Sugarloaf Marathon

Why we're there

The Sugarloaf Marathon runs point to point down Route 27, starting in Eustis, threading the Bigelow Range through Carrabassett Valley, and finishing in Kingfield — twenty-six miles of two-lane road through some of the emptiest country in Franklin County.

That is the whole reason amateur radio is useful here. For most of the course there is no reliable cell coverage, no shelter and no quick way in or out. Runners, water stops and vehicles are strung out over the entire distance, and race officials at the finish need to know what is happening at mile 9 without waiting for someone to drive there and back. Amateur operators posted along the route give the organizers a communications net that covers the whole course and does not depend on any commercial infrastructure.

For us it is also training. Supporting a public event exercises exactly the skills an activation would demand — net discipline, accurate traffic, working from a vehicle or a folding chair for hours, and handling the one message that actually matters among a hundred routine ones.

The event

What

Sugarloaf Marathon & 15K — a USATF-certified road marathon and 15K

When

Mid-May each year. The 2026 race, the 42nd annual, was run on May 17, 2026; the 2027 race is scheduled for May 16, 2027. The marathon starts at 7:00 AM.

Where

Route 27 — start in Eustis, through Carrabassett Valley, finish in Kingfield, Maine

Who runs it

Sugarloaf

Our role

Volunteer course communications — see below

The course drops about 1,285 feet net from start to finish, from a high point near 1,548 feet down to 584 feet at the finish. The first five miles are close to flat, miles five through ten roll — including a steady two-mile climb around mile eight — and the last sixteen miles trend downhill. It is one of the fastest certified marathons in the country and a reliable Boston qualifier, which is why it draws runners from well outside Maine. A 15K is run the same morning. The field is capped, and recent marathons have finished around 500 runners.

Full race information, including registration, is on the Sugarloaf Marathon page.

What the assignment looks like

Course communications is steady, unglamorous work and it is a good first event for a newly licensed operator. You are given a spot on the course, you report what you see — runners through, a water stop running low, a runner who has stopped and needs help — and you stay put and stay on frequency until you are released.

You do not need a mobile installation or a big station. A handheld with a spare battery and a way to stay warm and dry for a few hours is enough for most posts, and we pair newer operators with experienced ones.

Frequencies, post assignments and the day's tactical plan are issued to volunteers before the event — they are not published here. Details go out on the wednesdays and saturdays nets and by email to everyone signed up.

Want to help?

Licensed amateurs are welcome, and this is one of the easiest ways to get involved with the group. See the Join page, or contact us and say you are interested in the marathon. We will also put out the call on the nets at 7:30 PM (1930) as the race weekend approaches.

This page describes W1FCA's volunteer support for the race. It is not the official race website, and we cannot answer questions about registration, results or refunds — those go to Sugarloaf.