Oil Creek 100 Trail Runs (100 Mile)
Titusville, Pennsylvania · October · 100 mi
- Distance
- 100.6 mi (162 km)
- Loop course
- Climbing
- 5,420 m (17,780 ft)
- Hilly: 34 m per km (177 ft per mi)
- Overall cutoff
- 32 hours
- 19:06 per mi (11:52 per km) average
- Finish rate
- 55%
- of starters in 2022
Why runners love it
- Three 50.1 km (31.1 mi) loops from one base, plus a 12.4 km (7.7 mi) finish loop.
- About 2,000 reflective flags plus cones make the course hard to lose.
- Open entry, no qualifier and a small field of roughly 84 starters.
- Drop bags at AS2 on every loop; pacers allowed from the end of loop two.
- Free tent camping and a gym at the school start and finish, per listings.
Watch out for
- 5,420 m (17,785 ft) of gain on rugged single track with house-sized rocks.
- 13.5 mi (21.7 km) of asphalt, including paved bike path at each loop's start and end.
- Crew only at AS2 and AS4; roadside crew means disqualification.
- Finish rates were 31% in 2021, 43% in 2018 and 55% in 2022.
- No intermediate cutoff times are published; hunting season means hi-vis is advised.
Race
How runners feel about it, how well it is run, and the community around it. Counts for 25% of the overall score.
Toughness for its distance: Very tough
- Runner satisfactionLoved3.6
Few first-person reports; the race calls itself unforgiving and gnarly, and finish rates of 31 to 55% suggest a hard day. · Low confidence
- OrganizationWell run4.0
Detailed course and policy pages, RaceJoy tracking and pacer forms; no runner feedback found on how it ran. · Low confidence
- Community and vibeWarm3.9
Small field of roughly 84 starters, free camping and a school gym at race HQ; thin evidence. · Low confidence
Support
Aid stations, crew access, drop bags and pacer rules. Counts for 25% of the overall score.
- Aid stationsGood3.7
Staffed stops every 7 to 8 mi (11 to 13 km (8.1 mi)), longest 8.7 mi (14.0 km), with Tailwind and food; no pain relievers provided. · Medium confidence
- Crew accessSome points3.4
Only AS2 and AS4, but both are visited on every loop; crew anywhere else risks disqualification. · High confidence
- Drop bagsMany stations3.7
Drop bags at AS2 (every loop) and AS4 for runners without crew. · High confidence
- PacersMuch of the race3.5
Allowed from the end of loop two, about the last 39 mi (63 km), with up to three pacers one at a time. · High confidence
Course
Course marking, scenery, and how runners rate the trail itself. Counts for 15% of the overall score.
- Course markingImpossible to miss4.6
The race uses about 2,000 reflective flags, signs and cones. · High confidence
- SceneryBeautiful3.8
Fall colour, oil derricks at Benninghoff Farm and park trail; 13.5 mi (21.7 km) of asphalt takes some shine off it. · Low confidence
- Trail experienceFine3.3
Three repeats of a rugged 50K loop and paved bike path at each end of every loop; limited runner feedback. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- FootingModerate2.5
Rugged single track with roots and a house-sized rock zone, but 13.5 mi (21.7 km) of asphalt and path eases it. · Medium confidence
- RunnabilityMixed3.0
A mix of running and hiking on 5,420 m (17,785 ft) of climbing. · Low confidence
- ClimbingHilly2.3
Climbs 177 ft per mi (33 m per km), from the official elevation gain. · High confidence
Conditions
Race-day temperature and how predictable the weather is. Counts for 14% of the overall score.
- Race-day temperaturePleasant3.6
Early to mid October: highs of 26 to 27 °C (79 to 81 °F) in some years, with cooler nights. · Medium confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable2.9
Rain and mud in 2018 and 2021; hunting season adds hi-vis advice. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- AltitudeLow4.3
Valley hills are 442 to 480 m (1,450 to 1,575 ft) per the course page. · Medium confidence
Cutoffs
How generous the overall and intermediate cutoffs are for the terrain. Counts for 13% of the overall score.
- Overall cutoffNormal3.2
32 h for 161.9 km (100.6 mi) with 5,420 m (17,785 ft) of rugged gain; finish rates ranged from 31% to 55% in published years. · Medium confidence
- Intermediate cutoffsReasonable3.4
The race publishes no intermediate cutoff times, so there is nothing to plan against; the overall pace is about 19 min per mile (11:48 per km). · Low confidence
Not part of the score
- First timer friendlyDoable2.8
The loop format and heavy marking help, but finish rates of 31 to 55% and rugged single track make it hard for a first 100. · Low confidence
- Getting inUsually open4.4
Open registration with no qualifier and a small field of roughly 84 starters; the 2026 deadline was 7 October. · Medium confidence
Stay and travel
Getting there, places to stay, race-day logistics and value. Counts for 8% of the overall score.
- Travel easeFair2.6
Titusville is a small town and the race does not name an airport. · Low confidence
- Places to stayGood4.0
Free camping and a gym at the school start and finish per listings; showers cost $10. · Low confidence
- LogisticsSimple4.0
One start and finish at the school for every loop, with 1.25 mi (2 km) of paved path to the trail. · Medium confidence
- ValueGood value3.5
The entry fee is not on the pages read; showers cost $10 extra. · Low confidence
Key facts
Checked against the 2026 edition on the official race site. Rules change, so confirm before you enter. Blank means the race does not publish it.
- Location
- Titusville, Pennsylvania, United States
- Region
- Northeast US
- Typical month
- October
- Latest or next date
- 10 October 2026
- Start time
- 05:00
- First held
- 2009
- Distance
- 100.6 mi (162 km)
- Course shape
- Loop course, 3 laps of 50 km (31 mi)
- Surface
- Trail: Three counterclockwise loops of about 31.1 mi (50.1 km) on the yellow-blazed Gerard Hiking Trail in Oil Creek State Park (93.3 mi / 150 km (93.2 mi) total), then a 7.7 mi (12.4 km) 'going home' loop, for 100.6 mi (161.9 km). About 87.1 mi (140 km) is trail and dirt road and 13.5 mi (21.7 km) is asphalt, including paved bike path legs at each end of every loop.
- Footing
- 17,785 ft (5,420 m) per the course page, which gives 5,459 ft (1,664 m) per 50K loop; the race info listing says 17,627 ft (5,373 m). Valley hills are 'generally in the 1450 to 1575 ft range' (442 to 480 m (1,570 ft)), so the high point is set to 480 m (1,570 ft). Mostly single track; a house-sized rock zone is flagged on Section 2. Cell service is spotty on upper ridges.
- Elevation gain
- 5,420 m (17,780 ft)
- Climbing rate
- 34 m per km (177 ft per mi)
- High point
- 480 m (1,570 ft)
- Overall cutoff
- 32 hours
- Pace to make the cutoff
- 19:06 per mi (11:52 per km)
- Cutoff notes
- Finish by 13:00 Sunday, 32 h after the 05:00 Saturday start (pace cutoff 18:50 per mile). Third-party listings say cutoffs are strictly enforced and no shorter-distance credit is given. The official pages I read publish no intermediate cutoff times.
- Aid stations
- 4
- Longest gap between aid
- 14 km (8.7 mi)
- Drop bags
- Some stations
- Crew access
- Some points
- Pacers
- Allowed after the second loop, the last ~39 mi (63 km), up to three pacers one at a time
- Support notes
- Four staffed stations on each 50K loop: AS1 Wolfkiel Run at mile 7.1 (11.4 km), AS2 Egbert Farm at Petroleum Center (turnaround), AS3 Miller Farm Rd at mile 8.7 from AS2, and AS4 Titusville Middle School (start and finish; used by 100K and 100 mi runners). Two more stops are water only. Longest staffed section AS2 to AS3 at 8.7 mi (14.0 km); the race says staffed stations are every 7 to 8 mi (11 to 13 km). Crew only at AS2 (limited parking) and AS4; crew elsewhere risks disqualification. Drop bags at AS2 (all runners) and AS4 (100K and 100 mi).
- Water notes
- Not stated on the official pages.
- Night running
- Most runners run through one night
- Mandatory gear
- Whistle for 100K and 100 mi runners going through Saturday night. Warm clothes and hi-vis (hunting season) strongly advised; own pain relievers (none provided).
- Entry
- Open
- Entry notes
- The race does not publish a field cap or an entry fee on the pages read. Official results show 84 starters in 2021 and 2022.
- Finish rate
- 55% of starters in 2022
- Weather notes
- Official site notes highs of 79 F (26 C) and lows of 62 F (17 C) in a wet 2018, and low 80s F (about 27 C) in 2011. Rain and mud in 2018 and 2021.
- Stay notes
- Race HQ at Titusville Middle School (415 Water St): free tent camping and gym per aggregator listings, $10 showers on site per the race site. Parking arrival after about 15:30 Friday.
- Course record (men)
- 17:04:50 (Nick Kopp, 2015; Cameron Stauffer 17:03:31 in 2019 is unofficial)
- Course record (women)
- 19:29:25 (Ashley Lister, 2012)
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What runners and reviewers say
- Oil Creek 100 official results and recordsRaced 2022 · article · Mixed
Official counts by year: 46 of 84 finished in 2022 (55%), 26 of 84 in 2021 (31%), 70 of 161 in 2018 in rain and mud (43%). Describes itself as unforgiving, historic and gnarly. Course records 17:04:50 and 19:29:25.
“Unforgiving. Historic. Gnarly.”
- VHTRC, Quatro Hubbard (2015)Raced 2015 · article · Positive
Club report: 84 finished the 100 mi in 2015, one of the club's runners placed third, and the race also offered a rare 100K and a tough 50K. No course detail.
- Multi Day Running (2026 listing)Raced 2026 · aggregator · Mixed
2026 100 mi results: winner Steven Larick in 19:58:03; RunSignup shows 32 finishers and 25 DNFs; 17,785 ft (5,420 m) and 32 h limit.
- GoTrail listingRaced 2026 · aggregator · Mixed
Lists the course as rugged single track marked with over 2,000 flags, with 17,627 ft (5,373 m) for the 100 mi and no user reviews yet.
- Oil Creek 100 course pageRaced 2026 · article · Mixed
Section by section: 7.1 mi (11.4 km) to AS1, then 6.9, 8.8 and 8.4 mi (11.1, 14.2, 13.5 km (8.4 mi)) with about 1,175 to 1,580 ft (360 to 480 m (1,570 ft)) of gain per section, derricks at Benninghoff Farm and an official warning on house-sized rocks. Official facts source, not a review.
Ran Oil Creek 100 Trail Runs (100 Mile)? Your notes on the footing, cutoffs and aid stations help the next runner decide.
Sources
Pages we used for facts and ratings.
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