 2026 Tussey Teaser run series. All runs are free, with token prizes (usually chocolate) for the most fleet of foot. See the course from Colyer Lake, Tussey Ski, Whipple Dam, and the Alan Seeger Picnic Area.

Address

State College, PA
16801

Telephone

(814) 424-1314

Website

https://www.tusseymountainback50.com/

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