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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260905T090000
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SUMMARY:Run for the Hills 5K at Oswegatchie Hills Nature Preserve
DESCRIPTION:Run for the Hills 5K at Oswegatchie Hills Nature Preserve returns Saturday\, September 5\, inviting runners and hikers onto the trails of one of East Lyme’s largest protected natural areas while raising money to maintain the land they’re traveling through. \nThe fifth annual trail race begins at 9 a.m. at the preserve in Niantic. Check-in opens at 8 a.m.\, and an awards ceremony follows at 10:30 a.m. \nThis isn’t a conventional road 5K. The approximately 3.3-mile route follows hiking trails through the preserve\, including a stretch by Clark Pond\, with exposed rocks\, roots and uneven footing along the way. Hikers are welcome to participate alongside runners. \nOnline registration is currently $30 before the registration service fee. Day-of registration is $35 cash. \nA 5K That’s Actually a Little Longer Than a 5K\nThe name is easy to remember. \nThe course isn’t quite as simple. \nRun for the Hills covers approximately 3.3 miles\, making it slightly longer than the traditional 3.1-mile 5K distance. \nMore importantly\, those miles aren’t on pavement. \nThe route follows trails within the Oswegatchie Hills Nature Preserve\, where runners should expect exposed rocks\, tree roots and the naturally uneven surfaces of a coastal Connecticut forest. \nThat makes the event a trail race in the real sense rather than a road race that happens to pass through a park. \nThe route takes participants around the perimeter of the preserve and past Clark Pond\, combining a competitive event with an introduction to a landscape that can be surprisingly rugged considering how close it sits to downtown Niantic. \nYou Don’t Have to Run It\nOne of the more welcoming aspects of Run for the Hills is that organizers explicitly invite hikers. \nThere’s no requirement to attack the course at racing speed. \nSomeone who wants to support the preserve and experience the route at walking pace can register and hike it instead. \nThat makes sense considering the purpose of the event. \nRun for the Hills isn’t simply using the preserve as a convenient location for a race. Proceeds go directly toward maintaining the Oswegatchie Hills Nature Preserve. \nThe land is the reason for the event. \nMore Than 450 Acres of Coastal Forest\nThe Oswegatchie Hills Nature Preserve protects more than 450 acres in Niantic\, creating a large block of forest remarkably close to the developed shoreline. \nVisitors find ponds and wetlands\, rocky ridges\, glacial features and stretches of forest threaded together by miles of trails. \nThe preserve’s main entrance is reached from Memorial Park Drive off Route 161\, with parking near the athletic fields. \nFor Saturday’s race\, organizers say parking will be available adjacent to the preserve. Overflow parking will be available at East Lyme Town Hall at 108 Pennsylvania Avenue. \nThe preserve is maintained with help from Friends of the Oswegatchie Hills Nature Preserve\, the nonprofit organization behind Run for the Hills. \nThat maintenance takes work. \nTrails need attention. Invasive plants need to be managed. Signs and educational resources need to be maintained. Storms and erosion can create new problems. \nRun for the Hills turns one morning of recreation into a fundraiser for that continuing stewardship. \nThe Oswegatchie Hills Are Bigger Than the Existing Preserve\nThe protected nature preserve is also part of a larger environmental story. \nFor years\, conservation organizations have fought to protect additional undeveloped land in the Oswegatchie Hills overlooking the Niantic River. \nFriends of the Oswegatchie Hills Nature Preserve and Save the River-Save the Hills have worked with other conservation advocates to preserve more of the surrounding forest and prevent large-scale development in the watershed. \nThat’s where the geography becomes particularly important. \nThe hills don’t exist in isolation from the river below. \nRain falling across the landscape moves through soil\, wetlands\, streams and groundwater on its way toward the Niantic River. Forested land can absorb rainfall and slow runoff before it reaches the estuary. \nProtecting the hills therefore has implications beyond preserving hiking trails. \nIt’s also part of protecting the watershed. \nLast Year’s Race Drew More Than 120 Runners\nRun for the Hills has grown quickly. \nThe fourth annual race in 2025 drew more than 120 runners to the preserve. \nParticipants ranged from 8 to 77 years old and came from eight states\, including competitors traveling from as far away as South Carolina\, Georgia and New Hampshire. \nOrganizers reported that the race brought many first-time visitors into the preserve. \nThat may be one of the event’s most useful side effects. \nPeople can read about open-space preservation. They can look at acreage numbers on a map. \nRunning three-plus miles through the actual forest makes the thing being protected considerably less abstract. \nAwards Follow the Race\nSaturday’s schedule begins with race-day check-in at 8 a.m. \nThe race starts at 9. \nAt 10:30 a.m.\, participants will gather at the nature preserve for an awards ceremony and refreshments. \nAwards will recognize the overall first-place male and female finishers. \nThe top three men and women will also be recognized across seven age divisions: 19 and younger\, 20–29\, 30–39\, 40–49\, 50–59\, 60–69 and 70 and older. \nThe race will be professionally timed by SNERRO\, LLC. \nAnd because hikers are welcome\, nobody needs to be chasing an age-group medal to have a reason to participate. \nOne of Two Save the River-Save the Hills Events Saturday\nThe trail race isn’t the only conservation-themed event happening around the Niantic River on September 5. \nLater Saturday\, Red Lion Reggae Band is scheduled to perform at a separate Save the River-Save the Hills event on the Niantic River. \nThat event begins at 5 p.m. and is accessible by boat rather than from a conventional land-based concert venue. \nThe two events are separate and require very different plans\, but they share the same larger environmental backdrop: protecting the Oswegatchie Hills and the Niantic River watershed. \nEvent Details\nEvent: 5th Annual Run for the Hills 5K\nDate: Saturday\, September 5\, 2026\nCheck-In: 8 a.m.\nRace Start: 9 a.m.\nAwards Ceremony: 10:30 a.m.\nLocation: Oswegatchie Hills Nature Preserve\nAddress: 10 Memorial Park Drive\, Niantic\, CT 06357\nDistance: Approximately 3.3 miles\nCourse: Trail course with rocks\, roots and uneven terrain\nHikers: Welcome\nOnline Registration: $30 before registration service fee\nDay-of Registration: $35 cash\nParking: Adjacent to the preserve\nOverflow Parking: East Lyme Town Hall\, 108 Pennsylvania Avenue\, Niantic\nTiming: SNERRO\, LLC\nBeneficiary: Maintenance of the Oswegatchie Hills Nature Preserve \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nTo register\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown. \n  \n  \n  \n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/run-for-the-hills-5k-at-oswegatchie-hills-nature-preserve/
LOCATION:Oswegatchie Hills Nature Preserve\, 10 Memorial Park Drive\, Niantic\, 06357\, United States
CATEGORIES:Oswegatchie Hills Nature Preserve
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Run-for-the-Hills-5K-at-Oswegatchie-Hills-Nature-Preserve.jpg
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