Mine Hill Gravel Challenge

For starters, this is not an easy course. It is a beautiful one though and if you can get through the first half of the course, it is virtually downhill the entire second half of the race. The race starts at the distillery and quickly heads onto Route 67 for about 3/4 mile before turning left onto Sentry Hill Rd. At around 1.5 miles, riders take a left onto the soft dirt of Judds Bridge Road. Trending downhill for the next mile, you cross the iconic Judds Bridge and past a beautiful farm. Turning right in another 1/4 mile, is Walker Brook Rd. Don’t let the flat landscape along the creek fool you…the hills are coming. At 3.7 miles, the fun begins as you make your way onto Shinar Mountain Rd. It starts off with a gentle grade, but then turns quickly up. It’s about a mile climb with just a small false flat in the middle. Shinar Mountain turns into Lower Church Hill Rd at just over 5 miles and trends a little uphill before a steep downhill to the next left at West Church Hill Rd. This is 1/2 mile hill with almost 250′ of gain to reach the highest point on the course at the halfway point. At the top, riders will stay left to continue on West Church Hill and begin the downhill trek back to the distillery. After a jarring 1/2 mile downhill, riders turn left at 7.6 miles onto the gentle Walker Brook Rd., a gentle sloping dirt road with a babbling brook next to you almost the whole way. Another mile and half down the road, the terrain will start to look familiar as it’s time to retrace your steps back to the finish. Crossing back over Judds Bridge, riders take a right and head up the rolling dirt road before the right onto Sentry Hill and the penultimate right onto Route 67. It’s a fast finish as you running downhill next to the Shepaug River before making the quick right onto Mine Hill Rd. and the finish at the distillery!

May 24, 2026

• 7:00 a.m. Packet Pickup/Race Day Registration begins
• 8:00 a.m. Gravel Challenge Start
• 11:00 a.m. Awards Ceremony
• 12:30 p.m. Cutoff for Finish

Will we have water and/or electrolyte drink at 3 aid stations along the course. Keep in mind that Steep Endurance events are “cupless” races. Riders are required to carry their own water bottle, pack, or cup. This policy is put into effect in an effort to reduce the amount of waste and adopt a sustainable “green” practice for the race and the sport of trail running.

• Specially designed finisher medal from Ragged Cuts
• Finisher Award for everyone​
• Additional swag from our sponsors
• ​​Additional awards for Top 3 podium for Overall Male/Female

Roxbury is a very historic town in the Litchfield Hills of Northwest CT. There are plenty of places to stay near Roxbury if you want to make a weekend out of it.

Over 150 years ago, Mine Hill was a center of the Industrial Revolution in Connecticut. Silver, steel and granite and were carved from the hills; corn, grains and tobacco were grown in the river valley. Some of this granite was even used in the building of the Brooklyn Bridge and Grand Central Station. Just over 5 years ago, Elliot Davis fulfilled a lifelong dream and took over the Mine Hill area property, which had been in disrepair for many years. He has since done extensive renovations and turned the property into it’s current distillery business. Keeping with the history of Mine Hill, he kept many of its amazing features in place to give the business an authentic look. The property includes the 1872 train station, an 1860 cigar factory as well as a waterfall that once powered several mills on site. They of course make their own vodka and gin right on site for you to enjoy!