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2nd Annual Brandywine Valley Trails Challenge 50K / 35K Registration is open
Go to Wilmingtontrailclub.org to sign up
Continuing for 2026, the Wilmington Trail Club is excited to announce the 2nd Annual Brandywine Valley Trails Challenge – a 50 K event for hikers and runners, with a 35 K option.
The Brandywine Valley Trails Challenge will both start and finish in Brandywine Creek State Park (BCSP) at the Hawk Watch Pavillion. It will start with a loop in the beautiful forests and meadows of Winterthur, where we have special permission to hike on the dates of the warm-up and the day of the event. The route will continue along the Brandywine River to Smiths Bridge Parking Lot. Then the route will continue through First State National Historical Park (FSNHP) and on to Penns Woods with small stream crossings in a beautiful forest. The route will return to FSNHP and on to BCSP on the east side of the Brandywine and out of the woods to Garden of Eden Road. Finally, the route winds its way to Alapocas Run State Park. After traveling through Alapocas Woods, the final leg enters the Northern Delaware Greenway Trail and heads north back to a finish in BCSP. (Participants may choose to skip the Alapocas loop, shortening the hike by ~ 15 km).
The Brandywine Valley Trails Challenge is an impressive tour of beautiful areas. It goes through old growth climax forests, around cultivated fields, horse pastures, a vineyard and many scenic hills with much less road walking than the End-to-End. It will surprise many hikers that such natural areas are so close to Wilmington. We consider this long hike to be at least as challenging as the End-to End because of the hilly terrain. Similar to the End-to-End, the hike will be well-supported with rest stops and a cook-out at the finish.
To familiarize yourself with the trail and to help you train, Wilmington Trail Club hosts two warm-up hikes which you can hike with the leader or at your own pace. Details are posted on the Wilmington Trail Club website; check the Hiking>Calendar section of the website for times and locations.
The registration deadline (to guarantee T-shirt) is March 29, 2026. Deadline for refund for cancellation is March 29, 2026. On-site registration may be available only as space allows.
You can sign up for this event by filling out the event booking information on our website at Wilmingtontrailclub.org You can pay by PayPal or Credit Card by selecting that payment method on the “Pay With” dropdown menu and submitting your booking. Credit Card payments are processed by PayPal as guests and do not require a PayPal account or login. Alternatively, you can “Pay by Check” on the “Pay With” dropdown and send a check ($40 for WTC or CCTC members; $45 for nonmembers) made out to Wilmington Trail Club. Send it to Linda Jones, 303 Alders Drive, Wilmington, DE, 19803. When your check is received, you will be e-mailed a confirmation notice. If you are unable to book online, you can register by paper form on our website
Join us for this exciting event!
For more information send an email to [email protected] or [email protected]. .
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Event Venue
Brandywine Creek State Park, Winterthur, Delaware, United States
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