🏙️ Join us for a fast trail run along the skyline trail at Middlesex Fells followed by the inaugural debut of the MITOC Trail Running Blenders.

🏃‍♀️We'll run ~8 miles along the skyline trail. This will be consistently technical terrain with minimal fire roads, and we'll aim to keep a fast pace of ~11:30 minutes per mile, roughly equivalent to ~8:30 pace on flat roads and a bit faster than the fast pace group on recent MITOC runs. For context, recent MITOC trail running trips have been a mix of fire road and technical terrain, with less vert per mile and less miles overall. We'll run at a no-drop pace, but probably a bit less conversational then recent runs. We'll meet at the Bear Hill Parking Lot ready-to-run at 1:00pm.

🥤 After the run, we'll hang out for smoothies and post-run snacks (courtesy of MITOC!), either in the parking lot or by Bear Hill Tower.

We may try to arrange a second trail run targeting a more moderate pace and/or less technical terrain. If you're a leader interested in helping organize this - please reach out to us!

Transportation

We’ll try to facilitate transportation to/from the Fells – most likely, enough people will have cars to get everybody to/from the Fells. There is also Uber/Lyft, public transportation, and you could also bike and/or run. Please include your info on the Rideshare Sheet.

Prerequisites

This trip is aimed at experienced runners with some experience on trails / technical terrain. As a rough guideline, you should:

• Be comfortable running 8+ miles on flat road at a 8-9 min/mi pace (e.g., have done such a run in the last 3 months)
• Have done a hike with at least 1,000 ft of elevation gain in the last 6 months
• Have comfortably done a trail run of >5 miles on technical/mixed terrain (not just fire roads) in the last year.

If you don't satisfy the prereqs, you're welcome to sign up anyways, but please email the leaders describing your recent running experience and fitness routine, so we can make sure this is the right trip for you.

Gear

We aren't requiring any specific gear since everyone approaches trail runs differently, but you should consider bringing:

• Your cellphone, especially if you're unfamiliar with the fells.
• Hydration. 8 miles of trail running (around 90 minutes) is right on the edge of what can be reasonably done without water, but everyone has different preferences here. There is no potable water in the fells.
• A good system for carrying the above. Runnings vests/belts, comfortable backpacks with appropriate straps to not bounce around, or handheld water bottles can all work here.
• Appropriate attire. We'll be moving fast enough that it'll make the most sense to start out a bit cold with an athletic shirt / jogger pants (or similar). We'll stop by the cars after the run to layer back up before smoothie time.
• Footwear with good traction (trail runners preferred). The route has lots of steep rocks & roots, with potentially thick leaf cover. Trail runners aren’t required but will help, especially if you're newer to trail running or less comfortable with consistent high cardio.

If the trip shows as full, please add yourself to the waitlist, as we may be able to adjust the trip size!

If you're a leader and interested in joining as a leader, please sign up as a participant but email/Slack us!