Ghost Train Trail Races
Welcome to New Hampshire's original 30-Hour 100 Mile Race! Ghost Train started in 2009 and is going strong today as a fundraiser for the Brookline and Milford Conservation Commissions. ALL profits go directly back to the trails to preserve them and make them more accessible to the community.
The course follows the Granite Town Rail Trail, a former railroad corridor carved through the woods in the late 1800s. In its working years, this line carried massive granite blocks from Milford quarries and ice harvested from Lake Potanipo in Brookline, bound for towns and cities throughout Massachusetts. Those rails were pulled up and sold for scrap during World War II, but the trail never truly forgot them. Weathered railroad ties still surface from the soil like skeletal remains, marking the path where trains once thundered through fog and frost. Some say the corridor still hums with the memory of steel wheels and steam, especially after darkness descends.
Each October, as the Ghost Train leaves the station, the forest is at its most alive, and its most unsettling. Peak foliage cloaks the trail in fire and gold, daylight fades quickly, and long shadows stretch between the trees. Runners pass through history with every step, moving along a route shaped by industry, labor, and time… and perhaps watched over by whatever still lingers in the woods.
The Races
Ghost Train is proud to offer five races in 2026! Whether you want to run 7.5 miles or 30 hours, we have something for everybody.
30-Hour Ultramarathon - $125
30-Hour 7 Person Relay Race - $350
Haunted Night 30-Mile Race - $65
15-Mile Race - $35
15-Mile Relay Race - $35
All the details about our races can be found on our website and in our Ghost Train Handbook.
We fully expect the 30-Hour Ultramarathon and 30-Hour 7-Person Relay to sell out in less than an hour after registration opens. In years past, runners who found themselves on the 30-Hour Ultra waitlist could count on eventually being called forward before October. However, 2024 marked the first year the waitlist was not fully cleared, leaving some hopeful souls lingering in the shadows.
Looking ahead, we do not expect the 30-Hour Ultramarathon waitlist to fully clear in 2026, either. To keep the chaos contained, the waitlist for the 30-Hour Ultra will be capped at 175 runners. If you’re even slightly on the fence, we strongly recommend adding your name to the waitlist early, before the gates close and the last lantern goes dark.
Course Description
What could be better than running New England trails at the height of peak foliage season, when the leaves glow like embers, the air turns cold, and the woods seem to close in around you? Explore the course page on our website for a full course description, a Garmin map for those who want to view the path, and videos captured during Ghost Train weekend, when shadows stretch long across the trail and every footstep feels like it’s being quietly watched.
No Refunds or Deferrals
If, for any reason, you are unable to attend the race, please note that entries cannot be deferred and registration fees are non-refundable. Should your plans change, your entry fee will instead become a donation to the Brookline and Milford Conservation Commissions, helping care for the quiet, shadowed trails that wind through these historic woods long after race day has passed. Thank you for supporting the land - and the enduring spirit of the trail - that makes this event possible.
Event's current local time: 12:22 PM ET
