The Race Through the Woods at Hidden Valley Nature Center (HVNC) in Jefferson has been constantly evolving since it began four years ago. For the first two years the race was only for the dedicated and trail tested. For those two years racers only had one choice: a 13.1 mile half marathon over varied terrain and in the face of any weather. Last year HVNC introduced a milder 5.5 mile race. The shorter race still features a few tough hills, but it is far more welcoming than the full half marathon.

This year, Sunday, Sept. 28 HVNC will offer both those races again, but will add a third race. This time it’s for the kids. A roughly quarter mile obstacle race will be designed for kids about ages five to twelve. The Kids Trail Fun Run is free, but pre-registration is required to ensure you get a spot. Each racer will get a race T-shirt, and official HVNC patch. The kids race is sponsored by Maine Helicopter of Whitefield.

The Kids Trail Fun Run will start at about 10:30 a.m. The other two races will begin at 9 a.m. Plan for plenty of extra time for parking and getting to the race course. Event details and registration are available at www.hvnc.org/trail-race.

“Hopefully we can get more kids and more families engaged with this race,” said Jen Kopp, one of the chief volunteers behind the kids race. The race is not about competition, but rather about providing yet another way for kids to have fun and be healthy outdoors. There will be an official Kids Trail Fun Run, but the obstacle course will be open after the race as well.

“Combine that with the live music, food, and games all day and families should plan to hang out for a while and enjoy the day,” said HVNC Director Andy McEvoy.

For more information, visit www.hvnc.org, call 207-200-8840, or write to info@hvnc.org.