Mine Hill Half Marathon

For starters, this is not an easy half marathon 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, runners 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, runners 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, runners 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, runners 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!

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. Runners are required to carry their own hydration 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.

May 24, 2026

• 7:00 a.m. Packet Pickup/Race Day Registration begins
• 8:30 a.m. Half Marathon 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. Runners are required to carry their own hydration 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.

These rules are meant to make your experience during any Steep Endurance event a positive one. Most of these are common sense type policies that you will see at any road race.

• Absolutely No Littering! Please respect that we are using their amazing and beautiful roads of both Roxbury and Washington for this race. Failure to do so could jeopardize future events.
• Race entries/bib numbers are not transferrable–hence NO unofficial runners
• Following the marked course is mandatory. Please do not cut the course, cut any switchbacks, etc. Any runner caught doing so will be disqualified. The course will be well marked with flags and other necessary course markings.
• Though the course will be VERY well marked, runners are ultimately responsible for knowing the course and carrying course maps if necessary.
• Please respect that most of the course is open to traffic.
• If you must use the bathroom, please try to do so very discreetly a good distance into the woods before returning to the race.
• If at anytime you intend to drop out of the race, please do so at an aid station/checkpoint by notifying the aid station captain. Surrendering your bib to the aid station captain will serve as notice of withdrawal/DNF for the race. Failure to follow these policies means somebody has to come looking for you and in some cases, local authorities (at your cost).
• The use of personal music devices is strongly discouraged at this race. To enjoy all that our race has to offer and for the safety of all participants, Steep Endurance encourages a headphone-free environment during the running of the race. We believe your race experience and those around you will be greatly enhanced by leaving the headphones at home or in the car. Running headphone-free allows opportunities to develop camaraderie with your fellow runners and to enjoy everything the race has to offer. Plus, volunteers and spectators will be on course cheering you on and providing directions to help get you to the finish line. Runner safety will be a top priority for our events.
• SMILE and enjoy the race!

• 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!