Held on some of the best trail networks in Chapel Hill, NC, the Zen Squirrel is a three-race trail running series that brings together adventure seeking athletes for fun, challenge, and healthy competition. Athletes choose to run in the 5 or 10 mile competitive events or in the 2-mile, untimed, …
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Held on some of the best trail networks in Chapel Hill, NC, the Zen Squirrel is a three-race trail running series that brings together adventure seeking athletes for fun, challenge, and healthy competition. Athletes choose to run in the 5 or 10 mile competitive events or in the 2-mile, untimed, fun run. All scenic, forest covered courses are pretty darn awesome and include a mixture of smooth and flowing dirt trails, rock and root strewn single-track, and challenging hill climbs.
For the third and final race of the series, we head back to beautiful Briar Chapel. Taking advantage of the vast trail network in this 900-acre oasis on the south side of Chapel Hill, this race will be run in the opposite direction of the first race at Briar Chapel and the 10 mile course will include close to 4 miles of new trail not used in the first race. Once again, we will stage the event at Great Meadow Park, with its beautiful lawn, stage, and pavilion, providing another awesome backdrop for the series finale.
The 5 and 10-mile race courses start with .5 miles of wide-open pavement and double track trails, perfect for establishing pace and position. After entering the single-track trails, 5-mile racers run along semi-technical terrain, up gradual hill climbs, and along relatively flat stream valleys before finishing in a large grassy community park. The exact distance of the 5-mile course is 5.0 miles, with an elevation gain of 463’. The 10-mile course includes all the terrain of the 5-mile course, about .5 miles of connecting pavement, close to 4 miles of new trail, and non-technical portions Bennett Mountain. With less hill climbing and fewer rock and root-filled sections, this Zen Squirrel 10-mile course at Briar Chapel is not as technical as the Race #1 edition. The exact distance of the 10-mile course is 10.1 miles, with an elevation gain of 963’.
The 2-mile, untimed, fun run, is perfect for families with kids (aged 6+) and for those looking to get a small taste of trail running. The fun run course starts with .5 mile of wide-open pavement and double track trails, followed by 1.8 miles of double and single-track. The exact distance of the fun run is 2.4 miles, with an elevation gain of 214’. While there are some hills, rocks, and roots along the fun run course, the majority of the terrain is less technical than the 5 and 10-mile race courses.
After each race, athletes gather for fun post-race festivities which include tasty food, great music, free kids ‘Race for Treasure’, and a fun awards ceremony (with many giveaways).
Race in one, two, or all three races of the Zen Squirrel. After each race, awards will be presented to the top five overall and the top three age group finishers of the 5 and 10 mile events. Additionally, a point system adding athletes’ points earned at each race will be used to determine the top five series finishers in each age group. Series prizes and awards will be presented at the final race of the series. Racers must compete in at least two races of the same distance (5 mile or 10 mile) to be eligible for series awards.
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