Thinking about signing up for the Big Turtle 2.0 Trail Race in eastern Kentucky? Here’s our race report and review!
The Big Turtle is a trail race in eastern Kentucky that's been operated by Next Opportunity Events for several years now. We found out about it in time to join the 2025 race.
Interested in challenging yourself to do it next time? Here's how our experience went, and what we think you should know!
Where Is the Big Turtle 2.0 Trail Race?
The race is held in Morehead, Kentucky, a small town within the bounds of the Daniel Boone National Forest.
It’s primarily on the Sheltowee Trace, a through-hiking trail that runs through both Kentucky and Tennessee. Legend has it that Daniel Boone was given the nickname Sheltowee (meaning “Big Turtle”) by the Shawnee tribe. The trail uses turtle trail blazes to mark the path.
Looking for more things to do in Morehead? Check out Fuzzy Duck Coffee Shop and Cave Run Lake.
What Are the Big Turtle 2.0 Trail Race Distance Options?
As of 2025, there’s a 10-mile, 50K (30-mile) and a 50-mile option.
How Difficult Is the Trail?
It’s hard, no question about it.
Challenges include not just the distance, but also the rocky terrain, the often narrow single-lane path, major elevation gain and the weather.
The race is held in late April, and in Kentucky that can mean extreme heat or frosty cold, or anything in between. It’s also peak tree pollen season and a fairly rainy time of year here.
When we did the race in 2025, we ended up with perfect weather. It was mid 60s and overcast, with a light breeze. The year before, the highs were in the 90s.
When we ran, it had rained heavily the night before, so there were multiple stream crossings that would’ve been dry otherwise.
If you opt for the 50K or 50-mile route, there's a narrow swinging bridge to cross. The recent rain made the wood planks a bit slippery.
Training beforehand is a huge help. If you're prepping while it's cold outside, here are some tips for winter trail running.
Will I Get Lost?
Maybe? I did hear some runners saying they lost the trail and added extra miles onto their route.
However, the race website had a route that could be exported. We were able to export it to our Garmin watches and start an activity course, so the watch map kept us on track. You could also use the Gaia app or another map app to import the gpx file.
The route was also marked with pink flags and an occasional arrow.
What to Expect at Aid Stations
The race website says that they only promise to provide water and Gatorade.
When we did the race, there were also soda and pickle juice, along with a wide variety of snack options. (So maybe expect little, and then be pleasantly surprised if there are extra items.)
Are There Restrooms at Aid Stations?
There were both porta-potties and flush toilets at the race start, and then some of the aid stations (but not all) had porta-potties. They sent out an email a few days before the race confirming where porta-potties would be.
It’s probably also a good idea to be prepared to use nature's restroom if you have an emergency.
I like this trowel because it’s easy to hold onto while digging through roots and rocks, and has a compartment for compressed towelettes. I also bring along a Kula cloth.
My husband carried our ultralight trowel.
Can Runners Have Crew or Drop Bags?
When we ran it in 2025, no crew was allowed. The 50K runners were allowed one drop bag, and the 50-mile runners were allowed two drop bags.
Check out our tips for packing a drop bag!
Is There Live Tracking?
When we ran, there was “sort of” live tracking. Runners check in at each aid station, and the aid station volunteers manually add their number to the check-in tracking.
However, we found that only the 5.1-mile and 25-mile aid stations and the finish line were uploaded on race day, perhaps because the cell signal at the other aid stations wasn’t great. (I’m not sure.)
If there’s someone you want to track, I recommend tracking their phone location. This wasn’t perfect, since I generally couldn’t see the trail on my Find My app, but I could see if a runner was moving away from or towards Morehead, so I could tell when they reached the turn-around point.
It also let me see when they were close to Eagle Lake, the small lake at the start of the trail. (This was helpful if you were waiting on a runner at the finish line, because you knew they were getting close.)
Do I Need an Emergency Locator Beacon?
If you already own an emergency satellite locator (like the Garmin inreach we use), it’s never a bad idea to carry one.
However, most of the trail for the 10-mile and 50K runners will have some cell signal (sometimes spotty, but enough to send a message.)
The 50-mile runners may find they have little signal as they get close to the Cranston area (near the Sheltowee Trace northern terminus, which is also the turnaround point for the 50-mile runners).
Big Turtle 2.0 Trail Race Swag
The year we did this race (2025), t-shirts were available as an additional purchase for $15 on race day (we never got a preorder email). The shirt fabric was incredibly soft and better quality than some other race shirts I have.
Their website says the finisher prize changes each year. In 2025 it was a glass: 10-milers got a rocks glass, 50K runners got a small beer glass, and 50-mile runners got a beer stein with a handle.
I was pretty thrilled since glasses are a lot more useful than finisher medals. (A medal with a turtle would’ve been too cute though, right?! But if I had to choose, I’d opt for the glass.)
Big Turtle 2.0 Trail Race Review
We loved this low-key trail race! The terrain was challenging, but the rest was not. We were easily able to find parking and find our small group.
The finish line area wasn’t crowded, and it was easy to welcome finishers.
Finding food after was easy. We went to Sawstone Brewery downtown and were happy to see Meg’s pizza truck parked outside.
I may have felt differently if the weather had been hot or rainy, but we had such a nice time that we hope to run this again next year!
Shopping for gear? Popular trail running shoes include the Altra Lone Peak and the Topo Terraventure. Here's a comparison of the brands.
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