The Rugged Raccoon Trail Race is a trail race held at Wildwood Conservation Area in St. Mary’s, ON, with a night time option. For those of you who enjoy running in the woods at night, this might just be the event for you! It is also a great opportunity for runners who are training for an upcoming 100k/100mi race that will require you to run through the night.
This race is in support of ‘Ontario Nature’. Their Nature Guardians Youth Program supports youth and teens who are leading conservation initiatives such as:
- Offering hands-on opportunities for meaningful engagement and community involvement through outdoor events and campaigns
- Developing the knowledge, tools and networks youth need to create lasting, positive change through conservation action
- Providing insight on volunteer, education and career opportunities to help youth grow the skills, experience, and confidence needed to make a difference
Do you want to race for free? Raise $150 or more for ‘Ontario Nature’ and we will refund your entry fee. We’ll also have mad respect for you!
Race Details
There will be 3 distance options to choose from: 5k, 10k, and 25k
-The 5k course is a lollipop course, which means that participants will run out for approximately 1.2km, complete a loop in the woods, and return on the 1.2km section back to the start. It will be run on the North side of the lake, which offers wider and less technical trails. However, we can almost guarantee that there will be some mud.
-The 10k course is an out-and-back with a loop in the middle, which like the 5k, takes place on the North side of the lake and will be run clockwise.
-The 25k night race will start at 7:00pm, which is 1.5 hrs before sunset. This will allow you to have the opportunity to get into your trail running groove before it gets completely dark. Sunset happens at 8:30pm on race day. The time cutoff is 11:00pm. If you need more than 4 hrs to complete the 25km race, we are offering an early start option, which will start at 6:00pm. Participants that start early, will count as official finishers but will not be eligible for time-based prizing. The 25k course is 1 full loop around the lake. Participants will start by heading clockwise on the North side of the lake, which is primarily wider and less technical. This will allow the field of runners to spread out before hitting the single track trails on the South side of the lake.
We designed the race this way on purpose for safety purposes. It is ideal to start with a little bit of light and give your eyes a chance to get use to the fading light. As a general rule, runners should turn on their lights BEFORE they need to.
Everybody running at night will be required to have a headlamp or flashlight (minimum of 100 lumens but 200 lumens or more is recommended) for this race, regardless of the distance you are racing (headlamp is strongly encouraged over a flashlight).
As this race takes place at the beginning of May, runners should be expecting some mud- in 2019 there was plenty! We can’t guarantee it but we’re pretty sure there will be some sloppy sections. If that worries you… GOOD! We encourage you to step out of your comfort zone- that’s when the magic happens! Plan on getting dirty.
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