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.
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!
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!
About the Refuge
Centuries ago, these lands were hunted and fished by Nipmuc Tribes. Later, they were farmed by colonists, intersected by a railroad, and used for military training. You will run past military bunkers that were in use when the area was known as the Sudbury Training Annex, which was part of Fort Devens. The US Army transferred the land to the US Fish and Wildlife Service in 2000, establishing the Refuge.
Since then, the Refuge has become home to freshwater wetlands, oak and pine forest, and shrubland that support many types of wildlife, including wading birds, songbirds, raptors, beaver, bobcat, white-tailed deer, and various reptiles and amphibians.
Proceeds from this race will help fund improvements to three refuge sites in MA and a volunteer coordinator who will assist visitors to the refuge with nature education and programming.
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