Wayside 5k

Where: Curtis Middle School, 22 Pratts Mill Rd, Sudbury, MA

When: November 21, 2026, 10 AM. Same-day registration/bib pick-up begins at 8:00 A.M. Pre-race bib pickup will be available – date/location TBD.

What: Kid’s fun run, a 1.4-mile walk, a 5K run, and a 10K

Who:

• Walkers and runners of all ages and ability levels; Strollers are welcome

• Athletes with Special needs to participate on their own or as part of a Duo Team

• Runners interested in being teamed up with special needs athletes to push or encourage their special needs teammate to the finish line.

• Sponsors, donors, and volunteers

• Teams, businesses, or Non-profit organizations looking to raise funds

Register for the Kid’s fun run, a 1.4-mile walk, a 5K run, or 10K run

Calling All Athletes and Who Would Like to Raise Funds for SMILE Mass

At SMILE Mass, we are constantly inspired by the incredible abilities of our special athletes, and we invite you to showcase your strength and determination to the world! Whether you’re an able-bodied participant or an athlete with special needs, this race is open to all. You can walk, run, push, or be pushed—everyone is welcome to join in the fun!

If you raise $100 or more, your registration is FREE!

It’s simple to join this fun, inclusive event—just follow the instructions and sign up here for an unforgettable experience!

Calling All Special Athletes

For our special athletes, we’ll pair you with a runner or walker who will help guide and cheer you across the finish line. Plus, we’ll create a personalized fundraising page, making it easy for friends, family, and supporters to sponsor your journey while contributing to the programs of SMILE Mass. All Special Athletes will receive a Gobble Wobble medal!

Fundraise for Your Non-Profit without All the Work

Imagine raising thousands of dollars for your nonprofit—all without the hassle of organizing an entire race. The 13th Annual SMILE Mass Gobble Wobble offers you the chance to do just that! Whether you’re a registered nonprofit, corporate team, or an individual passionate about giving back, this opportunity is tailor-made for you.

For an entry fee of just $500, your team will receive six race bibs (additional bibs can be purchased at a reduced rate). We’ll also set up a fundraising page for you and provide a banner featuring your nonprofit, race t-shirts, and booth space to promote your mission on race day. Many teams have raised over $3,000—a fantastic return on investment without the challenges of organizing your own event.

Want to learn more? Click here to get started today!

We can either invoice you for the $500 payment and each subsequent $25, or you can visit this link. Be sure to include your team name and Gobble Wobble ‘26 in the comment field.

Behind Every Successful Event, There’s a Great Group of Volunteers

Like any event, we are dependent on and grateful for our volunteers’ hard work to ensure success. We anticipate this being our largest race to date and are calling all volunteers to help us with the logistics of the event. We are counting on you!

To volunteer, please click the link below. Please share with friends, neighbors, and family who want to volunteer with you. It takes a village.

Volunteer Here

Give Back to the Community by Becoming a Sponsor of the Gobble Wobble

There’s no better way for your business or corporation to make a meaningful, positive impact than by giving back to the community. The 13th Annual SMILE Mass Gobble Wobble is the perfect platform to showcase your support while making a difference in the lives of individuals with disabilities. Your generous donation helps offset event costs and ensures the day is a resounding success for all involved.

Whether you’d like to contribute directly or sponsor one of our incredible athletes with special needs, your support will help us continue providing inclusive opportunities that make our community stronger. Interested in becoming a sponsor or making a donation? Click here to learn more!

Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity! Register before October 1st to lock in the current rate, and we look forward to seeing you on November 21st—let’s make this year’s Gobble Wobble the biggest and most inclusive one yet!

Donate to the Gobble Wobble

Race for the Refuge

The Highland City Striders welcome you to explore the trails at the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge in Sudbury, MA! The Race for the Refuge begins at the ARNWR Visitor’s Center and traverses the beautiful trails around the Refuge. The course will lead runners into this idyllic nature refuge, past ponds, through pine and oak forests, and alongside mysterious military bunkers.

Course Description

The double track trails are hard-packed earth and gravel. It’s a great course for beginner trail runners. For the advanced trail runner, it could be an opportunity for a new PR!

Events

The lineup features a 10K (1 loop) and 30K (3 loops) races, and a 6-hour timed event.

For the timed courses, runners may do as many loops as desired. A loop must be completed by 3pm to be counted towards final mileage. Ranking of runners is determined by the runner who completes the most loops in the shortest period of time. Runners in the 6-hour race must start their last lap by 2pm.

The top male, female, and nonbinary runner from each of the events (10k, 30k, 3-hour, and 6-hour) will receive a prize. The largest team will also be celebrated, so please encourage friends and fellow club members to join you!

Race Day Rules

Dogs are not permitted on Refuge lands, so please leave your pooch at home. This event is family-friendly but children must be supervised.

Tread lightly through the refuge and please leave no trace! This will be a cupless race to eliminate waste on the course. Any fuel, such as gel packets, should be carried in and packed out. Due to the delicate ecosystem any littering is grounds for immediate disqualification. All runners must stay on the marked course.

Thanks for keeping our wild spaces wild!

Aid Stations and Course Marking

There will be two aid stations with typical trail race fare including water, hydration, hydration mix, pretzels, orange slices, banana halves, Swedish fish, coke, and ginger ale. The main aid station will be at the Start/Finish line. A second aid station at Taylor Road is about halfway through the loop. Note this is a cupless race.

All runners will receive swab with registration and prizes will be awarded to top winners in each category.

The course will be well marked for the runners with two course marshals at key turns.

Pacers

Pacers are allowed to assist runners in the 6-hour race only. They may start at noon or later and must complete an online or paper registration form. Upon arrival at the race, the pacer will check in at the race director table and receive a pacer bib. One pacer at a time per runner and no muling is allowed. Pacers can use the aid stations at no cost and there is no registration fee to pace a runner.

Cancelation and Refunds

There are no deferrals and no refunds. Your entry fee will be considered a charitable donation and used for nature education and trail improvements. Thank you for your support.

We are looking forward to seeing you at the race, but if you are unable to join us, please cancel using RunSignUp or contact the race directors via email so that we can give someone from the waitlist the opportunity to run. Thank you!

About the Refuge

Centuries ago, these lands were hunted and fished by Nipmuc Tribes. Later, they were farmed by colonists, intersected by a railroad, and used for military training. You will run past military bunkers that were in use when the area was known as the Sudbury Training Annex, which was part of Fort Devens. The US Army transferred the land to the US Fish and Wildlife Service in 2000, establishing the Refuge.

Since then, the Refuge has become home to freshwater wetlands, oak and pine forest, and shrubland that support many types of wildlife, including wading birds, songbirds, raptors, beaver, bobcat, white-tailed deer, and various reptiles and amphibians.

Proceeds from this race will help fund improvements to three refuge sites in MA and a volunteer coordinator who will assist visitors to the refuge with nature education and programming.

Post-Race Festivities

Details to come.

Presented by the Highland City Striders

We are runners in Hudson, Marlborough, and surrounding communities. Founded in 2002, our members meet several times weekly to run various distances for fun and to keep in shape! We run, recover, have fun, and laugh together. The Highland City Striders is a non-profit 501(C)3. All race profits will go to local charities.

We are also working closely with Friends of Woodlands and Waters, a non-profit working in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to support our refuges. Check out their site to learn more and get involved!

parkrun is such a simple concept: turn up every Saturday and volunteer, walk, jog or run 5k.