Newton Hills Trail Race

Important Note

This is the official race registration page for the Newton Hills Trail Races. Please refer to the Sioux Falls Area Running Club's website and SFRAC Facebook page for more information on this race, the Trail Race Series, and membership. www.runsiouxfalls.org/newton-hills-trail-race / www.facebook.com/RunSiouxFalls Celebrating 10 years of the Trail Run Series & 25th anniversary of Newton Hills in 2026! We have some updates that were brought on from the surveys sent out at the end of last year. 1. Change in age groups. We changed 50+ to 50-59 and added 60+. These age groups are used for the overall points series awards. 2. We brought back swag to all races. 3. We have added another partner race to the series. Now you can run the Good Earth Trail Festival races presented by 605 Running Company and Mount Lucia Trail Race presented by Missouri River Runners and earn points towards our series.

Pricing

2 & 6-mile races are the same price. Registration Price: $40 through registration cutoff Current SF Run Club Member: A discount code was sent out to all current members at the opening of registration. DO NOT use the Run Club member discount code for those under 18 please! Are you current and need the code? Please email runsiouxfalls@gmail.com and we'll get it to you! 18yrs old and under (as of race day): $15 through registration cutoff Not a member and want to become one? Sign up at www.runsiouxfalls.org Sign up for all 4 races at once! Select 'All 4 Races' ($170*) or ‘4 Race-Under 18’ ($70*) on the Deer Dash Trail Races registration page. (Run Club discount available here as well – DO NOT use for 18 & Under pricing please) Signing up for short distance will register you for all the short distances in future races and likewise if signed up for the longer distance races. Contact us to change your distance for any of the races. *Special swag gift for those who sign up for all 4 races using this price point!

About This Race

The Sioux Falls Area Running Club (SFARC) has been putting on a trail race at Newton Hills (NH) State Park since 2002. The race started as an 8 mile race from 2002 thru 2006, then changed to the current distances in 2007. All runners from beginners to veterans are welcome to participate. The 2 mile race length gives participants the ability to try out trail running and provides the whole family an opportunity to participate. The 6 mile route gives the participant the ability to run most of the trails that Newton Hills has to offer with plenty of elevation change for a great challenge. October is always a beautiful time in Newton Hills! Come experience a run to remember on the scenic trails of Newton Hills State Park.

Course Description

The Newton Hills races both start and finish in the same area right by the picnic shelter on the other side of the suspension bridge (Blue Diamond Trail Head). 2 mile racers will start in the open area around the shelter but quickly will be routed into the Woodland Trail single track loop. The loop consists one large hill which promptly goes back down and loops back to the start finish where the 2 milers will finish. The 6 mile participants will start in the opposite direction heading down the service road through the horse camp, and entering the multi-purpose trails. There are three prominent climbs with sections of flat trails in between. After completing the 4 mile multi-purpose loop, participants will head onto the 2 mile Woodland Trail loop and finish the race after making their way back to the start/finish area. Race lengths are approximately 2 miles & 6 miles

Distance Changes

If you need to change your race distance for any reason, please email njschwab@gmail.com directly and we'll get that updated for you. Once the change has been made we'll send you a confirmation email and you can double check your race entry on UltraSignup.

FAQ

Do we need a park pass to get into the park on race day? Yes, all State Parks require a park permit, or day pass to enter the park. Do we get a shirt for participating? Maybe. We give our different swag for all our races. Sometimes that is a shirt, sometimes not. Please refer to the specific race website for details. If you sign up for all 4 races at once using the special price point on the Deer Dash page, you'll get a special swag gift. Are the races chip timed? Yes! 605 Running Company had generously agreed to provide chip timing for all of our trail series races! Are headphones allowed? Yes, but you must be mindful of your surrounding if wearing them. Trail races generally take more concentration given the terrain, and with narrow trails and many turns, you'll need to be able to hear if people are needing to pass you and take directions from any volunteers. Can I get my money back if I can't run? No, we do not offer refunds or credit for future races. I've never run trails, how do I train for these races? Find a gravel road, run on the grass next to the sidewalk or bike trail, or better yet, head to Sertoma Park and run the flat, wide trails there. There is also single track trails along the south side of the bike trail in Yankton Trail Park between Minnesota and Western Ave and in Tuthill Park. This will get you used to running on uneven ground. Be very careful as you ease into it and be mindful of you footfalls. After you've mastered that, head to any of the other trails around Sioux Falls: Leaders Park, Great Bear Recreation Area, Big Sioux Rec, Good Earth State Park, Newton Hills, Beaver Creek Nature Area, Union Grove State Park, etc. SFARC host a group run every Thursday night at Good Earth State Park - 6pm - if you'd like to run with a group too. Can I run with my dog? No, pets are not allowed to run in the Trail Race Series.

Points Series

Points: 1st place in each division for each race receives 10 points. Points go down by 1 sequentially. 2nd place receives 9 points all the way to 10th place receiving 1 point. At the end of the series, we’ll tally up the points in each age division, and give out gift cards to the top three male and female finishers. We’ll also crown overall champions (male/female) and they will get custom framed pictures of their favorite course. Age Divisions: 29 and under, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60+