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Zen Squirrel Trail Run

Sat March 22, 2025 at Briar Chapel in Chapel Hill, NC Directions

Events

2 Mile

$35
($33: Ages 5 - 17) ($33: Ages 65+)
10:00AM EDT Price increases after January 12, 2025 at 11:59pm EST
Open to ages 5+.

5 Mile

$40
($37: Ages 8 - 17) ($37: Ages 65+)
9:45AM EDT Price increases after January 12, 2025 at 11:59pm EST
Open to ages 8+.

10 Mile

$50
($47: Ages 8 - 17) ($47: Ages 65+)
9:00AM EDT Price increases after January 12, 2025 at 11:59pm EST
Open to ages 8+.
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Description

The Zen Squirrel Trail Run is where it all started for Roadless Races in 2019, and it's BACK!  Offering 2 mile, 5 mile, and 10 mile distance options, this race brings together trail runners for fun, challenge, and healthy competition.  Runners will be treated to some awesome courses that include a mixture of smooth and flowing dirt trails, rock and root strewn single-track, and challenging hill climbs.  After finishing the race, enjoy post-race food, great music, a free kids race, and an awards ceremony with fun contests and lots of giveaways.  

 

Sprawling over 900 acres and located on the south side of Chapel Hill, NC, Briar Chapel is a green community that boasts a vast network of forested hiking and mountain biking trails.  In addition to 20+ miles of fantastic trails at Briar Chapel, centrally located Great Meadow Park, with its beautiful lawn, stage, and pavilion, offers a perfect setting area to start and finish a race.

Race Highlights / Registration Fee Includes

  • Limited race entry to provide an intimate and friendly race experience and to prevent overcrowding on the trails
  • Fun and challenging course design
  • Professional race operations
  • Superbly marked course – you won’t get lost
  • Race tee that you’ll love and want to wear.  Comes in men's/unisex, women's, and youth sizes (see link for sizing/specs).  
  • Exciting atmosphere with great music
  • Excellent volunteer support
  • Frequent and well-stocked aid stations every 1-2 miles along the course 
  • Medical support
  • Chip timing.  Accurate and timely posting of results. 
  • Abundant, varied, and tasty post-race food/beverage (including items such as sliders, fresh fruit, hummus/veggies, bagels/peanut butter, trail bars, chips, cookies, and a crowd favorite, little cups of M&Ms.  Beverages include water, Gatorade, soft drinks, and Honest Kids juice.
  • FREE Kids Race for Treasure (see below for details)
  • Awards ceremony with fun contests and lots of giveaways (see below for details)
  • Free photo downloads post-race (a professional photographer will be at the race)
  • Lower pricing for Youth 17-Under and Seniors 65+

Schedule of Events

SATURDAY, 3/22/25 (Race Day)

STAGING AREA:  Great Meadow Park at Briar Chapel (161 Salt Cedar Ln, Chapel Hill, NC 27516)

  • 7:30am-9:45am:  Check-in / Packet-up
  • 8:50am:  10 Mile Pre-Race Brief
  • 9:00am:  10 Mile Start
  • 9:35am:  5 Mile Pre-Race Brief
  • 9:45am:  5 Mile Start
  • 9:50am:  2 Mile Pre-Race Brief
  • 10:00am:  2 Mile Start
  • 10:00am-12pm:  Post-race Food/Beverage  
  • 11am:  FREE Kids Race for Treasure (kids 11-U) 
  • 11:15am:  Awards
  • 11:30am:  Contests and Giveaways

Race Courses

Briar Chapel has 20+ miles of AWESOME single-track.  There are some easy, flat mellow areas but most of the trails at Briar Chapel offer a fun challenge and include plenty of rocks, roots, and hills.  We would categorize the trails at Briar Chapel as moderately technical.  Each of the 2, 5, and 10 mile, one-loop race courses, starts with .4 miles of downhill pavement running, perfect for separating the field of runners.  After that, runners hit the trails, and stay on the trails, except for a few road crossings and the finish up to the staging area at Great Meadow Park. 

 

For more details on each individual course, click on the links below:

 

2 Mile Course
5 Mile Course
10 Mile Course

Awards, Age Groups, Contests, and Giveaways

Awards (1st-5th place tumblers) and prizes (Fleet Feet Gift Certificates) for top five overall M/F competitors in each distance. Awards (1st-3rd place pint glasses) for the top three M/F competitors in each age group.  Age groups for each distance: 13-Under, 14-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+.

 

Racers and volunteers are invited to join the contests - fun stuff such as cornhole, push-ups, rock/paper/scissors, etc, etc.  Contest winners receive NICE swag like Goodr sunglasses or race merchandise and ALL who participate receive an item of swag.  After the contests, we randomly select winners of the rest of the swag - more great stuff such as Goodr sunglasses, gift certificates, running gear, and Roadless Races merchandise. 

Minimum Age Policy

Minimum Age for 5 and 10 Mile Races – Racers must be at least 12 years old to race unaccompanied in the 5 or 10 mile race.  Racers 8-11 years old MUST race WITH (alongside) a registered parent or guardian, unless approved by race director (email info@roadlessraces.com to request approval).

 

Minimum Age for 2 Mile Race – Racers must be at least 10 years old to run unaccompanied in the 2 mile race.  Racers 8-9 MUST race WITH (alongside) a registered parent or guardian, unless approved by the race director (email info@roadlessraces.com to request approval).  Racers 5-7 years old MUST race WITH (alongside) a registered parent or guardian.

FREE Kids Race for Treasure

At 11am, kids 11-under are invited to participate in the FREE Kids Race for Treasure.  All kids are welcome to participate and parents are encouraged to line the race course to cheer them on.  We will match kids in age groups (3-U, 4-5, 6-7, and 8-11) and start each group separately on a short out and back ‘race’ in the large field near the staging area.  After running, kids can grab a prize (toys from the dollar store:) from the Treasure Chest!    

Create a team and have fun with friends

Adventures are more fun with friends so create a team and invite your friends to join you in this race. Creating or joining a team is simple during or after registration.  NOTE:  This is not a relay so all team members will still be running their own race.     

Refer your friends and earn rewards

Invite friends to join in the fun.  Every person who signs up using your unique referral link will help you earn the following rewards.  

  • Receive a sweet Roadless Races Trucker Hat when you refer TWO (2) runners.  One hat/person.  Pick up your hat at check-in.
  • Receive $25 cash back for EVERY FOUR (4) runners you refer.

Your referral link will be included on your confirmation email and we will also send you a separate email that you can forward to your friends.  Also, your referral link will be embedded in the social share buttons at the end of registration.  Plenty of ways to invite your friends and earn rewards.   

Sponsors

Race Contact Info

If you have any questions about this race, click the button below.

Directions

Staging area at Briar Chapel's Great Meadow Park in Chapel Hill, NC. Address: 161 Salt Cedar Lane, Chapel Hill, NC 27516

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