EVERY RUN IS A TRAIL PARTY!

ABOUT US: FAQ

WHO ARE WE?

Sassquad hosts trail races, group runs, trail work days and trail running clinics throughout New Jersey and New York. The Sassquad community is open to all ages, paces and peoples and is a safe space for newbies to try out trail running. Women consistently make up over 50% of the starting line at Sassquad events. Sassquad has created a family-friendly environment and offers discounts to families registering together, as well as discounts for Military, Veterans and Frontline Workers. Sassquad has a non-profit/charity partner for each race and since starting up in 2018, over $32,500 has been donated to their charity and non-profit partners in NJ and NY. There is an event for everyone at Sassquad with traditional races that range from 5K up to 50 mile (100 miler coming in Sept of 2023!) as well as races that have a fun "twist". A few of the unique Sassquad events include a Onesie 5K (yes, everyone wears a onesie), a twelve hour race that starts at midnight, and a Backyard Ultra (that is a Big's Backyard qualifier) where the 2021 winner completed 150 miles. Sassquad has one race every month throughout the year; you can check out the full list of events here.

WE WELCOME ALL PEOPLES

We welcome all ages, paces and peoples at our trail parties and work hard to make everyone feel welcome! We are working hard to make trail running and hiking more accessible and diverse, which is why we are partnered with Stride for Stride. We donate three race bibs to Stride for Stride to every one of our races! These bibs are given to immigrant, BIPOC, and low-income runners. Sassquad welcomes all peoples regardless of their sexual orientation, biological sex, gender identity, or gender expression. The registration platform UltraSignUp recently added several gender options. If you do not see your desired pronoun listed, please email us at trailpartydirector@sassquadtrailrunning.com so we can adjust our records on the backend.

WE ARE FAMILY-FRIENDLY

We want the WHOLE family to come out to our events! We have a special discount code for families registering 3 or more Squatches in the same household. Please email us before you register so we can give you the code!

WE LOVE OUR VOLUNTEERS

Sassquad may be the first race series to have a waitlist for the volunteer team! We may need to start holding try-outs because our volunteer list is growing so quickly. Join the Dream Team and give back to this amazing trail community. We'll sign off all all volunteer hours if you have required hours for another race or a community service project. Oh, and we LOVE having families volunteer at our events! Email us if you want to volunteer at an event!

WE PROUDLY SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, VETERANS AND FRONTLINE WORKERS

Sassquad Trail Running is proud to offer 20% off all events to all active duty military and Veterans. Must provide proof of service. Please email us before you register for an event so we can provide you with a discount code. We are also offering 20% off to all Frontline Workers! This includes all hospital workers, EMS, Police, Fire, and Teachers. Please email us before you register for an event so we can provide you with a discount code. We also offer 10% off all of our events to members of the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference and members of the South Mountain Conservancy. Please email us before you register for an event so we can provide you with a discount code.

WE LOVE OUR LOCAL CLUB MEMBERS

We love to team-up with other local running clubs. We currently offer discounts to the following organizations: Essex Running Club, SOMA Fox, NJ MUDCRO, Basecamp 31, Raritan Valley Road Runners, Camp Cutz Fitness Bootcamp and Penny Pack Trail Runners! Please email us before you register for an event so we can provide you with a discount code.

WE GIVE BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY

We have an official local charity partner for every Sassquad event! To date, we have donated over $35,000 to our charity and non-profit partners. Some of our giving highlights include:

Raised $13,500 for the South Mountain Conservancy
Donated over 3,000 pair of socks to Soxcess.
Collected several truck-loads of food and donated $2,500 to Livingston Neighbors Helping Neighbors.
Donated over $2,500 and 1,000 items of warm clothing to Operation Chillout!
Raised over $3,500 for the New York-New Jersey Trai Conference
Donated over $3,500 to the New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault
Donated $1,000 to Bigger Than The Trail,

WE HAVE A FACEBOOK GROUP

Looking to connect with other local runners and hikers? Check our our inclusive Facebook Group! This is the place to ask questions, make trail plans and get plugged in with our awesome community.

WE HAVE A SASSQUAD MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM

Our annual membership program gives you squatchtastic perks! Save 10% on all of our Trail Parties as well as some super squatchy discounts with our participating partners. Check out the Membership Program here!

OUR EVENTS ARE TRAIL SISTER APPROVED

All of our events are Trail Sister Approved. This means that we have Equal Podiums & Awards, we offer women's specific swag/apparel, we have menstural products at our aid stations, our starting line will always be big enough for women and we have a pregnancy and postpartum policy.

REFUND POLICY

Like many other race organizations, we do not offer refunds or deferrals for our events. Please take the time to double check your calendar before registering for a Trail Party. Please understand that we do not offer refunds under any circumstance.

PREGNANCY, ADOPTION & POSTPARTUM POLICY

Whether planned or unplanned, expected or unexpected start or end to a pregnancy, healing and recovery time are required for a women’s overall health. We are happy to offer a deferral up to two years from the current event for any woman experiencing a pregnancy or postpartum healing and recovery or adoption. Please email us and we will arrange the deferrment.

PETS

Participants are not allowed to run or hike with their four-legged friend. The only exception is service dogs. Spectators can bring a pet but the pet must be leashed at all times.

BANDITS

Any individuals caught banditing a race will receive a ban from Sassquad events. Banditing means that you are on our race course without registering. Please do not bandit our Trail Parties or any other event!