Veterans Trail Festival presented by Flick Financial

The festival is the main fundraiser for Outdoor Immersion, a nonprofit that runs outdoor programs for veterans and service members. The 50K leads a race day that also includes a 20 miler, a 5K, and a 1 mile, which keeps the finish area feeling like a community event rather than a pure ultra.

The 50K and 20 miler run mostly singletrack through Raccoon Creek State Park, with rocks, roots, and short steep climbs that add up late in the race. Everything starts and finishes at the park's Recreation Hall, and the long courses carry five aid stations.

Early November in western Pennsylvania usually brings starts in the 30s and highs in the 40s or 50s. Fallen leaves cover the rockiest sections, so the footing tends to be slower than the elevation profile suggests.