Adventure race at Bigrock to provide athletic challenge

   MARS HILL, Maine — Bigrock Mountain will host the inaugural Mars Hill Mountain Challenge, a five-kilometer adventure/obstacle course race, on Saturday Sept. 13.
The event is being deemed as Aroostook County’s version of The Tough Mountain Challenge at Sunday River, The Tough Mudder Series and The Mountain Raid.
The challenge features the alpine terrain of Bigrock Mountain ski area with a variety of natural and man-made obstacles over a 5K course with plenty of elevation gain.
Mars Hill Mountain Challenge is open to all competitors ages 15 and older, but is recommended for those ages 18 and up. Any competitor under the age of 18 will need a parent or guardian to sign a release form at check-in the day of the event.
The challenge will include up to 500 competitors, divided into waves leaving every 15 minutes from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to create the best experience possible for everyone. All competitors are required to run in the wave they sign up for.
Go to marshillmountainchallenge.racewire.com to register for the event. The deadline is Monday, Sept. 8. The $59 per person fee will include entry into the race, a T-shirt, a 2014-15 ski lift ticket to Bigrock Mountain and free entrance into the Bigrock Bash After Party.
All competitors must register as individuals. Once registered, they can create or join a team. Teams consist of four competitors and the team’s time is the average of each team member’s finishing time.
Early registration packet and bib pickup will be from 4-7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 12. Registration will continue throughout the day on Saturday, Sept. 13 beginning at 8 a.m. and ending when the last wave of competitors take off at 3 p.m. The first wave departs at 10 a.m.
A barbecue and beer garden opens at 11 a.m. and the Kids 1K Fun Run, which requires a $20 registration fee, is at 4 p.m.
The kids’ event is a one-kilometer fun race for kids following the last wave of the adult race. This event is a scaled-down version of the Mars Hill Mountain Challenge and is designed for youth between the ages of 5 and 14 and is all about having fun. Participants can expect uphill and downhill running, dirt, mud, small obstacles, snowguns and more.
The youth race will start at the bottom of the bunny slope and finish at the bottom of Uncle Bud’s Run in the finish corral. The kids will be divided into two age categories and two waves: ages 5-8 and ages 9-12.
Registration is online or in person Saturday at the same location and times as check-in for the adult race. Adult competitors can register kids when they check in. A parent or guardian must sign a release form. The entry fee includes a finish medal and a take-away item which will also serve as proof of registration for entry to the start area for all kids participating.
Participants should bring clothes and shoes they don’t mind getting dirty, an appetite for fun and a sense of friendly competition. Parents are welcome to watch from the start and finish areas but are asked to stay off the course to allow room for the kids to run.
The Bigrock Bash After Party will go from 4-8 p.m. and feature live music provided by Common Crossing.
Individual awards will be issued to the top three finishers in three age categories: under 30, 30-39 and 40 and over. Team awards will be given out to each of the top three teams.
Registration is non-refundable, however transfers can be made prior to Sept. 8 for a $20 fee. To transfer registration, email Ryan Guerrette at ryanguerrette@bigrockmaine.com.