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Houghton's Pond Trail Races (7 Miles and 3.7 Miles)

Sun October 1, 2023 Milton, MA 02186 US Directions

Events

7-Mile Race

9:00AM EDT

3.7-Mile Race

9:00AM EDT

PRE-RACE INFORMATION (Posted Sept. 27)

Please review our "Pre-Race Information"--it should answer most of your race-day questions!

Click the icon below to download the attached PDF.

PDF

Place

Houghton's Pond Recreation Area, DCR Blue Hills Reservation
840 Hillside Street
Milton, MA US 02186

Description

These trail races follow rolling courses over dirt roads and forest paths in the Houghton's Pond section of the scenic DCR Blue Hills Reservation, a few miles south of Boston.  The routes avoid steep hiking trails, but these ARE trail races, with plenty of small rocks and tree roots along the way!  Both courses are entirely on dirt.

Two race distances are offered:  7 MILES and 3.7 MILES.  Both races will start and finish adjacent to the Houghton's Pond Visitor Center, overlooking Houghton's Pond.  The total elevation change is about 700 feet for the 7-mile race, and 300 feet for the 3.7-mile race.  (See below for a PDF of the course maps.)  

The races are directed by Colonial Road Runners.  A portion of the race proceeds will be donated to Friends of the Blue Hills, which helps to maintain trails in the Reservation and serves as an advocate for the Reservation's protection.

Registration Information

The registration fee is $30 for the 7-mile race and $25 for the 3.7 mile race through August 31.  The fees increase by $5 for each race on September 1.  NEW FOR 2023:  Fees are reduced by $5 for registrants who are 19-and-under or 70+ (as of race day).  (Members of Colonial Road Runners receive a separate $5 discount, which is applied automatically at checkout.)  

PLEASE NOTE:  Due to DCR permit restrictions, REGISTRATION IS LIMITED TO 300 RUNNERS combined for the two races, and there will be NO race-day registration.

Race entries are non-refundable.  However, if you are ill or injured, or otherwise unable to participate, we will allow you to transfer or defer your entry.  For details, please contact the Race Director at trailrunning@colonialrunners.org

FOR SAFETY'S SAKE:  Due to the narrow trails, dogs are not allowed, and we strongly urge that you do not use headphones.

Amenities

LONG-SLEEVE COTTON RACE SHIRTS (AVAILABLE IN BOTH MEN'S AND WOMEN'S SIZES) are guaranteed to all runners who register by September 7. Here's how the 2023 shirt will look! 

There will be three staffed water stations on the 7-mile course, and two on the 3.7-mile course.

Post-race refreshments will include bagels, bananas, and snack food packages. 

Awards

Awards will be given to the First Overall Male and Female finishers in each race, and to the top three Male and Female finishers in each age division:  19 and under, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and 70+.  First Overall finishers will also receive MARATHON SPORTS gift certificates.

Cancellation Policy

In the event of severe weather or environmental conditions, we reserve the right to cancel the races or modify the courses, to ensure the safety of race registrants and volunteers, or to protect the trails from damage.  (Examples of potential reasons to cancel the races are high winds, lightning storms, forest fires, or flooding of trails due to extremely heavy rainfall.  Rain alone would not cause us to cancel the races.) 

The races are also subject to cancellation if required by government policy and regulation.

In the event of cancellation, the races will not be rescheduled, due to the long lead-time that is required to obtain a DCR park-use permit.  If race expenses have already been incurred, it may not be possible to offer a full refund, but we will offer a partial refund or a discount towards the registration cost for the following year’s races.  We appreciate your understanding of this policy.

Race Contact Info

If you have any questions about this race, please contact the race director at

Directions to the Race Start

For GPS:  use 840 Hillside Street, Milton, MA.  (See the map below to create directions from your location.)  

From Route 93 (Rt. 128), take Exit 2 to Route 138 North ("Milton").  Turn right at the first full set of traffic lights onto Hillside Street.  Drive one mile to stop sign, and continue straight ahead for 0.2 miles to the Houghton's Pond main parking lot.  Bib number pick-up, and the race start and finish, will be in front of the Visitor's Center between the parking lot and Houghton's Pond beach.  

Sponsors

Thanks to DUNKIN' and MARATHON SPORTS for their support!.

Mail-in Registration Form

If you prefer to register by mail, please contact the Race Director at trailrunning@colonialrunners.org, to obtain a paper form.

Course Maps

Click the icon below to download the attached PDF.

PDF

Directions

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