About This Event
Despite its name, the Mendocino Running Festival takes place in West Orange, New Jersey, offering a loop-based format that brings together runners of varied ambitions and experience levels. The course features rolling terrain with 876 feet of elevation gain per loop, creating consistent challenges across all distance options. This inclusive festival atmosphere emphasizes personal achievement over competition, making it a welcoming entry point for newcomers and a testing ground for seasoned runners.
Choose Your Distance
10K
The course consists of a 6-mile loop starting from the Big River valley and climbing to the valley's edge with 875 feet of elevation gain per loop. The route is primarily singletrack trail, offering technical terrain that demands attention and respect. Two well-positioned aid stations provide comprehensive support throughout each loop. Runners in the timed events complete as many loops as possible within their time limit, while distance event participants complete predetermined loop counts. The loop format allows runners to gauge their progress and adjust strategy, while the sustained climbing on each circuit creates a cumulative challenge that tests both physical and mental endurance.
Half Marathon
The course consists of a 6-mile loop starting from the Big River valley and climbing to the valley's edge with 875 feet of elevation gain per loop. The route is primarily singletrack trail, offering technical terrain that demands attention and respect. Two well-positioned aid stations provide comprehensive support throughout each loop. Runners in the timed events complete as many loops as possible within their time limit, while distance event participants complete predetermined loop counts. The loop format allows runners to gauge their progress and adjust strategy, while the sustained climbing on each circuit creates a cumulative challenge that tests both physical and mental endurance.
12 Hour
The course consists of a 6-mile loop starting from the Big River valley and climbing to the valley's edge with 875 feet of elevation gain per loop. The route is primarily singletrack trail, offering technical terrain that demands attention and respect. Two well-positioned aid stations provide comprehensive support throughout each loop. Runners in the timed events complete as many loops as possible within their time limit, while distance event participants complete predetermined loop counts. The loop format allows runners to gauge their progress and adjust strategy, while the sustained climbing on each circuit creates a cumulative challenge that tests both physical and mental endurance.
6 Hour
The course consists of a 6-mile loop starting from the Big River valley and climbing to the valley's edge with 875 feet of elevation gain per loop. The route is primarily singletrack trail, offering technical terrain that demands attention and respect. Two well-positioned aid stations provide comprehensive support throughout each loop. Runners in the timed events complete as many loops as possible within their time limit, while distance event participants complete predetermined loop counts. The loop format allows runners to gauge their progress and adjust strategy, while the sustained climbing on each circuit creates a cumulative challenge that tests both physical and mental endurance.