Trail Use
Everyone contributes to the experience of the community at large. Below are some tools and tips to remember as you attack the trails with a vengeance. For a good article on trail running etiquette, click here.
- Follow physical distancing requirements. We're in a pandemic. Do your part to stop the spread.
- Be aware of your surroundings.
- Yield to others. Hogging the trail or making it difficult for someone to pass is a jerk move. Don't be a jerk.
- Announce your presence. Call out "passing on your left" let someone know what you intend to do. Elbowing past a runner is also a jerk move.
- Show gratitude and encouragement.
Trail Respect
One of the reasons we don't use the same course every year is so that we don't wear down the trails through overuse. It is a privilege to have the natural environment we enjoy inside city limits. We want to enjoy trail running for generations to come, which means we have to respect how we use the space now. Below are guidelines that will support good stewardship of the trails and surroundings on race day:
- Wear proper trail shoes or grips. Slipping and sliding all over the place only ruins the trails for others, particularly those behind you, and increases human impact well beyond race day. We can enjoy the trails without destroying them.
- Stay on the trail.
- Don't cut corners. This is not only bad for the environment: It's cheating.
- Carry out what you carry in. Doesn't matter if it's biodegradable. If it wasn't there before, don't leave it there now.
- Respect wildlife. If you encounter our gentle moose population, step back slowly just like you would any other large animal that could stomp you into oblivion if cornered or scared. If beavers feel threatened, their powerful teeth are dangerous weapons. Porcupines are self explanatory. Deer and bunnies and squirrels and birds are all part of the habitat we will be enjoying. Respect them and keep your distance.