Rock ’N The Knob Trail Challenge

September 12, 2026 at Blue Knob All-Season Resort.

Allegheny Trailrunners is pleased to announce that the sleepy giant who took a nap last year has awakened.
Rock ’N The Knob Trail Challenge returns in all its terrible glory on September 12 at Blue Knob All-Season Resort.

Back are the nightmare courses that test all who dare try:

The 10K packs a wallop, featuring Throat Punch—one of the most infamous climbs in Pennsylvania trail racing.

The Half Marathon crests the Alleghenies’ northernmost 3,000-foot peak and tangles with the wonderfully ominous Euros (“The East Wind”), which seeks out the unworthy and plucks them from the earth.

The 50K exists for one reason only: to be one of the baddest, meanest trail experiences in the Mid-Atlantic.

Registration opens in February.
You’ve been warned.

COURSE TAKEAWAYS

10K course

The 10K course may be the most challenging 10K in PA* (*based on the fastest and average finish times.) The 10K features trails like Lost Porcupine, Code-Red, Tree-odge, Devils Hairpin, Throat Punch Hill and Soul Sucker Slopes! Two major climbs give you nearly 1500 feet of climbing. There is one aid station at the base of the first climb called Throat Punch Hill at 3.7 miles. [No pacers, drop bags, or crew.]

There is no cutoff at the one and only aid station, however all participants need to finish the race in 7 hours (5pm).

Rated #14 as the Toughest Trail 10Ks in the Northeast by Trails Collective and #1 Toughest in Pennsylvania.

2023: A new “back half” to our already legendary course.

10K: 1496 feet of climb in 6.2 miles is 241 feet of climbing per mile [“back-half” is 390 feet/mile]

Course Description | Course Maps

Half-Marathon

In 2019, we added a half-marathon course! Get ready – this half-marathon is a doozy. We took our marathon course and cutting it in half but leaving in more than half of the challenges and suffering in with over 3500 feet of climbing on the 13.51 mile course! The half features some gnarly sections like Blister Blaster, Teal is Real up Deep Hollow Notch, I’ll Nettle Do This Again and I Need a Sherpa!

Rated in the Top 10 (#8 ) among the Toughest Trail Half-Marathons in the Northeast by Trails Collective.

Half Marathon Stats:

Plotaroute: 13.99 miles | 3435 feet of climb

Hello, Drifter: 13.80 miles | 3389 feet of climb

Strava: 13.58 miles | 3545 feet of climb

[No pacers, drop bags, or crew.]

Course History

2019 – Allegheny Trailrunners added the half-marathon course.

2021 – Added “Eurus – The East Wind.” ‘Eurus’ is the Greek god of the East Wind – “The East Wind is coming. It seeks out the unworthy and plucks them from the Earth.”

2022 – Bypass added around excessive erosion at Hope’s Fall. Replaced with New Pavia Trail.

2023 – Minor shortcuts to shorten the course closer to half-marathon distance.

Course Description | Course Maps

Mountain 50K

For mountain-goats, this course has broken the will of many as you repeatedly attempt to ascend Blue Knob Mountain, the most northern 3,000+ foot peak in the Alleghenies. The 50K is our infamous mountain marathon “boosted” to an ultramarathon which includes all the ‘greatest hits’ of both the half and 10k races.
50K runners will have the opportunity to have two drop bags and two locations to have access to crew.

History:

2012 – The first Rock N’ The Knob was held in mid-October. Distance for the long course was 18.5 miles.

2014 – Rock N’ The Knob long course was increased to 20 miles.
2018 – The marathon replaced the former 20 mile course.
In 2021, we added a new climb to make this one of the toughest marathon distance races in the Mid-Atlantic region. The new climb is called ‘Eurus’ for the Greek god of the East Wind – “The East Wind is coming. It seeks out the unworthy and plucks them from the Earth.”

In 2023, we are added a new section to the marathon course with elevation climb nearing 7,000 feet – making it one of the most formidable challenges in the Mid-Atlantic. In other words, it is the same amount of climbing as the toughest 50Ks but compressed to a marathon distance!
2024 – The marathon now becomes the Rock ‘N The Knob Mountain 50K.

50K Stats:

Plotaroute: 30.59 miles | 7450 feet of climb

Hello, Drifter: 30.5 miles | 7533 ft of climb

Strava: 30.9 miles | 7765 feet of climb

UltraPacer: 30.6 miles | 7524 of climb
Trail Run Project: 31.8 miles | 7040 feet of climb

Cutoff: 10 hours to complete the race.

ADDITIONAL COURSE INFO

DYK that mountain goats are great at math! Here is some data on the climbs and descents for Rock ‘N The Knob Trail Challenge. The number in parentheses indicates which course – 6, 13 or 31 mile course) www.alleghenytrailrunners.com

—Major Climbs—

STOEHR CLIMB (13,31)
149 foot climb in 0.27 miles – 10% grade

RAVEN’S WHYSONG (13,31)
253 foot climb in 0.42 miles – 11% grade

CONRAD RIDGE UPHILL (31)
656 foot climb in 0.88 miles – 14.1% grade

BEAVERDAM CANYON/I’LL NETTLE DO THIS AGAIN (13,31)
1048 foot climb in 1.3 miles – 15.2% grade

SOUL SUCKER SLOPES – ALL 3 SLOPES (6,31)
560 foot climb in 3333 feet – 16.8% grade

HOGBACK RIDGE (31)
538 foot climb in 2693 feet – 20% grade

THROAT PUNCH HILL – ALL (6,31)
480 foot climb in 1787 feet – 27% grade

EURUS – “THE EAST WIND” (13,31)
387 foot climb in 0.27 miles – 26.9% grade

TEAL IS REAL/DEEP HALLOW NOTCH (13,31)
332 foot climb in 1161 feet – 28.5% grade

I NEED A SHERPA (13,31)
198 foot climb in 475.2 feet – 40% grade

UPPER THROAT PUNCH HILL (6,31)
194 foot climb in 475 feet – 40.8% grade

BEAR TRAP! – (SECOND OF THREE SOUL SUCKER SLOPES) (6,31)
110 foot climb in 264 feet – 41.7% grade

—Major Descents—

CONRAD RIDGE DOWNHILL (31)
656 foot drop in 0.88 miles -14.1% grade

DEVILS HAIRPIN (6,31)
613 foot drop in 0.8 miles -14.5% grade

HERMAN STEPS/BLISTER BLASTER (13,31)
625 foot drop in 0.6 miles. -19.7% grade

HANS GRUBER’S FALL (13,31
429 foot drop in 0.4 miles -20% grade

EXPRESSWAY (13,31)
515 feet in 0.34 miles -33.3% grade

EDGESET (13,31)
183 foot drop in 528 feet -34.6% grade

Sign me UUUUPPPPP!!!!

IN SUMMARY:

At over 3,100 feet above sea level, it is Pennsylvania’s highest race.
A 10K, half-marathon or 26-mile options. All are more technical (rocky) than our little sister, the Dirty Kiln Trail Race and is one of the toughest in the region.
Lodging packages available at Blue Knob All-Seasons Resort, wake up feet from the start and finish.
SWAG includes socks, technical shirt, bottle-opener/medallion, collapsible cups and car decals.
Post-race food and beer tasting is included with the entry fee.

REFUND POLICY

Participants are eligible for a 50% refund of race fee minus RunSignUp fees until 9/01/2025. After September 1st, no refunds will be distributed.

Sign in to your profile at RunSignUp.com/Profile.
Scroll to Runner Links and click on My Registered Races.
Click View/Edit Registration next to the race you want to withdraw from.
Click the Request Refund link.

No same-day signups for this event. REGISTRATION ENDS SEPT. 8TH AT NOON.

TRAIL SISTERS APPROVED

All of Allegheny Trailrunners races are ‘Trail Sisters Approved’ by providing women the race day they deserve.

Our commitment:

Equal Podium Spots
Equal Awards
Women’s specific swag & apparel.’
Menstrual products at aid stations.
Equal opportunity/space for women on the starting line.

Learn more about Trail Sisters mission to increase women’s participation and opportunity in trail running through inspiration, education and empowerment; and details on the commitment Allegheny Trailrunners has made in becoming a Trail Sisters Approved Race.