The Rugged Red Trail Half Marathon
About this race
HERE'S TO YEAR 12 OF THE RUGGED RED RACE!!!!
Saturday, October 3, 2026 at 7:15am in Slade, KentuckyJoin us as we run in one of the most spectacular trail settings in the United States and provide support to the men and women who serve on the search & rescue teams that regularly save lives in the Red River Gorge area.
RACE FEATURES:
- Spectacular 13.1 mile looping trail course on private property in the scenic Red River Gorge
- Commemorative long sleeved performance shirts (Men's & Women's sizes)
- Custom Finisher's Medals
- Lively DJ playing great music to celebrate the accomplishment of all finishers
- Overall Top 3 M/F and Top 3 M/F in the following age groups (0-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69 and 70+)
- Free Race Photos (Thanks to Skyler Dickinson Photography)
- Complimentary hot and cold brew coffee (Thanks Berserker Brew)
- A complimentary West Sixth beer for all racers (21 & older)
- BBQ Lunch provided to all racers (Thanks Hungry Hiker Bar & Grill)
- Run The Red Teams (Teams of 5 or more SAVE $5/team member)
- Convenient Thursday Packet Pickup in Lexington, Friday PPU in Slade, KY
- Post race shakeout/massages by Lance Minnis
- Raffle for some great prizes!
- Great camping and lodging options in the RRG --- The entire Natural Bridge Campground is available for racers in 2026!
- A trail running experience like none other!
You can find the course map here -
HALF MARATHON ROUTE
COURSE HYDRATION: Our race is cup less. Please bring a water bottle or self-hydration system. We will have Shaklee hydration and water at the start area and water at 5 locations along the 13.1-mile route.
SPECIAL AGE BASED PRICING (Ages 10-16) We are offering a $35 registration fee for those running who are ages 10-16)
PACKET PICKUP (PPU): We are hosting several packet pickup opportunities. Our packet pickups will be held on Thursday, 10/1/26 from 5-7pm at J&H Running Company (197 Moore Drive in Lexington) and on Friday, 10/2/26 from 4-8pm at the Natural Bridge Campground (pavilion). This is the race venue. We will also hold last chance PPU on race morning (Saturday, 10/3/26) 5:45-7am at the same location. The address for Natural Bridge Campground is 90 L&E Railroad Place, Slade, KY 40376
ONSITE CAMPING/LODGING INFO
Please check out the race website and our FB page for more info and updates and reach out to BobBaney12@gmail.com if you have any questions.
Ready to test your limits? The The Rugged Red Trail Half Marathon brings a highly anticipated Half-Marathon to Slade on September 25, 2021. Expect a fantastic route right in the heart of Kentucky.
Pick your distance
Trail running
The Rugged Red Trail Half-Marathon
We are carefully watching Safety Regulations and have prepared back up plans to give you a Terrific Rugged Red Race experience this year. If we can't use National Forest Service Lands in a large group event, we are mapping out a challenging 13.1 mile trail on private lands to keep you challenged and keep you safe. If September conditions require no large groups, we will go Virtual with you picking time and place to run. There will be a Rugged Red and there will be a 2021 medal. Never Give Up!
The Rugged Red Trail Half-Marathon
About Slade
The Rugged Red Trail Half Marathon takes place in Slade, Kentucky, United States. The local timezone is America/New_York.
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Race information has been sourced from the event's official website and other publicly available resources. For the most up-to-date details, please refer to the official website directly. If you notice any incorrect or missing information, don't hesitate to reach out to us by email.
