TARC Summer Classic
Join us for the 2023 Trail Animals Running Club Summer Classic at Noon Hill Reservation, with 10M, 50K, and 40 mile distance options! You can read all the exciting details below!
Please note: This race sells out, and there are no refunds, no transfers, and no deferrals (except for emergencies)!
Saturday, August 19, 2023 in Medfield, Massachusetts
Beat the heat along this 10 mile undulating loop at Noon Hill and Shattuck Reservation in Medfield, Massachusetts. The course is almost entirely forested gravel or singletrack, winding along the Charles River and culminating in a scenic viewpoint at the top of Noon Hill (see if you can spot Gillette Stadium in the distance!).
Participants will be running a 10 mile loop course which starts and finishes at Holt Pond. The 50K runners will do a short loop around Holt Pond at the start to get in the extra distance they need to get to 31 miles. The total elevation per loop is approximately 1,000 feet which includes one trip to the vista on top of Noon Hill. We will throw in some extra rocks and roots for you as a bonus!
Both the 40 Mile and the 50K will start at 7:00 am sharp. There will be a mandatory trail briefing for all participants at 6:45 am. There is an eleven hour time limit to finish for both races. Runners must start their last 10 mile loop before 4:00 pm so the sweepers can start and everyone can be off the course by 6:00 pm.
The 10 mile race will start at 9:00 am sharp. There will be a mandatory trail briefing for all participants at 8:45 am. There is a 4 hour limit to finish the 10 mile event.
USATF Mountain/Ultra/Trail Running Youth Initiative:
To raise awareness of trail races among young runners and increase participation, the American Trail Running Association has partnered with the USATF MUT Youth Initiative to create a “Youth Trail” certified program for race directors. The TARC Summer Classic is one of the early adopters of their program, and we offer discounted entries ($10 off) across all distances for youth 19 years old or under.
Please reach out if you are looking to register yourself or someone else through this program.
Trail Sisters Approved Event:
The TARC Summer Classic is proud to be Trail Sisters Approved! The commitment includes, when applicable, equal podium spots, equal prize money & awards, women’s specific swag & apparel, menstrual products at aid station parta potties (where applicable), and equal opportunity/space for women on the starting line. You can learn more about the standards and their awesome organization here.
Pride on Foot Partner:
Pride on Foot works with run groups, race directors, and fitness organizations who want to understand how to be more accepting and inclusive of Transgender, Genderqueer Intersex, Gender non conforming, and Non binary people. Through education and policy changes they create affirming, inviting, and safe spaces where everyone can be free to workout while living an authentic life.
Adaptive Athletes:
We welcome the participation of adaptive athletes at our event!
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Adaptive athletes must be able to run the course.
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Tethers and guides may be used for athletes with a visual impairment.
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Leg prosthetics may be used for amputees.
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Crutches, braces, or poles may be used if indicated/necessary, with approval from the Race Director.
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Please reach out with any questions or to let us know how we can best support you and your race day needs.
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Guides for adaptive athletes can register as participants if they want their own time/result.
Volunteer Opportunities:
We need volunteers to help make this special day happen and to give our participants the experience they deserve! This includes help with bib pickup, course directing, aid stations, course sweeping, start/finish area support, parking guidance, etc. Volunteers are what make TARC events so fun and also run so smoothly. No experience is required, and it can be your first time attending one of our events! If you are bringing along family or friends to spectate, we encourage them to also get involved by volunteering. If you are running one of the shorter races, consider hanging around to help out afterward. Even if you can't make it on the day of the race, there are still opportunities to get involved. If you need service requirements for other races, we can also sign off on your hours! If we get enough folks, too, it's never a problem for our volunteers to become "course marshalls" and get some running in on the trails. All we ask is you help fill up some water bottles and tell runners they look awesome.
Please reach out if you or your organization are interested in volunteering. We welcome running clubs, hiking groups, sports teams, local businesses, and more to join us in September.
You can view the shifts and register here.
Participant Camaraderie:
Whether you are competing for the win or bringing up the rear of the pack, we are all out on the trails to have fun and move our bodies in nature. All of our participants are incredible for just getting to the starting line, and you all have impressive journeys for getting there. On race day, we hope you will be everyone else's top cheerleader, cheering on and providing support for one another throughout the morning. Be sure to spread the love and joy with your fellow trail animals. We also welcome and encourage you to bring chairs and stick around after your own race to cheer on other participants as they come through the finish.
Running in the Woods & Weather:
Please prepare for all manner of weather, insects, critters, trail rash, etc! Historically, this race has fluctuated between moderately warm days and uber duber hot ones! In New England, we have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best!
Community Resources:
Looking for folks to run and train with? Here are some local groups:
TARC Blue Hills & Great Brook Farm State Park Monthly Group Runs
Northeast Trail Crew Weekly Runs
Greater Framingham Running Club
Looking for trail shoes and gear? Here are some local stores we recommend:
Marathon Sports (multiple locations)
Heartbreak Hill Running Company (multiple locations)
Fleet Feet/JackRabbit (multiple locations)
Recreation Equipment Inc. (multiple locations)
New England Running Company & Trail (Beverly)
Charles River Running (Norwood)
Who We Are:
The Trail Animals Running Club is a nonprofit running club rooted in the Boston area. We aim to act as community stewards by providing equitable access to trail running and promoting positive trail running culture. We welcome people of all races, nationalities, ethnicities, sexual orientations, gender identities & expressions, ages, and abilities. Our event profits are donated to land conservations & trusts in support of our trail running passion. You can RSVP for emails about our runs here.
Trail Animals Running Club Apparel:
You can purchase our fun club apparel here! We are working on offering additional apparel which will be added to this page!
Refund Policy:
TARC races maintain a no refund policy. There will be NO refunds or deferrals for ANY reason. Any requests for a refund will be politely directed to this blurb. Please consider your race entry a donation to the trails, but one where you also get a chance to challenge yourself physically and mentally while taking in all the beauty the landscape has to offer.
Course Records:
10M Male Record: 01:09:58 | 2022 | Patrick Caron (25)
10M Female Record: 01:29:00 | 2022 | Rachel Bainbridge (36)
50K Male Record: To be updated
50K Female Record: To be updated
40M Male Record: 06:22:55 | 2017 | Thomas Gennaro (31)
40M Female Record: 07:09:17 | 2019 | Samantha Leblanc (31)
Reviews & Reports:
Let us know if you have any reviews or reports of our event that you want to share with the community!