Trailish Group Run Events: What to Know
Trailish is a welcome step to closing this gap. Regular trail runs are something Outlandish founders Ken Bernard and Benje Williams, himself an impressive trail runner, have wanted to add to their event programming since they opened the store in 2023. The partnership with Hoka, which is providing two different demo shoe options for runners, helps make sure that the event would be accessible for newcomers without having to buy new gear.
The ticket price for each Trailish run is $50, which mostly goes to cover the cost of passenger vans the Outlandish team rents to transport runners to and from the trail head. Our event had an extremely reasonable meeting time of 9 am, with a planned departure scheduled at 9:30 am. That gave me plenty of time to get fitted for a pair of demo shoes (I went with the new Hoka Speedgoat 6s), meet some of the other runners, and take on some much needed fluids. (Read: down two cups of coffee.)
Before a quick ice breaker, Ken took some time to introduce the runners who would be equipped with walkie-talkies and first-aid supplies, in case of emergency. Then, we boarded the buses and headed to South Mountain Reservation. The trip only took about 45 minutes, but I’ve but I’ve been told some of the future trips will be to further away locales.
When we reached the trail, Inma was waiting for us, having spent the last hour and a half scouting the route to make sure our plan would not have to change too much due to the rain. We did some dynamic stretches as a group, then listened while Inma prompted us for some muddy conditions, tree fallings, and the aforementioned river crossing, but also encouraged us to take the day at our own pace.
Indeed, I can say with confidence that Trailish is not a race. For the first half of the run, I found myself alternating between a gentle jog and an ambling walk, as we made our way single-file through the narrow path parallel to the creek. When we reached the crossing, I had hardly broken a sweat. I felt confident I could easily clear the creek with a hop. Alas, I misjudged the fidelity of my destination—the pile of leaves was actually just a cover for more creek.
Though my right foot was now thoroughly soaked, I pressed on with the rest of the group, about 34 people in total. I learned that some were experienced trail runners with several ultramarathons under their belts, but others were trail running for the first time. It felt like an easy space to commiserate about wet socks, solicit tips about proper technique, and fantasize about eating lunch on the other end.
After we got to our end destination, a lovely waterfall, we were each given the option to either come back the way we came, or go down a wider and less technical gravel trail. Feeling ready to open it up a bit, I chose the latter and enjoyed attacking the rolling hills with as much gusto I had left to muster. As I made it to the finish, I couldn’t help but smile. Not only had I not broken anything, but I had genuinely enjoyed myself. Maybe this running thing isn’t so bad after all.