I started at Fort Laurens in Bolivar, Ohio, on June 27, 2026, at 11:27:22 AM. It was humid, with a light drizzle that actually felt good once I got moving. There was an event taking place at the park, with people dressed in Revolutionary War-period clothing for a ceremony dedicating the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
The first six miles were on a nice, fine gravel trail, though there were frequent puddles to sidestep. That stretch from Fort Laurens to Zoarville runs downstream with the Tuscarawas River on your left, and it is slightly downhill, so I was able to bank some time early.
After crossing the river at Zoarville, the trail got much muddier and sloppier until around mile 8. From there it turned into a better-maintained gravel road with a slight downhill grade toward Reeds Run. At mile 10, The day before I had stashed my first liter of water along with more gels.
Once I turned onto Pleasant Valley Road, there was a big climb around mile 11, followed by a nice downhill to the next turn, which was a mowed strip just before State Route 39. After crossing 39, Ridge Road climbs and then turns into a rolling stretch with beautiful views of the surrounding farmland. Around mile 17, the route drops down into New Philadelphia and ends at Schoenbrunn.
I had cached my second liter of water and more gels by the sign at Schoenbrunn the night before, and I was able to find a trash can along the road to dispose of the empty bottle. I reached Schoenbrunn at 2:15:59 PM, which was 2 hours, 48 minutes, and 37 seconds into the effort. At that point, with an average pace of about 8:28 per mile, I felt like I still had a shot at my goal time of six hours.
But the climb back out of New Philadelphia hit hard. My legs felt heavy, and I ended up walking the last steep climb back up to Ridge Road. By that point, I was really feeling warm, and shortly after that it started to drizzle again, which felt really good.
On the way back, I basically tried to keep grinding out 10-minute miles. I was also dealing with some mild nausea and felt a little dehydrated. Looking back, one liter of water for every 10 miles was not enough for the humid conditions.
I stopped again at Reeds Run for my third and final water cache and was able to throw away my trash in the dumpsters behind the restaurant on the corner. The last 10 miles were uneventful, but definitely a grind. Starting at mile 32, I began rewarding myself with a one-minute walk at the end of each mile. That helped lower my heart rate and gave me something to work toward while still keeping the pace around 10:30 to 11:00 per mile.
I reached the Fort Laurens sign at 5:48:17 PM, completing the out-and-back route in a total elapsed time of 6 hours, 20 minutes, and 55 seconds. After finishing, I rewarded myself with a large Coke from McDonald’s in Bolivar before heading home.