Sat, Oct 24, 2026

Hot Mess Trail Races

Pittsgrove, NJ

Registration openAnnual since at least 2021

3.95 MilesHalf Marathon

Entry is $80 now and rises to $90 after Sep 23, 2026, so registering before then saves $10.

About the Hot Mess Trail Races

The course runs through Parvin State Park on mostly natural surface, with a stretch or two of pavement connecting things. Expect rooty single-track, sandy sections, and a mostly flat lollipop-shaped route that starts and finishes at an open farm field. The half marathon does a couple of loops; the timed ultra lets you keep going as long as you want, returning to the start area between laps.

This is a cupless race, so bring your own cup. The park is carry-in, carry-out, and that policy is taken seriously. The start and finish area at Danna Farm Fields doubles as the main aid station for the ultra runners, who pass through it after every lap.

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Finish-Time Stats

Going by the 2025 results, this is a small, friendly field, and the spread of finish times is wide, so this is a mostly recreational race rather than one for club runners.

3.95 Miles · 2025 results

54finishers

51:20winner

5:23:43median

5:54:50cutoff

Top 3: Brian Paulson (5:42:22) · Donald Kirschner (5:52:13) · Kristopher Jackson (5:53:23)

13.1 Miles · 2025 results

44finishers

1:32:57winner

2:15:02median

5:15:24cutoff

Top 3: Dmitry Egorov (1:32:57) · Renee Blanchette (1:43:21) · Jonathan Soong (1:46:35)

The Hot Mess Trail Races has been held every year since at least 2021. That is as far back as RunSignup's records for this race go, so it may well be older.

Where Would You Finish?

Enter a finish time to see where it lands against the most recent 3.95 Miles results.

Median

See how your time stacks up nationally →

How we calculate these stats: RunSesh calculates these figures from the most recent published results of past editions, sourced from RunSignup. We show aggregates only: field size, winning and median times, and the cutoff. We never publish individual finisher tables. Last updated Jul 27, 2026.

Distances & Start Times

3.95 Miles10/24/2026 07:30$90

13.1 Miles10/24/2026 07:30$80

Going for a Time?

Set a goal and get a pace band: every mile split on a card sized for your phone lock screen, so race morning needs no math.

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Common Questions About the Hot Mess Trail Races

Will I finish last at the Hot Mess Trail Races?

Almost certainly not. Half the 3.95 Miles field finished slower than 5:23:43, and the last recorded finisher came in around 5:54:50, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Hot Mess Trail Races a good first 3.95 Miles?

It is a small race (54 finishers), which is friendlier and less intimidating than a big-city event, though the field thins out. There is no qualifying time, and the finish-time spread above shows how varied the field really is. If it is your first 3.95 Miles, that spread matters more than the winner's time.

How competitive is the Hot Mess Trail Races?

The 3.95 Miles winner ran 51:20 while the median finisher took 5:23:43. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.