AGENDA & Race INfo
PACKET PICKUP
Friday, May 10, 2024: 3:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Rushing Waters, N301 County Road H, Palmyra, Wisconsin will host the 2024 packet pick-up. Rushing Waters is located about two miles north of the Ice Age Start/Finish area on Hwy H. The adjacent Trout House restaurant will not be open, but a food truck will be on site and beer and other beverages will be available for sale.
Saturday, May 11: 5:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Runners can also pick up their packet Saturday morning at the Start/Finish area in the Nordic Trail parking lot located on Hwy H, 1 ½ miles north of LaGrange, WI.
RACE DAY
Start Times
50 Mile Run – 6:00 a.m. Sharp
50k Mile Run – 8:15 a.m.
Half Marathon – 9:00 a.m.
All races will start at the Nordic trail head adjacent to the Nordic Trail parking lot, N9084 County Road H, Whitewater, WI 53190. The Nordic area is roughly 1 1/2 miles north of La Grange, Wisconsin on Hwy. H, across the road from the John Muir trail head. GPS Coordinates: 42.821715, -88.600437.
Parking
Parking is extremely limited. Please car pool — and arrive early!
To ensure that everyone has a place to park, we’re adding a remote lot just up the road from the Start/Finish area. But please familiarize with the information below so you can get where you need to go on time.
This year, there are three parking lots for Ice Age Trail 50 runners, spectators and guests: Nordic, Muir and Rushing Waters. The Nordic and Muir lots are just a few steps from the Start/Finish area. Rushing Waters is located about 2.8 miles north of the Start/Finish on Hwy H. Shuttles will be circulating between the Rushing Waters’ lot and the Start/Finish area from 6:45 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on race day.
Once the Nordic lot is full we will post a LOT FULL/DROP OFFS ONLY sign. If you have a driver, they can pull through and drop you off at the start.
A Wisconsin State Park parking pass is required to park in the starting area — and many of the lots near the race course. All registered runners will receive a pass when they enter the park, which is good for race day only. Make sure that you place sticker on the inside of the lower front driver windshield. Support and all other vehicles associated with the race MUST have a daily pass or they will be ticketed. Crew members and spectators can purchase daily passes at a discounted rate ($5) in the parking areas. Please bring exact change — we cannot process credit cards. If you park in the overflow lot (private property), you do not need a state pass UNLESS you leave that area to follow your runners on the course. Thank you!
Passes should be affixed to the lower inside left corner of your vehicle’s windshield.
Once all the races have started (9:00 a.m.), volunteer parking attendants are done for the day. Parking after that time is self-service.
50-MILE RUNNERS
The 50-mile race starts at 6:00 a.m.
The Nordic and Muir lots will open at 4:45 a.m. and volunteers will be on-hand to direct you to open parking spots. Traffic will be heavy between 4:45 – 6:00 a.m, so please watch for signage and obey the volunteer parking attendants.
Do not park on Highway H. You will be ticketed.
50K RUNNERS
The 50k race starts at 8:15 a.m.
You can park at the Nordic/Muir lots or Rushing Waters. If the Nordic/Muir lots are full, please proceed north on Hwy H to Rushing Waters. Shuttles will be transporting runners from Rushing Waters to the Start/Finish every 15 minutes or so starting at 7:00 a.m. ARRIVE EARLY. If you park at Rushing Waters between 6:45-7:30, you will arrive in plenty of time for the 50k start.
Do not park on Highway H or anywhere between Nordic and Rushing Waters. You will be ticketed.
Palmyra-Eagle High School (PEHS) shuttles will be returning to Rushing Waters until 3:00 p.m. Transportation can also be arranged back to Rushing Waters after that time. See a volunteer at the Start/Finish area.
There will be a 50k drop bag tarp in the Start/Finish area for your goodie bag.
HALF MARATHON RUNNERS
The Half Marathon race starts at 9:00 a.m.
Half Marathon runners should park at Rushing Waters. Shuttles will be taking runners from Rushing Waters to the Start/Finish every 15 minutes or so starting at 7:00 a.m. ARRIVE EARLY. If you park at Rushing Waters between 6:45-8:15, you will arrive well ahead of the race start.
Parking at Rushing Waters is FREE, but you will need a day pass if you leave the lot and use any of the state parking areas later in the day.
Palmyra-Eagle High School (PEHS) shuttles will be returning to Rushing Waters until 3:00 p.m. (six hours after the Half Marathon start). Transportation can also be arranged back to Rushing Waters after that time. See a volunteer at the Start/Finish area.
There will be a Half Marathon tarp in the Start/Finish area for your goodie bag.
Race Day Parking Contact: Dan LaBlanc 262-880-1919.
DROP BAGS
When you arrive at the Start area on race morning, you will find a number of tarps, each marked with a different drop bag station location. Place your bag on the appropriate tarp(s). So that you can be reunited with your bags after the race, please write your name on each one. Secure your bags tightly and don’t overpack.
There are three drop bag sites for the 50-mile race: The Start/Finish (9 miles), Hwy 12 (18 & 26 miles) and Horseriders Camp (37 & 43 miles). There is one drop site for the 50K at the Start/Finish (13 & 22 miles).
Drop bags will be transported to Hwy 12 and Horseriders Camp by race volunteers — and back to the Start/Finish area later in the day.
50-mile runners: The aid stations at Hwy 12 and Horse riders will have “return tarps.” When you pass through those stations, move your drop bag to the return tarp and it will be delivered to the Start/Finish area sooner in the day.
AID STATION FOODS & FLUIDS
All Ice Age aid stations will be stocked with water, HEED and soda (Coke, Mountain Dew and Ginger Ale). Food items vary by aid station, but all will have: PBJ sandwiches, oranges, bananas, pickles, cookies, chips, pretzels and candies.
A limited supply of gels will also be available, but runners are encouraged to bring their own gels.
CUTOFF & COURSE CLOSING TIMES
The 50-mile and 50k races close at 6:00 p.m. sharp.
For an official finish, runners in the 50-mile race will have to complete the course in 12 hours (6:00 pm). There is a 9:45 cutoff for the 50k (6:00 pm). The Half Marathon course will close four hours after the start (1:00 pm).
Runners will receive disposable timing chips, but official results will be based on GUN TIMES. No one crossing the 50 Mile finish line after the 12:00:00 cut-off as given by the finish line clock will be officially scored.
There are several hard cut-offs in the 50 mile and 50k races, which are listed on the course section of this website. Runners who miss these cutoffs will be asked to turn in their bibs.
50K Runners: Aid Station #1 (Tamarack) will be open until 4:30 p.m., but will be UNSTAFFED after 3:00 p.m. Water, Heed and other supplies will be available after 3:00, but volunteers will not be there to assist runners.
POST RACE BBQ DINNER
The Post Race BBQ Dinner in the finish area will begin around 12:15 p.m. The BBQ dinner, catered by Glenn’s Market, is free to all Ice Age Trail 50 runners and volunteers and to everyone who has pre-paid for additional BBQ dinners for their family members. If you neglected to order extra tickets during the registration process, contact the RD at iceage50rd@gmail.com before April 15. BBQ tickets can also be purchased in front of the shelter on race day for $15 each. (Please bring cash or a check!)
Delicious craft beer from Central Waters Brewery, soda and water will be provided. We will not, however, have cups on hand (part of our sustainability effort to reduce our waste). If you’d like to enjoy a beer, you have three options:
- Bring your own glass to the beer stand.
- Purchase an Ice Age pint glass at the merch table.
- Bum sips from a friend.
AWARDS
• There are three awards in each age division for all three races: Five-year age divisions for the 50 mile race; 10-year age divisions for the 50k and Half Marathon.
• All 50 mile finishers under 12 hours will receive a locally-designed and cast 42th anniversary Ice Age buckle. All finishers of the 50k and Half Marathon races within the allotted time will receive a custom-designed IAT key chain.
• There will be one award ceremony at 3:00.
• Half Marathon results will be posted frequently, with awards available under the main tent on a rolling basis beginning at 11:30 a.m.
This year, only the overall and first place finisher’s awards will be available for pick-up on race day. Second and third place awards will be mailed to the winners, BUT YOU MUST NOTIFY OUR AWARD’S CAPTAIN (UNDER THE TENT ON RACE DAY) THAT YOU WANT YOUR AWARD. We are making this change wholly to eliminate the wasteful practice of discarding awards, which cannot be recycled.
RACE RULES
Every organized event must have some rules to help make it a fair, fun, and safe event for all participants. We are no different, so here are ours:
- All runners are required to traverse the entire course as marked.
- Your race number must be worn on the front of your clothing and be visible at all times.
- Runners must ensure their number is duly recorded by a race official at each Aid Station (AS).
- Runners must yield to vehicles and obey all commands from race officials (orange vests) at all road crossings. RUNNERS MUST YIELD TO TRAFFIC!
- If you wear headphones, please be aware of your surroundings and the possibility that there may be runners behind you trying to pass. If we hear complaints that runners had difficulty getting around runners who were plugged in, we’ll be forced to prohibit headphones in future races. Participants are not permitted to play music on external speakers while running.
- What to do in the unfortunate event that you are not able to finish the race: Any runner dropping out of the race shall do so at an Aid Station and make sure that this is duly noted by a race official. Please turn in your chip at this time to an AS Official who will ensure proper recording that you have decided to not continue. Transportation to the finish area will be provided upon request. Any runner dropping out of the race without informing a race official is subject to being banned from all future Ice Age Trail 50 runs. Do not become a “lost runner”.
- Runners will accept and follow all the directions and decisions of all Aid Station and medical personnel.
- NO LITTERING ON THE TRAIL. We are required to leave the trail as clean, if not cleaner, than we found it. It is the responsibility of runners to keep the trail free of trash, not our volunteers. Please pay special attention to proper disposal of gel packets and foil wrappers. Carry litter to the next Aid Station where garbage bags are provided. Aid stations are abundant. Any runner caught littering the trail is subject to immediate disqualification.
- Crews may assist only at designated crew access sites. PACING is not allowed!! What is pacing? Pacers are non-registered runners who accompany registered runners on the race course for more than 500 yards.
- A complete list and description of each Ice Age Aid Station can be found under the “COURSE” tab on this website. All Aid Stations will close at the designated times as posted in the Aid Station section. If you decide to continue on after the posted closing times, you are no longer considered an official participant of the race and do so at your own risk. Aid Stations are staffed by volunteers who are only scheduled for set times.
- ANY RUNNER NOT ADHERING TO ANY OF THE ABOVE RULES IS SUBJECT TO DISQUALIFICATION AND BANNED FROM FUTURE ICE AGE TRAIL 50 RUNS.
EVENT RULES FOR CREW AND SPECTATORS
- The Race Director of any trail run will tell you that litter on the course, or on the property of people living near the course, is a threat to the existence of the race. Please take this seriously and see that your crew does as well. A runner may be disqualified if his or her crew is discovered littering on or near the course.
- Pets must be leashed at all times.
- Crews may park only at designated parking areas. Observe “no parking” signs. Where parking is allowed along the side of a road, it is only on one side of the road and totally off the pavement (all four wheels). Sheriffs may ticket violators.
- If a runner drops from the race, his crew should be sure that Aid Station personnel or Race Officials are notified, that the scoring chip has been turned in, and that the DNF is duly recorded.
- All road guards will wear ORANGE VESTS. Please obey their instructions.
- Keep track of your children at all times! Do not allow any children to go on the course looking for their parents. It is very easy to get lost in the forest.
CHIP TIMING
The Ice Age Trail 50 will be timed using the MyLaps Bibtag timing system by MTEC Results. Your timing tag is affixed to your race bib and must be worn at all times while racing on the front of your chest.
Although all runners are required to wear a chip for tracking, all the races will be scored using GUN TIME.
You will see multiple timing mats on the course. You must cross the mats in order to be timed. Note there will be two sets of mats at the finish area. Please don’t cross the finish line unless you’re actually finishing the race.
If you drop out of the race, you must report this to the AS official where you drop out.
Last but not least – Have Fun, Have a Good Run, and Enjoy the Trail!