Life Goes On Foot & Paw Trail Run

What's a canicross you ask?  A canicross is a combination of the words "canine" and "cross-country." Traditionally, a canicross is running with your dog on hiking trails where the dog wears a harness specifically made for canicross and the person is attached to the harness with an elastic line and a waist belt. The equipment makes the sport hands-free and the harness is constructed for the comfort and the safety of both the dog and the runner. Click here to read more about the sport of canicross and click here for where to purchase canicross gear.

Participants in the Life Goes On Foot & Paw Trail Run may choose to run with their dog competitively in the canicross with the proper equipment or enjoy participation in the event with a more casual walk with their dog on a leash.

Here is the schedule of events on race day, Sunday, September 8th, at Rocky Woods located at 38 Hartford St, Medfield, MA:

• 7:30am: Packet pick-up begins
• 8:20am: Pre-race announcements, national anthem
• 8:30am: Start of the 2.5 mile canicross
• 9:00am: Start of the 10k
• 9:05am: Start of the 5k
• 9:30am (est): Awards - canicross
• 10:15am (est): Awards - 10k and 5k

All participants that register by Sunday, August 25th will be guaranteed the soft cotton, gender-specific shirt below.  Participants that register after that date will be given a shirt if they are available but are not guaranteed the size or style that they request. Awards will be given to the fastest 3 males and females in the 10k, 5k and canicross. Random giveaways from sponsors will also be distributed including a basket of Polkadog dog treats to 1 lucky participant in the canicross.

All runs in the Life Goes On Foot & Paw Trail Run begin and end at the Chickering Visitor Visitor Center at Rocky Woods.

The 2.5 mile canicross course is a 1 loop course that starts on the Chickering Pond Trail and then connects to the Quarry Trail. Runners will then go left on the Harwood Notch Trail which leads to the East West Trail just past the 1 mile mark. At the East West Trail junction runners turn right and then at the next course junction runners turn right onto the June Pond Trail (note: signage at this junction runners directs runners in the 5k and 10k to go left and canicrossers to go right). Runners then turn right on the Ridge Trail which leads all the way back to the Quarry Trail. Runners go right on the Quarry Trail and about 50 yards later turn left onto the Bridle Trail for the home stretch to the finish line. There is no aid station on the canicross course.

The 5k course is a 1 loop course that starts on the Chickering Pond Trail and then connects to the Quarry Trail. Runners will then go left on the Harwood Notch Trail which leads to the East West Trail just past the 1 mile mark. At the East West Trail junction runners turn right and then at the next course junction runners stay left to stay on the East West Trail (note: signage at this junction runners directs runners in the 5k and 10k to go left and canicrossers to go right). At the end of the East West Trail runners turn right onto the Cheney Pond Trail and near the 1.8 mile mark turn right onto the Wilson Swamp Trail. Runners are on the Wilson Swamp Trail to the end and then turn left onto the Ridge Trail which leads all the way back to the Quarry Trail. Runners go right on the Quarry Trail and about 50 yards later turn left onto the Bridle Trail for the home stretch to the finish line. The elevation gain is 226'. See the course map with a click here. There is no aid station on the 5k course.

The 10k course is a 2 loop course that starts on the Chickering Pond Trail and then connects to the Quarry Trail. Runners will then go left on the Harwood Notch Trail which leads to the East West Trail just past the 1 mile mark. At the East West Trail junction runners turn right and then at the next course junction runners stay left to stay on the East West Trail (note: signage at this junction runners directs runners in the 5k and 10k to go left and canicrossers to go right). At the end of the East West Trail runners turn right onto the Cheney Pond Trail and near the 1.8 mile mark turn right onto the Wilson Swamp Trail. Runners are on the Wilson Swamp Trail to the end and then turn left onto the Ridge Trail which leads all the way back to the Quarry Trail. Runners will then turn right to begin their second loop. Just past the 2nd loop there will be an aid station offering water. The 2nd loop repeats a traverse of the Quarry, Harwood Notch, East West, Cheney Pond, Wilson Swamp and Ridge trails until it returns to the Quarry Trail again. After completing the 2nd loop of this section, runners go right on the Quarry Trail and about 50 yards later turn left onto the Bridle Trail for the home stretch to the finish line. The elevation gain is 428'. See the course map with a click here. 

Maddie Walter’s life changed dramatically on May 8, 2015 at the age of 16 when she fell 30 feet from a rock outcropping and suffered a severe and extensive traumatic brain injury (TBI). She was in a coma for 2 weeks and in the ICU for a month at Children's Hospital in Boston, MA and then in rehab for 3 months at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Charlestown, MA. 

Her recovery required that she relearn how to walk, talk, eat, smile, and laugh. At the time of her accident, she was a varsity lacrosse player and captain of the varsity field hockey team at Westwood High School in Westwood, MA. An excellent student and friend of many, she lost nearly everything in her fall.

Throughout her recovery, Maddie has embraced many different therapies and has worked hard to overcome the deficits brought on by her accident. Unfortunately, many of these therapies were not covered by insurance and her family's search for financial assistance through grant programs yielded very few options. Wanting the best for Maddie, her family took on the financial burden associated with exploring different therapies which was offset, in part, by the generous financial assistance of family, friends, neighbors, the Westwood community and beyond.

Life Goes On After TBI was created by Maddie and her family to pay forward the support they were fortunate to receive, to give back to the TBI community and to offer hope, inspiration and financial assistance to other TBI survivors. Life Goes On After TBI is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible. CLICK HERE to visit the Life Goes On After TBI website.