
Mint Springs Trail 5K++
Sat, May 9, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT
- Location
- Crozet, VA
- 6659 Mint Springs Park Road, 22932
- Featured distance
- 3.9 Miles
- Type
- TRAIL
Sign up and verify details on the organizer’s official page.
At a glance
Conquer "The Toughest 5K in the Commonwealth" on a scenic, challenging trail, perfect for families and serious runners alike.
- Fun
- Scenic
- Competitive
- Quirky
Great for
- Beginner Friendly
- Family Friendly
Great for: beginners, families
Discover the Mint Springs Trail 5K++, a challenging yet family-friendly trail run in beautiful Crozet, Virginia. This event winds up Bucks Elbow Mountain, offering stunning valley views and a course that measures closer to 3.9 miles with significant elevation gain. Known as "The Toughest 5K in the Commonwealth," it welcomes top runners, families, and hikers. It also kicks off the Charlottesville Summer Trail Running Series, promising a rewarding experience for all participants.
What to expect
- Navigate a challenging 3.9-mile trail course with 860 feet of elevation gain, featuring single track and valley views.
- Receive a finisher's T-shirt and the satisfaction of completing a truly tough 5K.
- Compete for awards across overall and diverse age group categories.
Standout details
- "The Toughest 5K in the Commonwealth!"
- Challenging 3.9-mile trail course
- 860ft of elevation gain and loss
- First race in a 4-race series
Auto-drafted from the public listing — confirm details on the official event page before signing up.
Vibe Check
Steady Effort
Trail + hills
- Mostly trail
Based on terrain, weather, and distance data.
The course
- Trail
- Hilly
- Family-oriented
From the organizer
Come join us for the 12th ANNUAL Mint Springs Trail 5K++ at Mint Springs Valley Park in beautiful Crozet, Virginia. This is a family friendly event, but is also a challenging trail 5K course for runners of any experience level. The course winds up Bucks Elbow Mountain, through beautiful single track trails with views of the valley below, and finally winds around the ponds before finishing by the playground above the lakes. This is a great event for top runners, families, and hikers alike! *The "++" is because this course is measures closer to 3.9 miles, and has 860ft of elevation gain and loss.
All finishers receive a T-shirt and can say they've finished "The Toughest 5K in the Commonwealth!" We will have awards for the top 3 finishers overall as well as top three in the following age groups, for both male and female: Kids 12-U, 13-17, 18-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and 70+. Sorry no dogs.
This is also the first race in the 11th annual Charlottesville Summer Trail Running Series - CLICK HERE if you would like to instead register for the entire 4-race series for just $75 ($65 for CATS members) - that includes the registration and a shirt for this race, registration for the other 3 races, a technical fabric finishers shirt at the end of the series (if you finish at least 3 of the 4 races), plenty of prizes and awards, and a post-series BBQ!
2026 Summer Series races and dates are:
Mint Springs Trail 5K - Mint Springs Park, Crozet - Sat May 9th, 8:00am O-Hilly Trail 5K- UVA Grounds - Tuesday June 9th, 7:00pm Boars Head Turn and Burn (4.5 miles) - Boars Head Resort, Charlottesville - Sat July 11th, 7:30am Late Summer Meltdown 4-Miler - Tuesday Aug 11th, 7:00pm (with BBQ/awards party afterwards) See www.cvilleareatrailrunners.org for more information on the Charlottesville Summer Trail Running Series!
Also in this area
Similar vibe nearby
Races nearby with a similar atmosphere.
- Pirate 5K, 10K, & 13.1M at Williamsburg, VA (14)Sat, Apr 4, 2026, 8:30 AM EDT · Williamsburg, VA
- Pirate 5K, & 10K at Midlothian, VA (15)Sat, Apr 11, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT · Midlothian, VA
- Bunny Hop 5K & 1 Mile Family Fun RunSat, Apr 11, 2026, 8:30 AM EDT · Portsmouth, VA
- 2026 Autism Society Superheroes vs VillainsSat, Apr 11, 2026, 8:45 AM EDT · Chesapeake, VA
Easier options nearby
Lower-difficulty races in the same state.
More demanding options nearby
Higher-difficulty races in the same state.