Mine Falls Summer Trail Series Logo

MINE FALLS SUMMER TRAIL SERIES

SUMMER 2020

It is the year 2020 and like it or not everything has changed.  And, unfortunately for now, we feel we need to change too.  The Mine Falls Summer Trail Series has been run since 2003 and we don't want this year to be the year it stops.  While our new format may not be what you're used to, or what we'd all like it to be, in order to keep our race's streak alive we have done what we can to make it as awesome and fun as possible.  We welcome you to read about it, ask questions on our Facebook page, and join us.  Join us so you can race the same course with your friends.  Join us to get a sense of normal back.  Heck, join us because you'll be able to earn a cool T-shirt.  But please, join us.  Let's race together and have fun.  Thank you.

- Your 2020 Race Directors (Marie, Ken and Rob)

Visit our Facebook Page
Register for Series 1 Now!
Record Your Weekly Results
Visit us on Instagram

2020 DATES

Series 1

  • June 8
  • June 15
  • June 22
  • June 29
  • July 13

Series 2

  • July 20
  • July 27
  • August 3
  • August 10
  • August 17

Receive a commemorative Mine Falls Summer Trail Series T-shirt by participating in 8 of the 10 races!

ABOUT THE 5K/5-MILE SERIES

The Mine Falls Summer Trail Series will continue as a fun, no-frills multi-week race series run from Stellos Stadium along the scenic trails of Mine Falls Park in Nashua, New Hampshire. Choose from 5K & 5-mile distances - in fact you don't have to decide until you've already started!  In order to maintain social distancing and other limitations from the City of Nashua here's how the race will be run each week.

  • You have from dawn on Sunday morning until dark Tuesday night to run the course.  In fact you can run it as often as you'd like!
  • There will be a marked area to start at in the Stellos Stadium parking lot.  Start there, and don't forget to start your watch or any other electronic tracking device if you have one.
  • Run the course and when you finish, cross the marked finish line and record your time.
  • Go to the Gate City Striders Web site and record your times for the week.  Your finishing times MUST be logged by Wednesday at noon in order to get an official finishing time.
  • Run solo.  Run socially distant with a friend.  Run fast.  Run for fun.  Bring your kids.  (Kids, bring your parents!)
  • We'll collate the times and publish the results as soon as humanly possible after the reporting deadline.  We'll be noting on our Facebook page who the top runners are*** and fun activities will be popping up as the weeks go by.
  • Take pictures.  Post them to our Facebook page!  Share them on Instagram!  Include #mfsts #minefalls #gatecitystriders #gcs
  • Run any 8 of the 10 weeks and you'll earn a FREE T-shirt!  We are expecting to have more people win shirts this year, and we love that!  We do plan on shipping your shirt to you, so please enter a valid address when you register.
  • We'll have two 5 week series.  Unfortunately we won't have a PR race or a Relay this year for obvious reasons.

* We expect that all participants will respect and give way to other people using Mine Falls Park, as well as maintaining social distancing while racing.

** If you plan on racing hard and/or want to minimize interactions with others, we suggest running at off hours such as early morning.

*** While proof of your race such as a Garmin or Strava screen shot is not required, we will be using verified results to call out top runners.

THE COURSE

The course is run on trails through Mine Falls Park. The terrain for the 5K is mostly flat, wide & well groomed. The footing is rugged but safe, over rocks, roots and packed dirt. The 5-mile race utilizes some of the lesser-used trails in the park, through winding single-track and rolling riverside paths. We will make efforts to mark the trails each Sunday morning, but as this is a semi-virtual race we highly encourage runners to familiarize themselves with the trails and course ahead of time.  It is YOUR responsibility to run the correct course and not get lost.

5K Map

5K Course

5K Course
Start about half way down the parking lot in front of Stellos Stadium. (You should see a marking in the parking lot) Run from there into Mine Falls Park by the skate park, follow the path and go around the gate. Stay straight such that the pond and then the canal are on your right until you reach the first bridge (Nashua High South) on your right. (Mile 1) Cross over the bridge and stay on the paved path on your left and follow it so the canal is on your left until you reach the second bridge (Whipple St/soccer fields). Cross over the bridge and take a left at the flagpole and keep running so the canal is now on your left. (1/2 way done!) Stay on the main path with the canal on your left. Pass by the first bridge (Mile 2) and continue back so the canal and then pond are on your left. The finish line will be marked across from the skate park on the sidewalk by the parking lot. Don't forget to stop your watch and report your time!

5K Course in Text
5M Map

5 Mile Course in Text

5 Mile Course
Start about half way down the parking lot in front of Stellos Stadium. (You should see a marking in the parking lot) Run from there into Mine Falls Park by the skate park, follow the path and go around the gate. Stay straight such that the pond and then the canal are on your right until you reach the first bridge (Nashua High South). The 5M race goes left on the paved path across from the bridge.
Go a 1/10th of a mile and take a left before the power lines. Go another 1/10th of a mile and take a right. Go under the power lines and up and over the paved path, continuing straight along a rooty area with the river to your left. At the main path take a left and then go under the highway. 1/10th of a mile after the highway, take a left before the soccer fields and run the longer loop behind the fields with the river mainly to your left. Make sure you don't go into the soccer fields in the back corner - stay in the woods and come back out at the main path. Take a right and go past the flag pole, then under the highway, and veer right just after. About 3/4 of the way up the hill take a left, and head towards the bridge. (Nashua High School South) Cross the bridge and take the IMMEDIATE right about 5 feet after the bridge ends. This is a single track rocky and rooty trail that will follow the canal. Keep the canal and then the pond on your right, eventually looping all the way around the pond. Cross the boat ramp behind the Conway Arena, and stay in the woods. You will see a hill right before you finish - go up about 1/2 way and veer left, coming out at the parking lot by the skate park. The finish line will be marked across from the skate park on the sidewalk by the parking lot. Don't forget to stop your watch and report your time!

5 Mile Course in Text

ENTRY FEES

2020 Registration is $28 for each 5-week series.  Unfortunately the registration site doesn't allow flexibility for varying prices for different ages.  The extra $3 per series has been added in anticipation of having to ship T-shirts to those who run 8 of the 10 races.  T-shirt sizing information will be requested when you register for series 2.

Can't make the first race?  The price will drop $5 per week so if you register for the last 4 races of a series, the price is $23.  Last three weeks?  $18.  And so on.

DIRECTIONS

Take exit 5W off the Everett Turnpike (Route 3) in Nashua. Turn right at the first set of lights after the Police Station. The entrance to Stellos Stadium is the first left.

ABOUT MINE FALLS PARK

Mine Falls Park is a 325-acre park in the city of Nashua, New Hampshire. Located in the heart of the city, it was purchased in 1969 from the Nashua, New Hampshire Foundation with city and federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) money. It is bordered on the north by the Nashua River and on the south by the millpond and power canal system.

Want to learn more about the park?  Check out these useful pages!

Nashua's Mine Falls Page

Wikipedia's Entry on Mine Falls