Tag: Raven Rocks

Raven Rocks 10k Run and Raven 100k Challenge Return for 2026 – Nov 8, 2026

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Trail Runners,

The Raven Rocks 10k Trail Run is BACK for its ELEVENTH YEAR! 🙂

Date is Sunday, November 8, 2026 @9am for the RAVEN ROCKS 10k TRAIL RUN… Woo hoo!

Sign up for the Raven Rocks Run and/or the Raven 100k Challenge Today!

We are also bringing back the Raven 100k Virtual Challenge for the sixth year — with all of the fun elements from last year — activities that make the Virtual Raven 100k challenge a bit more interesting! 

Topline News

2026 shirt design

You can sign up for the Raven Rocks 10k Run or the Raven 100k November Challenge — or you can do BOTH!

Early bird (before early October – details at signup link) signups get the early bird discount.

Sign up for both the in-person and virtual events at the same time and get a discount which appears at checkout. 

Shirts this year will be one design and runners can choose to purchase the long-sleeved cotton shirts (traditional) and/or short sleeved tech fabric shirts. You can purchase one, both, or neither shirt. If you are a purely virtual Raven 100k Challenge runner, we will mail you your shirt (if ordered) — along with your finisher “woodallion” if you hit the 100k goal.

As always, these Raven events support the Friends of Trailside Museum and Ward Pound Ridge Reservation. We encourage runners to join as members of the museum during registration to support their non-profit educational and conservation purpose. 

This year we are also planning to support the Friends of the Cross River Mountain Fire Tower. We will be working with the Westchester Parks Foundation and will be raising funds to support Westchester County and NY State in the restoration of the fire tower to Ward Pound Ridge Reservation. That fundraising account will be set up under the WPF with a range of support levels. More to come on this news!

See you on the trails!

….Rob, Ciorsdan, and the Raven Cobweb Crew volunteers

More detail about each event:

## Raven Rocks Run – 10k Trail Run ##

The Raven Rocks Run is a challenging 10k trail run at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation in Cross River, NY.

Race is in-person Sunday, November 8, 2026 starting at 9am. 

The race will start in the lower Meadow. The course passes by the spot where the Leatherman’s Loop begins. Instead of heading towards the river as the Loop does, the Raven Rocks Run 10k course climbs and climbs up to the two highest points in the park (Raven Rocks Overlook and the Fire Tower Summit) before heading back for a (mostly) downhill and (relatively) flat finish.

The course passes by the site of the Cross River Mountain Fire Tower which is the highest point in the park. We have worked for over a decade to bring back the tower to its former spot in the park. See Course Map page for course details and the fire tower’s location.

More information about the race and tower project is on the About page and the FAQ page of our ravenrocksrun.org website and also the crmfiretower.org information site.

We are looking forward to November when we will run this event for the ELEVENTH time!

## Raven 100k Challenge ##

The Raven 100k Challenge is simple: first, register for the challenge. Then run, hike, or walk 100k during the month of November 2026.

The official tracking for the Raven 100k November Challenge is via RunSignUp.com – we will provide instructions to all who have signed up.

As a supplement (NOT the official tracking) we will have a Strava group: (https://www.strava.com/clubs/raven2026) where you can join and share your runs – but we can’t get the data automatically from the Strava group, so unfortunately we can’t use it for official tracking.

Note: You can register as late as November 16 and enter your mileage to date for the month when you register. 100k for 30 days works out to an average of around 3k per day or 25k (15 miles) per week.

If you complete the challenge, you will receive a wooden finisher medallion with achievement badges custom to your Raven Challenge journey. Shirts are optional. 

The Raven 100k Challenge helps support the Friends of Trailside Museum and Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, with easy donations during the registration for the challenge and 10k race. The Friends group is a 501(c)3 not for profit organization based at the Trailside Museum at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation. 

Join the Friends of Trailside Museum and Ward Pound Ridge Reservation for 2026 membership during signup. One of the most popular levels is the $100 “Wood Turtle” membership which gives the member a parking pass for the park either for the rest of 2026 or all of 2027 depending on when you join during the year. (Signup for the Friends of Trailside donation after Sept 1st and your membership will be for the following year.)

Bonus achievements for the Raven 100k Challenge

In addition to running, walking, or hiking 100k during November, there are several bonus achievement badges you can unlock if you are able: 

  • Run 10k on the Raven Rocks Run course (raven badge).This can be done at the Raven Rocks 10k Run race on Nov 9. It can also be done any time at the park. The Course will be fully marked from 11/7/26 – 11/8/26 for those unfamiliar with it.
  • Run 5x on the 10k Raven Rocks Run course (ultra raven badge)
  • Run 10x on the 10k Raven Rocks Run course (full flock badge)
  • Run 33x on the 10k Raven Rocks Run course (Peeter badge). Note: The Peeter badge is named after Peeter Muursepp who ran the Raven Rocks course 33x during the month of November 2020 during the First Raven 100k Challenge. Peeter exceeded his 2020 feat in 2021 with 63 Loops around the Raven Rocks Run 10k course during the month of November 2021. That is more than 2x RRR loops per day average.
    • Note: If you run 64x or more on the Raven Rocks Run course the Peeter badge is renamed after you. 
  • Take a selfie at the Raven Rocks Overlook and send it in (photographer badge)
  • Take a selfie at any Raven related site, store, zoo, etc. and send it in (traveler/citizen badge)
  • Submit a photo of yourself on a run with your “I Voted” sticker or if you can’t vote in the November election, next to someone with an “I Voted” sticker. (bald eagle badge) 
  • Run on Thanksgiving (turkey badge).Submit a Thanksgiving run photo to get a badge upgrade to the Photo Turkey badge.
  • Do a run in the dark to Raven Rocks (night owl badge). Note: you can use a headlamp or flashlight while running!
  • Do a run early in the morning to Raven Rocks (cobweb crew badge)
  • 200k distance in November (snowy owl badge)
  • 300k distance in November (white raven badge)
  • Read a stanza from Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” poem and send us a link of you doing this. Use soundcloud, youtube, facebook, whatever service you want. We have most of the poem read by challenge participants last year but need a few more to complete the full 16 stanzas. (wise owl badge)
  • Find your Raven challenge object in the Rez (GPS Badge). See below for details
Woodallion Illustration from 2021. Bonus badges are added to the final woodallion if they are earned during the November challenge.

We will incorporate the badges on the physical wooden finisher “woodallion” that we create and send to you once you complete the Raven Challenge. See sample from 2021’s Raven Challenge here.

Any other badge ideas? We are open to suggestions.

In addition, we will have awards for:

  • First 3 men and First 3 women to 100k
  • Top 3 men and Top 3 women in total kilometers.

IMPORTANT: Anyone in contention for these Top 3 awards MUST MAKE THEIR DISTANCE ENTRIES WITHIN 36 HOURS of your run/walk. 

This is to prevent participants from “batch entering” their results. We want the participants in the virtual challenge to “see” who they are “running” with. Batch entry at the end of the month or half way through defeats this goal.

If you are contending for a Top 3 spot you MUST be timely with your entries. If you are not timely with your results posting, we will recognize your distances on your woodallion — but not your top 3 status since you didn’t participate in the “race” aspect of the challenge.

Keep your results up to date if you are in the running!

Note: In order to win these awards distance submissions need to be verifiable via GPX files in case it is really close.

See instructions submitting results on RunSignUp Raven 100k Challenge page.

Halfway bonus GPS challenge badge search

Photo of 2020 Woodallion with finisher’s name, distance run in the November challenge, unique achievements, and a number of badges earned added to the final recognition. This year’s woodallion will have a theme around this year’s artwork (see above) with the badges incorporated.

For those in the area near Ward Pound Ridge Reservation we have a special treat in mind that will lead to a bonus badge. If you opt-in via the status form (to be sent to participants in the challenge in November), then after you pass the 50 kilometer mark on your Raven 100k Challenge posted stats, we will send you your own coordinates via “What3Words” app to somewhere in the park where we have hidden a small challenge surprise for you to find. It will be obvious once you get there, but not easy to find unless you have the coordinates.

Everyone will have a different and unique spot somewhere in the park. Some will be further off-trail than others depending on how familiar you are with the park. Let us know when you find your halfway bonus (or if you can’t find it! – we don’t want to leave the challenge items out there!)

→ Sign up for the Raven Rocks Run and/or the Raven 100k Challenge Today!

You can participate in either event – they can be completely independent of each other. Or you can participate in both events. There is overlap in the 100k challenge and the 10k race since one of the Raven Challenge badges is awarded for completing the Raven Rocks Run course.

We are super happy to be out running on trails with you all! See you out there…

2026 Raven Rocks Run and Raven Challenge Open for Early Bird Registration

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If you like to plan your races in advance, sign up now! There is a special combo discount if you sign up for both events (10k race and 100k challenge) at the same time. There’s even a bonus EARLY RAVEN PRICING to celebrate opening of Raven registration.

There’s also currently a TRIPLE TRAIL bundle that lets you sign up for the TWO Run the Farm 5 mile races (spring and fall) plus Raven Rocks 10k Run at the same time – and get a bundle discount!

Raven Rocks 10k Run will be held Sunday, November 8, 2026.

The Raven 100k Challenge is set for Nov 1-30, 2026.

Both events are open for registration now! https://runsignup.com/ravenrocks

Sign Up

Thanks for supporting the race — and the Friends of Trailside Museum and Ward Pound Ridge Reservation!

PS: Run the Farm now has a SPRING race event (May 17, 2026) and a FALL race event (Oct 25, 2026). For more information visit the registration links at https://runsignup.com/muscootspring (May race) and https://runsignup.com/muscootfall (October race).

2025 Raven Rocks Recap

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Next year’s race will be Sunday November 8th, 2026 – as always we plan the race for the weekend after the NYC Marathon!

2025 start line panorama (stitched together 5 photos)

Hello Raven Runners!

Last Sunday was perfect weather for running – the air was cool but not chilly at the start. It warmed up during the race — and everyone was able to hang out after the race comfortably and talk running, chow down on post race food, and make s’mores over the fire pit.

2025 PHOTOS

First and foremost – the PHOTOS from this year are available here: https://leathermansloop.smugmug.com/Raven-Rocks-Run/2025

Thank you to photographers Carol, Mark, John, Griffin, Rob, plus runners and spectators who sent in or tagged us in photos!

If YOU have any of your PHOTOS or VIDEO to upload – click or tap here: https://leathermansloop.smugmug.com/upload/q8V9Ft/2025 to share with everyone in the 2025 Raven Rocks Run photos & runner upload gallery.

Raven Rocks 2025 Results – these results also have some photos linked if your race bib was visible.

Congratulations to the 264 runners who finished the race on Sunday! The race day was backed by a team of around 40 race volunteers including registration and t-shirt table help, kitchen/food setup, pie picker-upers, course checkers, pre-race course setters, timing volunteers, photographers, parking crew, the utility team, and more.

We also could not have put on the race without the help of Ward Pound Ridge Reservation staff — led by Taro and helped by Mike and Mario (who also ran in the race!), Alex, Jake, Bobby, plus others at the Rez. We also want to thank the County of Westchester Department of Parks, Recreation, and Conservation for hosting us at the park.

The Lewisboro Volunteer Ambulance Corps (below) came to the race to be on standby to help in case of injury.

LVAC Standby Crew at the Raven Rocks Run for the 10th year!

The race supports the Friends of Trailside Museum and Ward Pound Ridge Reservation. Participants have the opportunity to join the Friends group during registration — and over 65 of you took advantage.

You can STILL JOIN the Friends of Trailside via this link: https://runsignup.com/Race/Donate/NY/CrossRiver/RavenRocksRun

Friends of Trailside Membership is at any dollar level. Give what you can. The most popular level is the $100 “Wood Turtle” level which gets the member a year long parking pass for the Rez. We raised over $4,500 for the friends group through the membership program on the registration website this year. Thank you Raven Runners, Hikers, and Walkers!

Fire Tower Returning!

The Raven Rocks Run was originally called The Fire Tower 10k and was aimed at building awareness and raising money towards the restoration of the Cross River Mountain Fire Tower (check website for photos & videos & history — and to get on the email list!).

It has been amazing watching the progress of the rebuilding efforts accelerate this year. There is a construction site atop the mountain with foundation work well underway. Fire tower pieces are being assembled at the park. We are hopeful for a 2026 return and opening of the tower — rest assured that Raven Rocks Runners will be among the first to hear about it!

Even before the race we had a dedicated group of volunteers and advocates who met with county officials. We talked fire tower topics, logistics, and possibilities.

Tom Cohn — the longest tenured and Chief fire tower volunteer — connected the county with a fire tower restoration specialist. He also found the exact model of fire tower that had been at the park starting in 1926 — which is the one the county ultimately purchased and been has readied for restoration (see photos above and at https://crmfiretower.org).

Musical Guests

We welcomed back “Block D” — the band made up of Casey Stanford (Guitar), Layne Krulik (Drums), and Ellie Tsiropanas (vocals & guitar) who were rocking mile 5.5 at Pell Hill for the third year.

Runners heard Led Zeppelin, Metallica, and many other rockin’ tunes as they headed across Reservation Road towards the finish around 3/4 mile away. The band members currently attend John Jay High School & Middle School. Our thanks to them for coming out to brighten our morning.

“Block D” aka The Pell Hill Band: Casey Stanford (Guitar), Layne Krulik (Drums), Ellie Tsiropanas (Vocals & Guitar).

Cobweb Crew

A small selection of race Volunteers in these two photos

The Cobweb Crew is a group of runners that go out well before the race and run the course to check that the markings are still there and everything is set for the race. We are confident in our trail course setting ability, but the whims of four legged (and two legged) creatures can lead to unplanned new paths. We rely on the cobweb crew for this vital service — which helps to keep all raven runners and hikers on course.

The Cobweb Crew is comprised of some of the SundayRuns.org crew — trail runners who come out for group runs every Sunday morning at 8am (and other days and times!) to run local (and occasionally more distant) trails.

You can see some of them here early in the morning checking the trail:

More trail cam photos are here: https://leathermansloop.smugmug.com/Raven-Rocks-Run/2025/2025-Raven-Rocks-Trail-Cam/

Race Highlights

The race had two repeat winners this year!

Linsday Felling (54:55) won for the FIFTH time and Eamonn Sullivan (46:25) won for the FOURTH time.

Lindsday Felling at Michigan Rd 1 mile mark (photo by Rob Cummings)
Eamonn Sullivan at Pell Hill (photo by Rob Cummings)

The youngest finishers were a pair of 10-year olds running the race for the THIRD time: Christian Piddington and Wyatt Nable.

Thank you to all who came, ran, helped, and watched. A great day all around!

Note: If you have registered for the Raven 100k November Challenge please report your distances here: https://runsignup.com/Race/Results/25402#resultSetId-519872;perpage:100 and submit your Raven Woodallion Badge Claims here: https://ravenrocksrun.org/raven-100k-challenge-badge-submission-form/.

If you haven’t registered for the 100k November Challenge you can still sign up – 11/15 is the last day though!

Thanks for helping make it a very Ravember month! 

….Rob

Photo Gallery for 2025 (and prior years!)

We have a group of volunteer photographers (thank you Carol, Mark, John, Griffin, and Rob) who came out to the race to help document the event. Their 2025 photos are available on our permanent gallery website here: https://leathermansloop.smugmug.com/Raven-Rocks-Run/2025

Links to prior years photos (2015-2024) is at this link: https://ravenrocksrun.org/photos/

Lastly – if you have photos YOU’D like to share (and be able to find years later!) post them to the 2025 runner’s upload album gallery using this link: https://leathermansloop.smugmug.com/upload/q8V9Ft/2025

Runners also share photos and video via Instagram – tag us @ravenrocksrun https://www.instagram.com/ravenrocksrun/

Some selected photos from 2025:

2025 Results Posted

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We have posted the 2025 results here: https://ravenrocksrun.org/results/2025-results/.

Thanks runners for making this a great day and thanks to our volunteers for pitching in and making it happen.

We are working on a recap of the day and have photos and video organized and uploaded. Check on the albums to see where you were captured on the course.

Our photographers do a great job! Today John, Carol, Mark, Griffin and Rob took photos and video — plus thanks to all of the runners who will be submitting 2025 race day photos – thank you in advance! (<–hint: upload yours to this album!)

Raven Rocks 2025 Set for Tomorrow!

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Click or press image to go to registration page.

The Raven Rocks Run is set to go tomorrow at 9am. See our Logistics Note for advice on getting to the park and getting oriented once you arrive.

Race organizers will be at the park and on the trails today doing the final prep work and fine tuning the course for our Sunday morning start.

Register

There is Last Minute Online Registration available until this evening if you are deciding late to run – sign up now and make tomorrow morning easier for yourself!

THERE WILL BE SAME DAY REGISTRATION AT THE PARK TOMORROW! If you haven’t signed up yet but want to run – come early. Day of race registration opens at 7:30am.

Note: if you are running tomorrow and want to have an extra layer for the start but then want to peel it off (after that first big hill when you are warmed up!), we will have volunteers at Michigan Road (1 mile into the course, up the first big hill) who can collect your outer layers in a bin and will return them to the finish line area near the tent and fire put for you to pick up after you finish.

The course is the same as 2024 with one minor change being the re-routing around the construction site for the Fire Tower. Barring any downed trees overnight everything is set to go! It is already “lightly marked” and the full and final marking will take place today.

There is a water stop at the 4 mile mark at the top of the Fire Tower climb (the highest spot on the course).

See you on the trails!

….Rob, Ciorsdan, and the Raven Volunteers

The 2025 Raven 100k November Virtual Challenge has kicked off!

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Trail Runners,

The Raven 100k November Virtual Challenge has kicked off!

The Virtual Raven 100k Challenge goes from Nov 1st – Nov 30th. Sign up is here and at the link above.

More information on what the challenge entails is below:

Race / challenge shirts are available as long-sleeved cotton and short sleeved tech versions — but we have limited remaining inventory since we placed the final order over a week ago. Order now to ensure your size & style will be on hand.

You can sign up for the 100k Virtual Challenge (Nov 1-30) or the 10k Race (Nov 9th) — or do BOTH!

Note you can sign up for the 100k challenge after November 1st and enter your distances for the prior dates! 

Hope to see you virtually — and on the trails!

….Rob, Ciorsdan, and the Raven volunteers

—

PS: More detail about the November Raven 100k virtual challenge (and the 10k) is here: https://ravenrocksrun.org/2025/07/raven-rocks-10k-run-and-raven-100k-challenge-return-for-2025-nov-9-2025/ (Click the link to visit the Raven Rocks website.)

PPS: The Raven Rocks Run is the final run of the Trail Mix Series of races in Westchester / Fairfield. More information about the series is here: trailmixseries.org.

Essential Information for the Raven Rocks Run on November 9

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To: Everyone who is registered for (or may be thinking of registering for) the 2025 Raven Rocks Run:

Raven 2025 Shirt Art

The TENTH annual Raven Rocks Run is set to go at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation on Sunday, November 9th, 2025.

Register

(The Raven 100k November Challenge is set to start 11/1! More info. You can sign up for the challenge through Nov 15, 2025!)

Race director Rob Cummings, his lovely wife Ciorsdan along with the dedicated raven volunteers have been working hard to set up this year’s event.

Registration link is here if you have any more folks to sign up (or you want to pass this on to a friend!): https://runsignup.com/RavenRocks

Not sure if you registered or want to check if a friend is registered? Click here:
https://runsignup.com/Race/RegistrationLookup/?raceId=25402

Here are some tips that will help you on race morning:

1.) ARRIVE EARLY! The race is set to start at 9am. Bib pickup (and shirt pickup if ordered) begins at 7:15am on race morning. Look for the tent in the Meadow Parking lot. Please plan to arrive at the park by 8:15am — or even earlier if you can swing it.

The regular $10 park entry fee is incorporated in part of the Raven Rocks entry fee so there is no need to stop and pay at the entry booth. Our volunteers will direct you on parking as you arrive. 

If the main meadow lot should fill up, we may need to use our backup lot near the entrance to the park. This would mean about 1/4 mile walk for runners arriving late. Another good reason to be early!

2.) DRIVE SLOWLY in the Park! Pay close attention to the volunteers who are directing the parking. Car pool if you can – this helps the environment – and it makes the race more fun! For a helpful overview of the race location (parking, start, bib pickup), check the logistics page of the website here.

3.) LISTEN ATTENTIVELY TO PRE-RACE ANNOUNCEMENTS! Your Race Director will have important information about the course and safety. You will be instructed about potential hazards on the course and current course conditions. 

4.) LISTEN FOR THE START! Following the instructions, we will start the runners.

5.) STAY ON COURSE IF YOU CAN’T CONTINUE! There will be a number of “sweeps” running the course following the slower runners. If for any reason you can’t continue, wait for them to get to you to assess your needs. The park is over 4,300 acres so don’t leave the course unless you know exactly where you are going.

6.) SAME DAY REGISTRATION – If we hit the cap before next weekend, we will not have this available. Online registration is open! 😉 If you or a friend are looking to run the race, sign up ASAP before we reach the cap! 

7.) RESULTS: Results with time and place will be available soon after the finish at the registration area and online later in the afternoon on the Raven Rocks Run website. Check it out at http://www.ravenrocksrun.org/results.

8.) THANK A VOLUNTEER! A tremendous amount of volunteer effort goes into making Raven Rocks a special event. T-shirt designers, registration volunteers, pie buyers, course setters, trail wardens, box lifters, water servers, bagel cutters, coffee brewers, parking coordinators, photographers, videographers, course sweeps, and the clean-up crew—not to mention the Pound Ridge, Lewisboro, and Westchester County Police officers and the dedicated members of the Lewisboro Volunteer Ambulance Corps!

If you want to volunteer, please reach out to us at ravenrocksrun@gmail.com. Thank you!

We are grateful that we have such a wonderful group of trail running enthusiasts (YOU!) to share this run with. We are also thankful that we have the thousands of acres of parkland at the Rez to enjoy!

Many runners have become members of the Friends of Trailside Museum and Ward Pound Ridge Reservation group during registration – We thank you for joining! This group, which many of you are now members of, is one of the oldest “Friends” groups in the country and it is powered solely by memberships and volunteers.

Remember, leave only footprints, take only pictures, and please send us your photos via upload!

Expect more news shared on Facebook, Twitter, via email, and our website as the event nears…. See you at the race! 

Good luck and have fun,

….Rob, Ciorsdan, and the rest of the Raven Rocks Run Volunteers!

PS: Some useful links…

• Map and Directions to the Reservation
• Map of the Raven Rocks Run course
• Follow Raven Rocks on Facebook: https://facebook.com/ravenrocksrun
• Follow Raven Rocks on Instagram: https://instagram.com/ravenrocksrun
• Searchable list of registered runners
• Run on the trails on Sundays all year round!

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The Raven Rocks Run is the last race in a series of trail races called The Trail Mix. The Trail Mix will resume in 2026!

2026 Trail Mix races TENTATIVE plan*:

In addition, we support and attend many other local trail (and a few road) races. Send us some of your favorites for 2026!

(Note: this post went out as an email to all registered runners for the 2025 Raven Rocks Run, the 2025 Raven 100k Challenge, as well as past registrants and trail runners on our email list. If you did not receive this via email and you are registered, you may want to check your spam folder and set up ravenrocksrun@gmail.com on your address book/white list. If you have not yet registered and you plan to run – sign up now!) 

2025 Raven Rocks Run and Raven Challenge Open for Early Bird Registration

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If you like to plan your races in advance, sign up now! There is a special combo discount if you sign up for both events (10k race and 100k challenge) at the same time. There’s even a bonus EARLY RAVEN PRICING to celebrate opening of Raven registration.

There’s currently a TRIPLE TRAIL bundle that lets you sign up for the TWO Run the Farm 5 mile races plus Raven Rocks 10k Run at the same time – and get a bundle discount!

Raven Rocks 10k Run will be held Sunday, November 9, 2025.

The Raven 100k Challenge is set for Nov 1-30, 2025.

Both events are open for registration now! https://runsignup.com/ravenrocks

Sign Up

Thanks for supporting the race — and the Friends of Trailside Museum and Ward Pound Ridge Reservation!

PS: Run the Farm now has a SPRING race event (May 17, 2026) and a FALL race event (Oct 19, 2025). For more information visit the registration links at https://runsignup.com/muscootspring (May race) and https://runsignup.com/muscoot (October race).