Mount Hood Nutcracker Challenge
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Event details
The Mount Hood Nutcracker Challenge is scheduled for December 13, 2025, in Melrose, MA at 100 Slayton Rd. The event is limited to 250 entrants. The host venue is the Melrose Fish & Game Club; most race parking is closer to the Mount Hood clubhouse, so participants may need a short warm-up walk or jog to reach the venue. Strollers are not allowed. Race day registration takes place at the Melrose Fish & Game Club and bib pick-up is available on race day at the venue.
Distances
- 3.5 miles XC race
- 2 miles non-competitive walk
Course and logistics
The course changes each year and runs across almost the entire 18-hole Mount Hood Golf Course. It is primarily over fairways and also includes paved golf cart paths, road crossings and short road or wooded sections. For the 2025 course there are three short road crossings and a cumulative 0.5 mile of asphalt, including the final 0.1 mile. The start is 0.2 miles from the Fish & Game Club and the finish is in the venue parking lot. One water stop is provided about halfway. The 2-mile walk follows the start of the race course and then cuts off at two locations where monitors will direct walkers.
Awards and beneficiaries
Awards include top three men and women overall, top three men and women in age divisions (19-under, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-over), and top three teams in each division. Winners receive nutcracker figurines. Proceeds benefit Housing Families, Inc. and the Melrose High School cross-country teams. Amenities include a post-race pasta lunch and a cash bar. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
