Fossil 5K & 10K Trail Runs

Whether you are considering a trail run for the first time or looking for a unique place to run, then this race is for you! 

The Fossil 5K & 10K Trail Runs will take place within Oakes Quarry Park in Fairborn, Ohio. 

Where can you find world-class fossil beds, old-growth forest, a native-grass prairie, and miles of hiking trails combined with some of the most stunning natural vistas in the area?  Oakes Quarry Park has all of this and more. The 190 acre park, formerly a rock quarry, features one of the world's largest and most diverse collections of marine organism fossils from the Silurian age - a time when the area was covered with warm, shallow seas.

Someone commented that it doesn't look like Ohio, more like South Dakota or the surface of the moon!

The course uses the two-mile rim trail around the park and the middle trail that cuts through the center of the park.  There is no pavement on the trail, the ground is a mixture of bedrock, stones and dirt. Depending on the amount of rainfall prior to race day, you will mostly likely encounter some ankle-deep puddles and mud. The trail is considered grade 2 moderate, which means that you can continually run or jog with concentration. 

To learn more about the park and fossils, and to see a trail map, click on this link:

 https://fairbornoh.myrec.com/info/facilities/details.aspx?FacilityID=14707

After the race enjoy some goodies and sample some award-winning Knights Dynamite Chili!

And of course, you can hike the fossil trail and search for some of your very own fossils!