Mines of Spain Trail Races

Come join the MoS crew annually on the second Saturday of August for 4mi, 7mi and half marathon distances on some of eastern Iowa’s best and most challenging trails! The routes through Mines of Spain will challenge you with their difficulty and inspire you with their beauty as they climb the bluffs for views of the Mississippi, make their way through tall grass prairies and weave through dense hardwood forests. The terrain is a diverse mix of dirt single and double track and wide prairie grass trails. There are some rocky, technical sections of trail as well as a few steep climbs but much of the course is smooth and runnable with just rolling hills to contend with. In keeping with the beauty of the natural environment, the races will be as environmentally-friendly and sustainable as possible with local food and beer along with cup free racing and a zero waste approach from pre race to post race. Profits will be returned to the Friends of the Mines of Spain to help maintain the trails. Basics Who? You and like-minded runners who love sharing beautiful trails. What? 4mi, 7mi and half marathon distance races. We will also again be hosting a free Mini-Mines Trail Race for kiddos ages 12 and under Friday evening during packet pickup. The Mini-Mines race will start at 6:30pm and there is no pre-registration required. We just ask that you show up early by 6:15pm Friday night to sign your little runners in. When? Packet pickup – Friday from 5PM-7PM and pre-race Saturday from 6:15AM-7:15AM. Races – Saturday starting at 7:30AM. Where? EB Lyons Nature Center- 8991 Bellevue Heights Rd, Dubuque, IA 52003 Why? Because running on trails is awesome! Runners are encouraged to carpool or ride their bike as parking is limited and we want to limit our impact. Water and Tailwind Nutrition drink (excellent source of calories and nutrition) will be provided on the course along with some basic sweet/salty snack foods. All runners are strongly encouraged to bring a handheld water bottle or hydration pack as we are a cup free race and there will be no disposable cups provided on course.