The Stockville

“Wilderness areas are first of all a series of sanctuaries for the primitive arts of wilderness travel… I suppose some will wish to debate whether it is important to keep these primitive arts alive. I shall not debate it. Either you know it in your bones, or you are very, very old.”
~Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac

Thanks to everyone who came out for the 2022 Stockville! You can view photos from the event here. Keep an eye on this page for details about the 2023 race!

About

The best part of adventuring is the stories. That time you were packrafting down a remote river and spotted a deer chasing a Canadian lynx up the bank…That sunrise over the Catskills, when the red and yellow leaves sparkled with frost…Those trail angels you encountered, when everyone on the team had run out of food, and you were still miles from the TA…That night you and your teammates came together to overcome insurmountable odds and made it to the finish line, with seconds to spare…This race is for the stories.

The Stockville is a two-day foot and navigation event, inspired by the mountain marathons of Europe and the UK. Each morning, racers will receive maps of a linear, point-to-point course that will take them through the wilds of central Pennsylvania. The final checkpoint on Day 1 – and the start location for Day 2 – will be at midcamp, a community campout where we’ll come together over roasted marshmallows to share in the wonder of our collective adventures. There will be mandatory route each day that all racers must complete to officially finish the event, and there will be additional optional checkpoints along the way for the faster, more experienced teams. The mandatory route will allow teams to remain largely on trails, whereas the optional checkpoints will include more advanced, rugged, off-trail navigation.

Racers will be required to carry all food and gear for the duration of the event. We will transport tents and cooking supplies to midcamp.

Area Lodging

The start location is at Big Spring State Park. We recommend exploring the following options for lodging on Friday night:

Hotels:
Carlisle: East of the state forest, Carlisle has the most diversity and dozens of lodging options. Lodging options will likely be between half an hour and an hour away from the start location pending on permitting and course scouting.

Breezewood: West of the forest, Breezewood has a handful of options and likely will be the best best for racers traveling eastward. That said, Breezewood will likely be about an hour away from the start location.

Shippensburg: South of the forest, Shippensburg will likely be a bit closer to the start location but has fewer options and is off the turnpike further than the other major town listed.

Air B and B:
Searching for Heberling will give you a relatively central location. There are a number of options south of the forest and around its edges.

Camping:
The state forest allows for some limited camping options. See their website for more information. When we confirm a start location, we may update here with more information on camping options. Camping may also be available at Fowlers Hollow State Park, but you need to book ahead. Robinsons Family Campground is relatively close to the start as well.

Schedule*

SATURDAY:
6:30AM - Registration and map distribution at Big Spring State Park**
8:00AM - Race starts
10:00PM - Cutoff to reach Stockville/mid-camp

SUNDAY:
5:30AM - Maps distributed for Day 2
6:00AM - Race restarts
4:00PM - Finish line closes

*Schedule is preliminary and subject to change
**Details about race maps included in the gear list

2022 Details

DATE: October 8/9, 2022

LOCATION: Tuscarora State Forest; check in and start at Big Spring State Park

DIVISIONS: Single-gender solos, Single-gender and mixed-gender teams of 2-4 racers

PRICE: $125 through July 31, $150 thereafter*

GEAR LIST: Available here

DISTANCES:

Day 1 (14 hours): Teams can expect to travel 14-17 miles for the mandatory course, and 25-30 miles for the full course, with a bit more trail travel than in past years.

Day 2 (10 hours): Teams will have ten hours to cover 10-12 miles minimum, 18-22 miles for full course.

* Pricing for 2022 includes live event tracking and comprehensive safety team.

Supplies

Outdoor Gear
REI: In Breezewood, east of the forest
Keystone Outdoors: In Fort Loudon, south of the forest.
Dick's Sporting Goods: In Chambersburg, south of the forest.
Walmart: There are number of Walmarts in the region with the closest being in Carlisle.

Groceries and Pharmacies:
There are some small markets around the forest, but we don't recommend relying on them. Carlisle to the east, Shippensburg to the South, and Bedford to the west have more substantial grocery stores and pharmacies.