Join us for a morning run of the Reservoir Trail at Middlesex Fells, a classic local trail run. It's about 6 miles and 700 ft of elevation gain. This will be a no-drop run: we will run at a pace that's comfortable for everybody on the trip.

We'll start running at 7:30 am at the South Dam Road Parking Lot and leave from MIT at 7:10 am if you're participating in the ride share. We expect to return to MIT between 9:15 and 9:45 am but possibly later depending on pace and traffic.

🥐 After the run, stick around for optional (but encouraged!) post-run treats on MITOC's dime! We'll likely run/bike/drive 2.5mi to Collette Bakery for French pastries and coffee but may bring post-run treats directly to the Fells!

Prerequisites

Prior trail running experience is not required! This trip is fine as an introductory trail run, but you should be in good physical shape and have some hiking experience. As a rough guideline, you should:

• Be comfortable running 6 miles on flat road at a 10:00 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

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.

If you're interested in joining after the signup period closes, please email the leaders, so we can make sure we're set on logistics.

What to bring

Make sure you bring the following:

• Your phone
• What you've worn in the past for running in similar conditions (<15F!) -- if you are unsure what to wear / haven't run in similar conditions, please email the leaders! What I wear, as an example: trail running shoes, wool socks, exercise tights, heavy wool base layer, light running shell, small mittens, ear-covering hat (but I run warm, so you may need more!)
• An additional warm layer (fleece / light puffy) in case we're slower than expected
• Microspikes (can be rented from MITOC)
• A way to carry the above when you're not using them (e.g. running vest, very small backpack)
• Water (can be left in the car)

Ride share

Please sign up for the ride share here after signing up for the trip! This trip is sometimes car-limited, so please sign up to drive if you're willing to do so! There is also an option to indicate alternative means of transportation if you don't need a ride. This will help us keep track of things.