Race for the Refuge

Race for the Refuge The Highland City Striders welcome you to explore the trails at the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge in Sudbury, MA ! The Race for the Refuge begins at the ARNWR Visitor’s Center and traverses the beautiful trails around the Refuge. The course will lead runners into this idyllic nature refuge, past ponds, through pine and oak forests, and alongside mysterious military bunkers. Course Description The double track trails are a mix of dirt and gravel. It’s a great course for beginner trail runners. For the advanced trail runner, it could be an opportunity for a new PR! Events The lineup features a 10K (1 loop) and 30K (3 loops) races, and a 6-hour timed event. For the timed event, runners may do as many loops as desired. A loop must be completed by 3pm to be counted towards final mileage. Ranking of runners is determined by the runner who completes the most loops in the shortest period of time. Runners in the 6-hour race must start their last lap by 2pm. The top male, female, and nonbinary runner from each of the events (10k, 30k, and 6-hour) will receive a prize. The largest team will also be celebrated, so please encourage friends and fellow club members to join you! Race Day Rules Dogs are not permitted on Refuge lands, so please leave your pooch at home. This event is family-friendly but children must be supervised. Tread lightly through the refuge and please leave no trace! This will be a cupless race to eliminate waste on the course. Any fuel, such as gel packets, should be carried in and packed out. Due to the delicate ecosystem any littering is grounds for immediate disqualification. All runners must stay on the marked course. Thanks for keeping our wild spaces wild! Aid Stations and Course Marking There will be two aid stations with typical trail race fare including water, hydration, hydration mix, pretzels, orange slices, banana halves, Swedish fish, coke, and ginger ale. The main aid station will be at the Start/Finish line. A secon