top of page

November 23-24, 2024

Dinosaur Valley Endurance Run

Course Information

All the details to familiarize yourself with the race course, including an overview, course maps, elevation profile, weather, trail hazards, course markings.

DSC_6063.jpg

LOCATION

Dinosaur Valley State Park

Glen Rose, Texas

(Outside the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex)

SURFACE RATING

Some rocks, roots, and ruts

ELEVATION RATING

Hilly; ~9000 ft elevation gain in the 100 mile.

AID STATIONS

28 aid station stops on the 100 mile course.

Course Overview

The race is held at the beautiful Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glen Rose, Texas. This looped course has rolling and sustained ascents and descents, although none are terribly steep. The loops take you through varied terrain, from double track trails in fields to single track in wooded areas. There is a mix of packed dirt, smaller rocks, larger rocks, slick rock, and some roots. There are NO river crossings in case you are reading past race reports or seeing old race photos (removed starting in 2018). This course really has a little of everything and offers beautiful views as well. There are amazing overlooks on this course where you can see for miles.

​

The current course has been used each year beginning with 2018.

​

FOR THOSE WANTING TO TRAIN ON THE COURSE:

HERE is a PDF document to help you find the start/finish when you visit on your own, along with downloadable course maps for your GPS watch and turn-by-turn printable directions!

Course Layout

  • 5 Mile – 5-mile reduced portion of the main loop.

  • 25K – 5 mile course for your first loop THEN 1 loop of the 10.5-mi loop.

  • 50K – 3 loops of the 10.5-mi loop.

  • 100K – 6 loops of the 10.5-mi loop.

  • 100 Mile – 9 loops of the 10.5-mi loop. THEN 5 mile course for your final loop. 100K splits will be recorded as 100K finishes for all 100 milers at the end of 6 loops.

Course Map (10.5- and 5-Mile Loops)

DV2020_TrailMap.jpg

Elevation Profile

The race course is mostly rolling hills. Here is an elevation profile from someone who ran the 100 miler in 2020. Here's a Strava link for one 100 miler's race. 

Weather

The weather can be unpredictable, but hey, that's Texas for you!

​

In the case of extreme weather… There are limits to what a trail can handle. Because this is a State Park, the park personnel have the right to cancel the race before or during the event if they believe everyone's safety will be in jeopardy. We appreciate they are watching out for us, we understand the tough decision, and we hope the weather isn't extreme so they don't have to make that tough decision!

Average Temperatures

Low of 40 degrees F

High of 69 degrees F

Precipitation

November has an average precipitation of 2.2 inches (compared to 5.2 inches in May and 3.8 in October)

Sunrise / Sunset

Sunrise: 7:08 am

Sunset: 5:27 pm

Trail Hazards

This is not an exhaustive list but some hazards to watch out for on the trail:

Snakes

It's typically cold in November so less activity by snakes, but there are copperheads spotted in the spring, summer, and fall at the State Park.

Slickrock

It's fine unless it rains and then it lives up to its name. Watch your footing.

Bobcats and Coyotes

We don't expect them to give anyone any trouble, but they do live in these woods.

Loose rocky terrain

Watch your footing!

Cactus

Be careful going off trail to use the bathroom.

Course Markings

As a state park, they have established a grid of trails through their land. It is each participant's responsibility to watch carefully for course markings. We will be using a combination of

  • bright pink contractor tape flagging, with reflective tape on the ends to capture the light of your headlamp in the dark, that will be clothespinned to tree branches and bushes.

  • bright pink stake flags for major field sections that don't have bushes to attach ribbons to

  • arrow signs (left, right, straight)​

 

In spots where there's an intersection, just follow the flagging for the correct route to take if there are no arrow signs specifically. Flagging will be visible from where you are standing in the intersection.

 

Confidence flagging: For trail sections where there's no possible logical offshoot of a trail that you could take other than the one you are on, you may go as far as a half mile without flagging.

​

If you ever get to a spot where you are completely unsure of where you are, backtrack on the path you took until you get to course markers. If you become utterly and completely lost, never ever go off trail. Sit down where you are and wait until someone gets to you.

Ultimately, you are responsible for knowing the course.

bottom of page