THE ANNUAL Mt. Hood Nutcracker Challenge returns to Melrose on Dec. 14 (courtesy photo)
MELROSE—The annual Mount Hood Nutcracker Challenge cross-country race will be held again on the second Saturday in December, Dec. 14, starting at 12:00 noon. This is a 3.5 mile race with an 2 mile walk option starting at the same time. The event is organized by the Melrose Running Club, and run over the fairways and paths at the Mount Hood Golf Course. This year the headquarters for the race are returning to the Melrose Fish & Game Club, where the registration, post-race lunch, and awards had been hosted prior to 2018.
This will be the 18th running of the event. This race is a unique cross-country race in the Greater Boston area in that the course changes every year. It is also one of the few opportunities north of Boston for local runners to test their mettle on a true cross-country course. Runners look forward to a vigorous team competition, challenging (hilly!) course, and vying for the coveted nutcrackers! Others arrive festively dressed for this December race, come for the experience and challenge of XC running, and look forward to the post-race festivities.
The race raises funds for Housing Families, Inc., which provides several services to area residents, including help with finding affordable, stable housing or emergency shelter for those in need, legal help for those facing homelessness or eviction, tutoring and after school programs for youth, and trauma support for all ages. A portion of the proceeds also goes to the Melrose High School cross-country teams.
To register for the run, visit www.runsignup.com/nutcrackerchallenge . Entry fees are $35 through Dec. 9, $40 thereafter. Fees for runners 17 and under at the time of registration, and for all walkers, are just $25 through Dec. 9, $25 thereafter. The race is being limited this year to 250 entrants.
Bib numbers will be available for early pick-up at the following time and location:
Marathon Sports – 401 Main Street, Melrose
- Friday, Dec. 13, 3 – 7 PM
Race day pick-up and in-person registration (if not sold out) will be at the Melrose Fish & Game Club.
- Saturday, Dec. 14, 10:00 – 11:30 AM
(Follow directions for the Mount Hood clubhouse. The club is located at the end of Stillman Rd., 100 Slayton Rd., Melrose.)
The Melrose Running Club (MRC) started in the 1990s and rents space at the Melrose Knights of Columbus on Foster St., where they hold weekly club runs every Tuesday night at 7 pm. Runners of all abilities are welcome to join. In late April each year, a 10-week “Walk-to-Run” program is offered, which has been very successful over the years helping people to get into a healthy running routine, or back into it after several years’ break. To learn more about MRC, visit www.melroserunningclub.com or email membership@melroserunningclub.com.
