Healthy Summer Family Fun with Renegade Racing Summer Trail Series

We attended as a guest of Renegade Racing

2014 Dirty Series & Summer Trail Series T-shirts

August 7th was the final race of the Renegade Summer Trail Series and their Dirty Series. Peter’s Canyon is a gorgeous location for a fun 5 mile trail run. This event was similar to the previous events in the series, and a wonderful end to a really fun racing series. With all the racing I have now done with Renegade, I can honestly say they always put on a well-organized race and it’s always a fun, easy-going atmosphere. I don’t feel uptight & anxious as I wait for the race to start, like I do at many races. This is true at the trail races & the road race I ran with Renegade – so kudos to Renegade Racing for putting on such great events and for managing to keep us runners relaxed!

Ready to run the 3rd Summer Trail Race

As with the previous races in the series, on-site registration & packet pickup was available. Everything was well-organized, yet relaxed and low-key. We had our choice of a T-shirt or BBQ dinner, or both for an extra $5. Plus you get a “goody bag” with samples for a variety of products and you get a raffle ticket. This time I won one of the raffle prizes – yay! The had a group warm-up before the race & stretch after the race which is wonderful, especially for new runners.

First we had to take a selfie

For this race, we ran the loop counter-clockwise like we did for race #1. I personally preferred running it clockwise, but it’s an easier run counter-clockwise. The had water stations at the usual spots – which I think were placed perfectly. I was a little disappointed that they didn’t have the otter pops at the half-way point like last time though. Peters Canyon was just as beautiful as before and it was fun to see some of the same runners who had been at the previous races. There’s a really nice vibe at these trail runs. It was a great time for all – fortunately we didn’t have the humidity like we had earlier in the week, so while it was a warm summer evening – it wasn’t uncomfortable and after the race it cooled down nicely.

Going up!

The finish line is always a welcome sight – whether at the end of a 5K or a full marathon. As you can see from the picture below, Renegade has a photographer strategically placed at the finish line to capture that moment for every runner. It’s nice to get that email link with race photos and actually have some decent photos from your race. I was very pleased with my photos from last month’s race and look forward to seeing the ones from this race.

We did it!

Contributing to the family friendly atmosphere, the kids obstacle course was in full swing again this month and the BBQ dinner was great – there were more toppings and options than last month which was really nice. It seemed like pretty much everyone pulled up a patch of grass and hung out after the race to enjoy the BBQ, music, vendor offerings, and raffle drawing. Some of the same vendors from last month were there, plus a few new ones. I love to attend race expos and after parties where I can find new products geared for runners.

Hanging out after the race

Now that the Summer Trail Series has come to a close, make sure to check out Renegade’s Website for other upcoming races. They have a variety of family friendly events as well as triathalons and half marathons. Many of their events support charitable organizations. The Summer Trail Series supports WeROCK – a non-profit teen intervention program that trains OC teens to run a marathon.

Julie is an OC Supermom to six beautiful children in Orange County. She is an editor with Astraea Press, active in the community and enjoys running in her free time.