Race Report: Rooster Run

Today, I'll be recapping the annual Rooster Run. There are two distance options, 5k and 10, which start at the same time in opposite directions.

Front and back of finisher's medal

Date: June 13, 2026

Town: Newtown, CT, USA

Distance: 10km

Conditions: It was a very sunny day for the 2026 event. It was 70°F (21°C) at the start of the race. There was an intermittent breeze that picked up toward the end of the race.

Parking: There were a number of scattered parking areas that seemed sufficient.

Check In: Bib pickup took place at a tent in a spacious field. They handed me a labelled bag with my bib, pins, tech tee shirt, and some freebies.

Course Description: The course consists of multiple loops around the Fairfield Hills Campus. I ran the 10k race, which consisted of a single loop around the nature trail (paved) and down a main road, then 3 more loops around the entire campus. 

The nature trail, a paved walking trail with dog relief bags, had a number of fruit trees with information signs. It was very pleasant and caught a nice breeze near the main road. From there, a slow climb to the top of the campus begins. Runners pass athletic fields and proceed into a shaded roadway with a speedbump before turning left and climbing to the crest of the hill. There is a nice view of the area from the top of the hill, and the swift downhill afterward was also welcome. Finally, runners make another left turn and proceed on a flat roadway to complete the loop under the arch. Do that twice more for the 10k.

There was a water station on the nature trail portion of the course and another at the left turn before the crest of the hill.

Course Map

Afterparty: There were some refreshments, but they had mostly run out by the time those of us near the back of the 10k pack had finished. There had been yogurt and fruit as well as sandwiches. Volunteers told me there were more sandwiches being delivered but I had somewhere to be, so I took bottled water and a bag of popcorn on my way out.

There were multiple inflatable slides set up in the field near the starting line. I didn't join in this time but they looked like a lot of fun. There was also a kids' run ahead of the main race.