If you like to plan your races in advance, sign up now! Plus there is a special combo discount if you sign up for both events (10k race and 100k challenge) at the same time.
Raven Rocks 10k Run will be held Sunday, November 12, 2023. The Raven 100k Challenge is set for Nov 1-30, 2023. Both events are open for registration now!
RegisterThanks for supporting the race — and the Friends of Trailside Museum and Ward Pound Ridge Reservation!
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.
RegisterThere 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 7:15am.
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 2021 — barring any downed trees from overnight wind storms! 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
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 13th, 2022 starting at 9am.
The race will start in the Meadow near the fallen oak tree and its massive remains. 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 former Blue Trail fire tower which is the highest point in the park. We are working towards getting back the tower to its former spot in the park. See Course Map page for course details.
More information about the race and tower project is on the About page and the FAQ page of our ravenrocksrun.org website.
One of our limitations is a cap on 10k runners at 350 — so sign up early. We have gotten close to that number the last few times we put on the race — so it could get full, or it may not. Depends on the runner demand!
Trail Runners,
The Raven Rocks 10k Trail Run is BACK for a SEVENTH YEAR! 🙂
Date is Sunday, November 13, 2022 @9am. Woo hoo!
We are bringing back the Raven 100k Challenge with all of the fun elements from the last 2 years — plus we’re looking to add a few more activities to the 100k challenge during the month of November!
You can sign up for one or the other — or do BOTH!
Early bird (before 10/1) signups get the early bird discount. Signups for both events at the same time also get a discount which appears at checkout.
Shirts this year will be one design and available either on long-sleeved cotton shirts (traditional) and/or short sleeved tech fabric shirts (new!). 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.”
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 soon with a range of support levels. More to come on this news!
See you on the trails!
….Rob Cummings, Raven Rocks & Raven Challenge race director
The Raven Rocks Run is a challenging 10k trail run at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation in Cross River, NY.
The race will start in the Meadow near the fallen oak tree and its massive remains. 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 former Cross River Mountain Fire Tower which is the highest point in the park. We are working towards getting back the tower to its former spot in the park. See Course Map page for course details and the fire tower’s former (and if we can make it happen the future) 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 SEVENTH time!
Important: We have preliminary approval, but our race plans are contingent on final permit approval from the Westchester County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Conservation. If the COVID-19 situation changes and this approval is revoked and we are unable to offer the in-person event, we will still have the virtual event. We will also offer a 10k race registration fee refund (minus the charge that goes to the processing company) or race deferrals to 2023 for runners if the race is called off by the county. If we have placed the shirt order we will send the race shirt via mail to runners.
The Raven 100k Challenge is simple: first, register for the challenge. Then run, hike, or walk 100k during the month of November 2022.
Note: You can register as late as November 16 and enter your mileage to date when you register.
This 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 supports the Friends of Trailside Museum and Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, a 501(c)3 not for profit organization based at the Trailside Museum at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation.
You can also join the Friends of Trailside Museum and Ward Pound Ridge Reservation for 2023 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 2022 or all of 2023 depending on when you join during the year.
In addition to running, walking, or hiking 100k during November, there are several bonus achievement badges you can unlock if you are able:
We are working to display the badges on your results page.
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 entries in a timely manner: All entries must be made within 36 hours of your run/walk.
This is to prevent participants from “batch entering” their results.
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.
See instructions submitting results on RunSignUp Raven 100k Challenge page.
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…
If you like to plan your races in advance, sign up now at the early bird rate! Plus there is a special combo discount if you sign up for both events at the same time.
Raven Rocks 10k Run will be held Sunday, November 13, 2022. The Raven 100k Challenge is set for Nov 1-30, 2022. Both events are open for registration now!
RegisterThanks for supporting the race and the Friends of Trailside Museum and Ward Pound Ridge Reservation!
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.
The event tent was unfortunately damaged in the rain and wind storm we experienced yesterday. Fortunately Sunday is forecast to be sunny so we will be (mostly) open-air.
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.
RegisterThere 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 yourselves and us! 😉 THERE IS NO SAME DAY REGISTRATION.
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!), 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 under the tent for you to pick up after you finish.
The course is the same as 2019 — barring any downed trees from overnight wind storms! 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
The sixth annual Raven Rocks Run is set to go at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation on Sunday, November 14th, 2021.
(The Raven 100k November Challenge is already underway! More info.)
Race director Rob Cummings, his lovely wife Ciorsdan along with many dedicated volunteers have been working hard to set up this year’s event.
IMPORTANT: There is a cap on Raven Rocks 10k Run registrations for 2021 – and there won’t be same day signup. Plan accordingly!
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 7am 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 already incorporated as part of the Raven Rocks entry fee so there is no need to stop and pay at the entry booth. Park employees 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 staff and 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.) ALL DOGS MUST BE LEASHED! If your dog is running Raven Rocks they MUST START NEAR THE BACK with their humans and wait until the start line clears! For the safety of you, your dog, and the other runners, you must hold back at the start. Please be certain that your dog or its leash does not interfere with or impede any of the other runners. The county park law requires dogs be leashed at all times while in the park. This is for the safety of your dogs, other park patrons, and other dogs visiting.
7.) SAME DAY REGISTRATION – We will NOT have SAME DAY REGISTRATION. Online registration is necessary! 😉 We also have a race cap – if you or a friend are looking to run the race, sign up ASAP before we reach the cap!
8.) RESULTS: Printed lists of finishers 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.
9.) THANK A VOLUNTEER! A tremendous amount of volunteer effort goes into making Raven Rocks a special event. T-shirt designers, registration volunteers, carpool helpers, 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!
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! Volunteers from the Friends group will be there race morning to help cheer on runners, support the race, and have information about joining the Friends of Trailside Museum group.
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 in 5 days!
Good luck and have fun,
….Rob, Ciorsdan, and the rest of the Raven Rocks Run Volunteers!
• Map and Directions to the Reservation
• Map of the Raven Rocks Run course
• Follow Raven Rocks on Facebook: http://facebook.com/ravenrocksrun
• Follow Raven Rocks on Instagram: http://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. Check prior series standings here – the Trail Mix will resume in 2022!
The Raven Rocks 10k Trail Run is BACK! November 14, 2021 @9am. Woo hoo!
We are also going to bring back the Raven 100k Challenge with all of the fun elements from last year — plus we’re looking to add a few more activities to the 100k challenge during the month of November!
Like a lot of races and events, in 2020 we were unable to hold the Raven Rocks Run due to Covid restrictions, so we held the virtual 100k Raven Challenge which was very well received. Runners asked if we were doing it again – the answer is YES!
You can sign up for one or the other — or do BOTH! Early bird (before 10/26) signups get a discount. Signups for both events at the same time also get a discount which appears at checkout.
Shirts this year will be one design and available either on long-sleeved cotton shirts (traditional) and/or short sleeved tech fabric shirts (new!). 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.
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 adding support for the Friends of the Cross River Mountain Fire Tower. We will be working with the Westchester Parks Foundation and 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 soon with a range of support levels. More to come on this news!
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 14th, 2021 starting at 9am.
The race will start in the Meadow near the fallen oak tree and its massive remains. 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 former Blue Trail fire tower which is the highest point in the park. We are working towards getting back the tower to its former spot in the park. See Course Map page for course details.
More information about the race and tower project is on the About page and the FAQ page of our ravenrocksrun.org website.
One of our limitations is a cap on runners at 250 — so sign up early. We have gotten around that number the last few times we put on the race so it could get full or it may not. Depends on the runner demand!
We are looking forward to November when we will run this event for the SIXTH time — and we hope we can accommodate all who wish to run and keep everyone socially distant and COVID-safe!
Important: We have preliminary approval, but our race plans are contingent on final permit approval from the Westchester County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Conservation. If the COVID-19 situation changes and this approval is revoked and we are unable to offer the in-person event, we will still have the virtual event. We will also offer a 10k race registration fee refund (minus the charge that goes to the processing company) or race deferrals to 2022 for runners if the race is called off by the county. If we have placed the shirt order before a refund is requested we will send the race shirt via mail to runners.
The Raven 100k Challenge is simple: first, register for the challenge. Then run, hike, or walk 100k during the month of November 2021.
This 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. Shirts are optional.
The Raven 100k Challenge supports the Friends of Trailside Museum and Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, a 501(c)3 not for profit organization based at the Trailside Museum at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation.
You can also join the Friends of Trailside Museum and Ward Pound Ridge Reservation for 2022 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 for all of 2022.
In addition to running, walking, or hiking 100k during November, there are several bonus achievement badges you can unlock if you are able:
In addition, we will have awards for:
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!)
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 back running on trails with you all! See you out there…
Runners:
The Raven Rocks 10k Trail Run is set for its 5th running on Sunday, November 10, 2019 starting at 9am. We hope you can join us for this challenging race on the trails of Ward Pound Ridge Reservation.
The course is in good shape now and is just as challenging as ever.
We will run mostly the same course as last year. The start of the course after the Covered Bridge trail will follow a new part of the CB trail which also climbs up to Michigan Road, but it takes a different path. The other changes from last year, including the new “Raven Cliff Trail” (follows the rock outcropping from the Raven Rocks overlook down through new single track trail) and the re-routed Blue trail around mile 4.75 (around 1/2 mile after the fire tower water stop) will also stay part of the updated course.
See map below for old (dotted line) vs. new trail (solid line) over the years.
Depending on the rainfall in the weeks leading up to the race, the Michigan Road swamp trail cut-through may be impassible. Last year we had to re-route through the main Michigan Rd access trail due to significantly higher rainfall. This change, which is a game-time decision, adds in about 0.1 mile to the course if we take the long way around.
More information about the race is here: https://ravenrocksrun.org
Thanks for coming out to run on these challenging trails. Our best advertisements are you — the runners! Please pass this website page on to a friend who might like to know about the race (and the Trail Mix Series).
Hope to see you on the trails!
-Rob Cummings, Raven Rocks Race Director.
Raven Rocks Run 2019 will be held November 10, 2019.
Link to registration page: https://runsignup.com/ravenrocks
Logistics note – with maps and advice for race prep and race morning.
Raven Rocks 10k trail run is the final race in the 2019 Trail Mix Trail Series.