By M.E. Jones
The Holdenwood Trail Run, now in its 19th year, is set for Sunday, September 27. Averaging 300 participants annually, the run is not only a fun, family-friendly event, it’s for a good cause.
Proceeds benefit the Ayer Shirley Education Foundation, which supports teaching initiatives in district schools. According to HTR Director Jay Duffner, the run netted $12,000 for ASEF last year.
Part of the HTR’s enduring popularity may owe to its scenic, small-town setting, with notable pit stops around town that past run participants have praised in Facebook posts.
But the biggest draw is the event itself. Open to participants of varied ages and abilities, with 10K, 5K and 2K options, the bucolic backdrop enhances the experience for runners, joggers and walkers alike, featuring a looping, five-mile trail through scenic woodlands owned by the Holden family.
“It’s private land…the trails are only open for this run,” Duffner said.
The Holdens, whose generational roots run deep here, provide use of their property and prepare the trail for the run each year, a dual donation Duffner gratefully underscored. “The only reason we have the run is because of the Holden family’s generosity, “ he said, adding that this year’s HTR is dedicated to the memory of a family member, Stanley Jurga, who passed away this year.
The fall season is a competitive time for regional runs like the HTR, Duffner said, and although runners often come from other states, such as New York and Pennsylvania, most are local. “We recruit locally,” he said, from running clubs and area high schools. Duffner, a Shirley resident, got involved in HTR as a runner before taking over as director in 2018.
“I participated in 2015 and 2016, but I won’t be running this year,” he said. But his son, Remy Duffner, an Ayer Shirley Regional High School Senior, will run again this year.
And based on previous years, its likely the roster will include other ASRSD students as well. HTR offers free entry to the entire ASRHS cross country team, which this year includes members from the middle school. “Usually about 10 or 15 runners” participate, Duffner said.;
Entry fees are $40 for the 10K run; $35 for the 5K run and $25 for 2K, with $5 added for same-day entrants. Start times begin at 9:30 am for the 2K run. The 10K and 5K runs follow, at 10:30 am and 10:45, respectively. The five and 10-mile runs are strategically spaced 15 minutes apart, Duffner explained. “We’re aiming for a more or less simultaneous finish” he said.
Post-finish, runners and their families can head for the Bull Run on Great Road for an after-event brunch the restaurant hosts each year, with free ice cream or beer.
Participants may register via the website, www.holdenwoodtrailrun.org. Pre-Labor Day entries get a free trail run T-shirt, and if the supply lasts, later entrants may get bonus tees, too. Prizes include gift cards from The Bull Run and Evans on the Common, for 10K and 5K winners, respectively.
Looking forward to next year’s HTR, Duffner said the 20th will be even “bigger and better.”
When: Sunday, Sept. 27, 9:30 a.m.
Where: Holden Woods, 1 Parker Road, Shirley, MA
2026 HTR Sponsors: The Bull Run, Bemis, All-Star, Main Street Bank, Shirley Fuel & Gas, The Knox Family, Guthrie Bros. Landscaping, Phoenix Park, Shirley Charitable Foundation, Gage Cannabis, Evans on the Common, Whole Health Solutions and Sports Performance, Markham Group, Mitrano, Pedal Power Bike & Ski, CPF, TAG Heating and Cooling, Stony Bros. Landscaping, LAW Girls on the Run, Ayer Youth Summer Miles Club, ASRHS Student Council, ASRHS Honor Society and the Shirley Fire Dept. (List as of press time.)
Event Organizers: Jay Duffner, Director; Jason Rakip, Will Holden, and Missy Goldberg
