The Run & Orienteering program is part of the Loppet Foundation’s Trail Kids year-round programming.
Youth ages 7-13 will enjoy trail running on the single track and ski trails around Theodore Wirth Park as they are coached in the basics of orienteering skills. The program will also incorporate ultimate frisbee, slack line skills, and other running games as warm up activities for the main session which is focused on trail running and orienteering.
Adventure Run Race Series Participants will get a chance to partake in one of the adventure run races that are offered as part of our Trail Kids program. There will be one race scheduled for each of the three sessions scheduled during a normally scheduled practice. Participants will race with their teams at different start times throughout the evening.
Practices include the following activities:
- Agility and strength exercises to develop age appropriate motor skills
- Balance work with the slack line
- Orienteering skills using orienteering maps to find hidden controls in the woods like a treasure hunt
- Adventure Trail Race Series offers 1 mile adventure run races in the woods of Theodore Wirth Park
- Games, relays, ultimate frisbee, and soccer mixed in throughout the sessions
Participants will need a good pair of running shoes and water bottle for each session.
Ability Level Guide
Orienteering Ability Levels
Participants are assigned to coaching groups based on age and past experience with orienteering. All non-binary and trans participants are welcome in Trail Kids run/orienteering programs. When you register you can indicate the appropriate orienteering ability levels listed below:
- White Level: Beginner with no experience in orienteering
- Green Level: Beginner to intermediate orienteering skills: Participant has participated in at least one or two 6-week sessions of the Trail Kids orienteering program.
- Blue Level: Intermediate to advanced orienteering skills. Participant has participated in at least three to four 6-week orienteering sessions.
- Black Level: Advanced orienteering skills with two plus years of orienteering experience and a desire to be challenged and compete at local MNOC meet events.
New to orienteering? Check out the MNOC website here for short description of orienteering here! Check out the following article link about the Top 10 health benefits of Orienteering! For further links on introduction to orienteering and map reading learn from the Loppet orienteering expert coach JD in the following presentations:
Registration Information
Registration *New for 2024*
Trail Kids will no longer offer priority registrations for returning Trail Kids families. This change will create opportunities for more youth and families to get involved in Trail Kids programming. We appreciate your understanding as we adapt our registration process and we look forward to continuing to provide you with high quality, fun, and accessible programming. Additionally, the 2024 Trail Kids Mountain bike sessions registration will not be a lottery. We are returning to registration on a first-come, first-served basis.
Registration for 2024 Trail Kids Run + Orienteering Session 3 will open on Thursday June 20th at 9am
Registration FAQs: For answers to many common registration questions please visit our Registration FAQ page
2024 Session Dates
Run/Orienteering Session 1 – Tuesday/Thursday
- Dates: May 7 – June 13, 2024
- Days/Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays 6 PM – 7:30 PM
- Cost: $275
- Location: Wirth Pavilion Hill (meet at team flags)
- Equipment needed: Running shoes
Run/Orienteering Session 2 – Tuesday/Thursday
- Dates: June 25 – August 8, 2024 (no practice the week of July 4th)
- Days/Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays 6 PM – 7:30 PM
- Cost: $275
- Location: Wirth Pavilion Hill (meet at team flags)
- Equipment needed: Running shoes
Run/Orienteering Session 3 – Tuesday/Thursday
- Dates: September 3 – October 10, 2024
- Days/Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays 5:30 PM – 7 PM
- Cost: $275
- Location: Wirth Pavilion Hill (meet at team flags)
- Equipment needed: Running shoes
Payment & Financial Assistance Information
Financial Assistance and Sibling Discounts
Financial Assistance: Trail Kids provides financial assistance for those in need, up to 100% of the registration cost. To apply, please fill out our Trail Kids Financial Assistance Application. We will follow up with you with instructions on how to register at a price that is manageable for your family. Applications for programs that start two weeks or less from the date of submission will not be approved.
Sibling Discount: For those families who have three or more kids in the Trail Kids program we will given a fifteen percent discount code. Please email trailkids@loppet.org for more information.
Refund Policy
The Loppet will issue a full refund of the program fee minus the original processing fee up until 6 weeks before the program starts. Between 6 weeks and 4 weeks from the program start date, a 50% refund will be issued. Between 4 and 3 weeks from the program start date, a 25% refund will be issued. There are no refunds for any cancellations within less than 3 weeks of the start of a program. During the program, if your child has a medical issue that makes it impossible to participate, we will issue a prorated refund minus the processing fee. If the Loppet cancels a program, a full refund will be issued. For instructions on how to request a refund, click here.
Adventure Race
The Trail Kids Adventure Race is part of the Loppet Foundation’s Trail Kids year-round programming. The race series is included in the program registration fee