NOTICE
DUE TO COMPETITION AND OTHER FACTORS,
THE JOE-ENGLISH TWILIGHT CHALLENGE HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR 2024.
THANKS TO ALL THE RUNNERS AND VOLUNTEERS THESE PAST 10 YEARS FOR HELPING TO CREATE A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE FOR ALL
The 2023 Joe English Twilight Challenge
DOWNLOAD UPDATED FINAL RESULTS BELOW
Christin Doneski of Hopkinton, NH, the winner of the 6-hr ultra race: Female with 15 laps in 5:53:36.39 (39.44 miles). Second place is Alexandra Wolf of Somerville, MA with 14.5 laps in 5:56:57.05 (38.02 miles). Missing from photo is third place Deirdra Lowe of Salem, MA with 13.5 laps in 5:45:19.71 (35.40 miles). Congratulations to these amazing runners!
Christopher Cappellini of Norton, MA, the winner of the 6-hr ultra race: Male with 14.5 laps in 5:52:26.84 (38.02 miles). Second place is Mark Blakeley of Norton, MA with 14 laps in 5:58:34.40 (36.71 miles). Forth place Nick Hill of Bennington, NH with 12.5 laps in 5:49:59.47 (32.77 miles). Missing is third place runner Ted Neimann of Columbus, Ohio with a time of 5:48:32.14 (34.08 miles). Congratulations to these amazing runners!
The Joe English Twilight Challenge is an evening/nightime trail run hosted at Freestyle Farm in Amherst, NH. This event consists of a marathon, a half-marathon and a 6-hour ultra-marathon. The 6-hour ultra may be run individually or by 2- or 5 member teams. Shorter distance runners compete in the two-lap run which covers 5.24 miles. After dusk, much of the race is run in the moonlight on equestrian trails through woods, over fields and around a 50-acre pond. The course is marked with fluorescent light sticks, ground flags and occasional signal fires. Headlamps are essential.
Schedule of events:
3:00 PM: registration begins
4:00 PM: registration ends for 5PM race starts
5:00 PM: Race begins for 6-hr Ultra, 6-hr relays and Marathon
6:00 PM: registration ends for 7PM race starts
7:00 PM Race begins for Half-Marathon and 2-Lap Open Run
See below for more information
SCROLL RIGHT FOR PHOTO GALLERY
More information about our race
Ultra-Marathon, Marathon and Half-Marathon Stats
Men’s Ultra Record: Ben Pangie, Dublin, GA 40.64mi (2014)
Women’s Ultra Record: Kristina Collins, South Paris, ME 35.4mi (2014)
Men’s Marathon Record: Padraig Mullins, Cambridge, MA 3:24:09 (2015)
Women’s Marathon Record: Yuki Chorney, Mont Vernon, NH 3:55:23 (2016)
Men’s Half Marathon Record: Ryan Collins, Hyde Park, MA 1:24:15 (2015)
Women’s Half Marathon Record: Bridget Ybarra, 1:41:09 (2021)
Men’s 2 Lap Run: Aaron Rudolf, 43:26 (2022)
Women’s 2 Lap Run: Audrey Pyles, 42:48 (2022)
Goodies and Food
All entrants receive a bib and swag bag with a custom printed Sport-Tec T-shirt (if pre-ordered), race program, cookie and sponsor coupons. Hot and cold concessions will be available. Go to the indoor arena at the start/finish to find free snacks, drinks, fruit, premium coffee, grilled items, chili and much more.
Aid and First Aid
We will have an aid station at the start/finish line with water, Gatorade, gel, granola bars, and other goodies. We'll also have an athletic trainer stationed
at the start and available via cell phone. We'll post their phone number
at the indoor arena.
Awards
Running into the night is a unique experience and each finisher is awarded a custom, cast and finished medal fitting of the spirit of Joe English. The awards will be given next to the start/finish line in the indoor arena. All results will be posted online, broken out by class (age, gender, and hiker versus runner).
Parking
All parking will be on field/grass at Freestyle Farm. Parking is not allowed outside designated areas or on Mack Hill Road. Violators may be towed.
Our Host: Freestyle Farm
Freestyle Farm is a privately owned, 300-acre equestrian center located at 188 Mack Hill Road in the northern part of Amherst. The center provides boarding and training of event horses and welcomes the public to visit and to participate in equestrian and other events. The farm works to maintain the rural and agricultural character of Amherst through preservation of open space. The trails and other facilities are not open for use by the general public
Carry-In/Carry-Out
All participants and spectators are asked to carry out any trash that they carry in. Permission to access the trails on Freestyle Farm is generously provided free of charge by the owner. Please respect your opportunity to use the facility and dispose of any litter that you find.
For more information contact:
George Bower, Race Director, TrailChallenge@Joe-English.org
Competition With a Purpose
The objective of the Joe English Twilight Challenge night of distance races is to raise funds for the preservation of land for public use. All proceeds benefit the Amherst Land Trust, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charity. The trust protects rural, scenic, and open-space lands for future generations. Serving as educator and deal-maker since 1975, the trust has preserved hundreds of acres of New Hampshire conservation land for public enjoyment.We have worked to develop a high-quality distance running event which appeals not only to competitive runners, but to outdoor and fitness enthusiasts, and individuals and organizations with an environmental ethic.The Joe English Twilight Challenge also enables us to foster broader awareness of the programs of the Amherst Land Trust and create linkages with the running community, trail users and environmentally conscious corporate entities. We also seek to encourage participation in distance running and events on the trails at Freestyle Farm.
OUR 2023 POSTER
