Run a Trail 5K, Help Children

For those looking to get some exercise and donate some money for an important cause, the Hale Reservation can provide both for Dover residents this summer.

From May to September, the Hale Reservation has been putting on a race series to support the scholarship fund for its 4,400 day campers. Half of the children who attend the Dover day camp are on financial aid, and the money raised from the Hale Reservation’s races goes straight to helping those campers in need of aid.

Director of development at the Hale Reservation, Paula McLaughlin, said, “We started doing a triathlon 10 years ago to raise funds, and because our venue supports hiking, running and biking, it was very popular.”

McLaughlin said as the triathlon became more popular, so did the need for more races and athletic fundraisers at the Hale Reservation. In June, the Hale Reservation put on an obstacle course race.

“We weave in the natural landscape for the obstacle course race,” she said. “Participants run over a rock, they carry logs, hurdle over canoes on the beach.”

In addition to the obstacle course race, the Hale Reservation will be putting on a 5k race on Aug. 25. Instead of a road race, the Hale Reservation makes use of the trails and woods around the area to provide an interesting and scenic run for it’s participants.

“Runners will see the pond where the kids swim in, the camp sites and the campgrounds, they can really appreciate what they’re running for,” McLaughlin said.

“The races are challenging, for a trail 5k, times are a bit longer, the distances and the terrain is different, but people really seem to enjoy it,” she said.

Doing a 5K in the summer might be a difficult task because of the distance for some participants, but doing it in the heat poses another challenge. However, McLaughlin said running a 5K on the Hale Reservation trail offers something participants will really appreciate—shade.

“Times are slower, but it wasn’t as hot for the runners on the trail and they enjoy the beautiful scenery,” McLaughlin said.

To mix things up as well, each race takes participants on a different course or different trail around the area.

The 5K in late August is an opportunity for many local cross-country runners a chance to train, McLaughlin said.

“Lots of high schoolers are getting ready for their try-outs. The girls from Ursuline Academy in Dedham run here for all their meets, it’s their home course,” she said.

No matter what the purpose of the training is, however, every runner donates money to helping the campers in need of financial aid at the Hale Reservation when they participate.

“The children that come here, they’re so excited to be here. They swim, do a ropes course, and boat. They experience nature up close,” McLaughlin said. “It makes me very happy to give area residents a chance to see Hale, raise money for the funds, and the kids are getting the benefit.” 

While it is a race, as McLaughlin said, “It’s a race where everybody wins.”

The Hale Reservation will also be putting on its annual triathlon, which includes a six mile bike ride, a quarter mile swim, and a two mile run. The triathlon is Sept. 8. The end of August trail 5K begins at 9 a.m. at North Beach in Dover. For more information, visit the Hale Reservation's website.