Common Rush Trail Run

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Common Rush Trail Run
Harris Lake County Park – New Hill, NC
July 18, 2026

Race Day Info for Saturday (race day info email sent to registered racers on July 14)

Overview

Offering 5 and 10 mile course options that include outstanding lake views, mellow single-track, and scenic dirt road running, the 5th Annual Common Rush Trail Run at Harris Lake is a super-fun, mid-summer trail run at one of the most beautiful parks in the Triangle.

Harris Lake is owned and operated by Wake County, NC and located in the southwest corner of the county. This beautiful 680-acre park forms a peninsula on Harris Lake in New Hill, NC and boasts gorgeous lake views, ponds, open fields, playgrounds, a disc golf course, and close to 20 miles of forested hiking and mountain biking trails.

Common Rush Course Maps and Description

Providing excellent passing opportunities and a smooth start to the race, this one-loop 5.1 mile and two-loop 10.1 mile course begins with 1 mile of wide dirt road running. New for this year, the course utilizes a more scenic start/finish location and route configuration that provides a wider opening mile for easier passing and less congestion. After this beginning section, athletes run along forested single-track, much of it with gorgeous lake views. On the second loop, 10 mile runners replace the opening dirt road section with an additional mile of scenic lakeside single-track. While this course is comprised primarily of single-track trails, it is not overly tight, so there are plenty of passing opportunities spread throughout. There are minimal root- and rock-filled sections, and these courses are relatively flat, with only 188′ and 377′ of elevation gain for the 5 mile and 10 mile courses, respectively.

Common Rush 5 Mile and 10 Mile:
Overall Technical Rating: 2+ out of 5

Terrain Rating Scale

1 – Easiest: Wide dirt roads, smooth single-track, grassy or paved surfaces; minimal rocks or roots; some moderate hills
2 – Easy: Occasional roots and rocks with mostly smooth trail; some moderate hills
3 – Moderate: Frequent roots and rocks mixed with smoother sections; short punchy climbs and gradual inclines; some flat sections
4 – Difficult: Extensive roots and rocks; frequent climbs; very few flat sections
5 – Most Difficult: Constant roots and rocks; sustained climbing with minimal flat terrain

Course Maps (click on map titles for course details and elevation profiles)

Registration

Registration Fees

5 Mile: $45 by 1/11, $47 by 4/18, $50 by 6/18, $55 by 7/17, $60 on race day
10 Mile: $55 by 1/11, $57 by 4/18, $60 by 6/18, $65 by 7/17, $70 on race day
Registration fees are $2-$5 lower for Youth 17-U and Seniors 65+

Expect Excellence. Your Common Rush Trail Run Registration Fee Includes:

Limited race entry to provide an intimate and friendly race experience and to prevent overcrowding on the trails
Fun and challenging course design
Professional race operations
Superbly marked course – you won’t get lost
Race tee that you’ll love and want to wear. Comes in men’s/unisex, women’s, and youth sizes (see link for sizing/specs).
Exciting atmosphere with great music
Excellent volunteer support
Frequent and well-stocked aid stations every 1-2 miles along the course
Medical support
Chip timing. Accurate and timely posting of results.
Abundant, varied, and tasty post-race food/beverage, including items such as sliders, fresh fruit, hummus/veggies, bagels/peanut butter, trail bars, chips, cookies, and a crowd favorite, little cups of M&Ms. Beverages include water, Gatorade, soft drinks, Honest Kids juice, and Athletic Brewing Company non-alcoholic beer.
FREE Kids Race for Treasure (see below for details)
Awards ceremony with fun contests and lots of giveaways (see below for details)
Free photo downloads post-race (a professional photographer will be at the race)

Schedule of Events

Saturday, 7/18/26 (Race Day)
Location: Harris Lake County Park (2112 County Park Drive, New Hill, NC 27562)
Staging Area: Field near the Cypress Pavilion (beautiful NEW staging area for 2026)

6:30am – 7:45am: Check-in
7:50am: Pre-Race Brief
8:00am: Race Start
8:45am – 11am: Post-race Food/Beverage
9:45am: Awards / Contests / Giveaways (5M)
10:00am: FREE Kids ‘Race for Treasure’ (kids 11-U)
10:30am: Awards / Contests / Giveaways (10M)

FREE Kids Race for Treasure

At 10am, kids 11-under are invited to participate in the FREE Kids Race for Treasure. All kids are welcome to participate and parents are encouraged to line the race course to cheer them on. We will match kids in age groups (3-U, 4-5, 6-7, and 8-11) and start each group separately on a short out and back ‘race’ in the large field near the staging area. After running, kids can grab a prize (toys from the dollar store:) from the Treasure Chest!

Awards, Contests, and Giveaways

Awards (1st-5th place tumblers) and prizes (Fleet Feet Gift Certificates) for top five overall M/F competitors in each distance. Awards (1st-3rd place pint glasses) for the top three M/F competitors in each age group. Age groups for each distance: 13-Under, 14-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+.

Racers and volunteers are invited to join the contests – fun stuff such as push-ups, sprint, squat, cornhole, rock/paper/scissors, etc, etc. Contest winners receive NICE swag like Goodr sunglasses or race merchandise and ALL who participate receive an item of swag. After the contests, we randomly select winners of the rest of the swag – more great stuff such as Goodr sunglasses, gift certificates, running gear, and Roadless Races merchandise.

Venue

Rules and Policies

Rules:

In-ear earbuds, headphones, and external speakers are not permitted in the race. Bone conduction headsets are OK.
Respect the environment. No littering.
Excellent sportsmanship is an expectation at our events. Respect other racers, volunteers, and race staff.
Follow the marked course and stay on designated trails. No shortcutting.
Please inform our timer if you drop out of the race.
Bib numbers must be visible from the front at all times.
PLEASE, DO NOT give your bib to someone else. This will make the results, age group, and overall awards incorrect. If you need to transfer your registration, you may do so up to 3 days prior to race day by going to your runsignup account, selecting ‘Transfer to Someone Else’ in the menu, and then following the instructions.
Run at your pace. There are no cut-off times.

Policies:

Refunds: Receive a refund (minus $10 and the runsignup processing fee) if you cancel 21+ days before the race. No refunds within 21 days. To cancel, email request to info@roadlessraces.com
Credits: Receive a coupon code for future Roadless Races if you cancel 3+ days BEFORE the race. Cancel 21+ days before race = 100% credit. Cancel 8-20 days before race = 75% credit. Cancel 3-7 days before race = 50% credit. To cancel, email request to info@roadlessraces.com.
Transfer Your Entry to Someone Else: Transfers must be initiated online at least 3 days prior to the race. No race day transfers. We do not allow transfers to another race. To transfer to another racer, go to you profile on runsignup, and follow directions to ‘Transfer to Someone Else’.
Change Distance: Distance changes must be initiated online at least 3 days prior to the race. No race day distance changes. To change distances, go to your profile on runsignup, and follow directions to ‘Transfer Event’.