To beer or not to beer? That was the question facing Equinox Marathon runners as they approached one of the race’s infamous unofficial aid stations.
The course covers the standard marathon distance, 26.2 miles, but has approximately 3,200 feet of vertical gain, which demands a lot of the human body.
At 8:57 in the morning, about an hour after the start. A group of friends, who declined to give their names, said they’d been hosting an unofficial station from a foldout table on a part of the course in a power line corridor for the last decade. They were handing out short pours of Pabst Blue Ribbon — mostly.
Just a few hours in, their trash bin was filling up with plastic cups.
There were ten official aid stations marked on the course map. But it’s tradition for locals to set up their own unofficial stops along the route, offering everything from hot dogs to beer.
"If you're just out here running or hiking the Equinox for fun, that is the aid station to hit," said Tobias Albrigtsen, the assistant race director.
Albrigtsen said the 2025 men's Equinox winner even tried a sip.
"He went for it, and then regretted it immediately," Albrigtsen said.
A bit further down the course, a younger crew of volunteers was dressed in matching yellow hoodies, plus one boy in uniform adorned with badges. They were representing Cub Scouts Pack 92.
There was no beer at their table — one of the official aid stations. The Cub Scouts encouraged runners passing the Large Animal Research Station at the crest of the hill — the troop was cheering loud enough to be heard a mile away.