About the Veterans Trail Festival
The course runs through Raccoon Creek State Park on primarily single-track trail, and it earns its reputation. Roots, rocks, and real climbing make the longer distances genuinely demanding. The shorter out-and-back is open to walkers and runners both. Everything starts and finishes at the Recreation Hall inside the park.
Race morning opens with a presentation of Colors and the National Anthem, with stories from local veterans before the start. Post-race, the Recreation Hall hosts food and gathering inside and out. The race benefits Outdoor Immersion, an organization that works with veterans through outdoor programs, so the atmosphere around the finish reflects that.
Free race emails
Get the Weekly RunSesh
In for this one or still deciding, keep race season near Hookstown on your radar: a Monday look ahead and a Thursday rundown of the weekend's races.
Two helpful emails per week. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Finish-Time Stats
Going by the 2025 results, this is a small, friendly field, with a competitive front end and a big recreational middle.
5K · 2025 results
57finishers
22:25winner
40:25median
2:39:47cutoff
Top 3: Will Henry Lawrence (22:25) · Alex Domencic (22:28) · Jayce Stone (24:27)
20 Miles · 2025 results
50finishers
3:05:44winner
5:36:41median
7:52:47cutoff
Top 3: Nicholas Miller (3:05:44) · Ryan Taylor (3:21:41) · Judah Kaufmann (3:30:16)
50K · 2025 results
34finishers
5:00:15winner
6:31:46median
7:52:53cutoff
Top 3: Justin Kelsey (5:00:15) · Sebastian Mladenovic (5:20:05) · Heath Goshorn (5:24:46)
The Veterans Trail Festival has been held every year since at least 2019. That is as far back as RunSignup's records for this race go, so it may well be older.
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
50K11/7/2026 08:00$65
20 Miles11/7/2026 08:00$55
5K11/7/2026 09:00$25
1 Mile11/7/2026 09:00$25
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.
Plan Your TripWhere to Stay
Traveling for this race? The map shows hotels and rentals in and around Hookstown — pan or zoom to compare what's nearby.
The map is provided by Stay22. If you book through it, RunSesh may earn a commission at no extra cost to you — it never affects the races we list.