Greenbelt Run For The Hills Trail Race

This July the Essex County Greenbelt Association (ECGA) will be hosting their first trail race in Hamilton. The ECGA is a member supported nonprofit land trust that has conserved nearly 13,000 acres of land in Essex County. Greenbelt works with local communities and landowners to acquire and protect ecological areas, farmland and scenic vistas. One of their major goals is the creation of "greenbelts" consisting of river, trail, and other natural corridors, coastal systems and visually intact landscapes. I hope you can support their fine efforts by running the race. The race is run on private land so this will give you an opportuity to explore some new trails in the area.

GREENBELT TRAIL RACE (5K OR 10K) July 19, 2008 9 a.m. startPingree Reservation, Pingree School, Hamilton, MA

This summer, Greenbelt will host a trail running race on our Pingree Reservation in Hamilton, Massachusetts. This is our first trail race, and we are excited to promote the use of our conserved land for the sport of trail running.Encouraging people to get outdoors and on our properties for recreational pursuits is important to Greenbelt. We expect this race will encourage both novice and experienced runners to lace up and hit the trail!As a regional land trust, we have a responsibility to educate community members about the benefits of land conservation. One way to have people understand why conservation is important is to help them enjoy and experience protected land in their community. With the trail run, we will introduce more people to our land conservation efforts, while providing a fun and healthy outdoor activity.If you are interested in sponsoring the Greenbelt Trail Run, download the application form or contact Becky Dean, becky@ecga.org.
Information for Runners
Course Description:The course begins in a field at the Pingree School, and immediately enters the forest. The entire course will be run along the trails that wind through the Pingree Reservation. The trails are both single and double track. Footing is relatively even, but there are a few tricky spots. The course is rolling, with a handful of short uphill and downhill sections. The 5k runners will run one loop, and the 10k runners two loops. The course will be marked with flags, and volunteers will stand at locations where runners might be confused. There will be one water station set up at the start/finish area (which will be at 3.1 miles for the 10k runners). Race Map

Registration:Runners can register online, in person at the Greenbelt offices, 82 Eastern Avenue, Essex, MA, M-F, 9-5 or print mail-in registration form. Day of race registration is from 7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. at the Pingree School. All runners registered by July 1 will be guaranteed a wicking race shirt. Registration may be limited to 150 runners.