I've yet to run Nipmuck, but my dear friend Michelle assures me that it's both a blast and brutal.

The course has two legs, each out-and-back, and the second includes a long hill. Nipmuck Dave was good enough to allow me to put the 2007 Nipmuck Trail Marathon application up online, so here 'tis, and here is the course map and directions. Check out the race web site, too. You have to have run at least a road marathon or a trail 1/2 marathon to qualify.

Here are some excerpts from the race site:

Warning: It is possible to get a serious injury in this race. If you run recklessly you'll increase your chances but even if you are careful it's still possible to get tripped up or slip on something. If you don't have health insurance don't do this race. No matter how careful you are plan on falling. The faster you run the more it hurts....

...We have the right to stop accepting applications any time we feel like it. So send it in early....

This is not a road race! This event is 26 plus or minus miles of narrow wooded trails with an elevation gain of 2300 feet. You will spend more energy per mile in this race then in any race on paved roads. If you add an hour to your road marathon time you'll get a good estimation of how long it will take you to complete the course....

You'll realize you're lost when you look up and don't see any blue dots. The first thing you do is look behind you. If you see a blue dot you're on the course and you can continue forward. If you turnaround and don't see a blue dot retrace your steps until you find one. In the end course monitoring responsibilities are yours. Complaints about getting lost will be laughed at.....

Lastly, the application includes a letter from someone who didn't care to try the race twice: