Moonlight Bootlegger 5k - Northville, MI

Miles, Moonshine, and Music — Under the Stars

If you’re looking for a night running experience unlike anything else in Southeast Michigan, mark your calendar for May 9, 2026 and join us for the 14th annual Moonlight Bootlegger 5K at beautiful Maybury State Park in Northville, MI. Since 2012, thousands of runners have stepped into the shadows to take on this after-dark trail adventure—blending the thrill of trail running with the energy of live music and the camaraderie of a shared post-race celebration.

Inspired by the Prohibition-era bootleggers, you’ll race through the woods like you’re making a midnight run to escape the law—guided only by your headlamp, the moon, and the warm glow of 300+ tea lights marking the course. The route offers a mix of wide trails and flowing singletrack, making it perfect for experienced trail runners chasing a PR or road runners trying trails for the first time.

What to Expect:

• Date & Location: Saturday, May 9, 2026 – Maybury State Park, Northville, MI
• Start Time: 9:00 pm race start for a true night running experience
• Course: Wide trails + singletrack, well-marked and tea light-lit
• Headlamp Required: No light, no run!
• Post-Race Celebration: Live bluegrass music at the finish line
• Race Swag: Custom mason jar + two moonshine cocktails or mocktails, soft gender-specific tech shirt
• Community Vibe: Perfect for run clubs, groups, and friends who want an unforgettable night outdoors

Why Run Moonlight Bootlegger 5K?

• Unique nighttime trail running experience in Southeast Michigan
• Perfect for first-time trail runners or chasing a trail PR
• Celebrate with live bluegrass music under the stars
• Enjoy post-race cocktails or mocktails in a keepsake mason jar
• Run club friendly—gather your crew and make it a night out
• Scenic mix of wide paths and flowing singletrack lit by hundreds of tea lights
• A race that blends community, adventure, and celebration

So grab your headlamp, rally your crew, and get ready to run through the night like an outlaw. At Moonlight Bootlegger 5K, the trails are calling, the music is playing, and the moonshine is waiting for you at the finish line.

The Moonlight Bootlegger 5K will be chip timed by Trivium Racing.

• Awards to the top 3 overall males, females and non-binary.
• Awards to the top 3 males and females in the following age groups in each race: 14 and under, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80+
• Please stick around for the announcements of age group awards as we are unable to mail the award after the event and they will not be available for pickup.

Virtual participants will not be eligible for awards.

5k Registration:

• Custom Bootlegger 5K shirt Shirt size is not guaranteed within 3 weeks of race day. Shirt size availability is visible when registering.
• 2 Moonshine Cocktails or Mocktails
• Live Bluegrass Music
• Race Photography
• Commemorative moonshine mason jar to enjoy your cocktails in! 

Spectator:

• 2 Moonshine Cocktails
• Commemorative moonshine mason jar to enjoy your cocktails in! 

 

Check out the 2025 Swag for an idea of what to expect!

2026 swag coming soon

 

 

This is one of Trivium’s oldest courses.  One of the first races to take place at Maybury State Park, some of the trails were specifically carved out to help create the Bootlegger course.  These trails are lightly rolling and also have very limited roots on it.  On a dry day, trail shoes wouldn’t even be needed.  

The first mile starts with wide grass trails in the prairie.  This is a great way for athletes to spread out, and also get comfortable with night running.  There are virtually no roots on this area, and plenty of room to pass.  Plus you get to see your 500 other bootleggin’ friends and their headlamps traversing the course!

Mile 2 and 3 athletes move into the woods, and onto single track dirt trail.  These trails are kept in great condition, and are perfect for our nighttime trail event.  Mile 2 has a few more rolling hills before things flatten out for the last mile.  The total elevation gain on the 5K course is 140 ft. 

The entire course is lined with hundreds of LED tea lights, giving athletes a very simple course to follow.  The course also has turn signs at every turn, and our milers are marked with bluegrass music!  

This course is a classic!  If you haven’t tried it yet, now is the time!!

This is a course map on Strava. You can view the course and elevation, as well as download a GPX file from this link to use with your running watch. 

Want to break some records?!

Michigan

Mega Medal Series

Prove It 5K/10K:  April 18, 2026 at the GM Milford Proving Ground in Milford, Michigan

Trenton Summerfest Half Marthon, 8K, & 5K:  June 27, 2026 at Elizabeth Park in Trenton, Michigan

Dearborn Decades 5K:  August 9, 2026 at Ford Field Park in Dearborn, Michigan

Run the 313 5K:  August 22, 2026 at Palmer Park in Detroit, Michigan

Growler Gallop Atwater 10 Mile & 5K:  September 27, 2026 at Atwater Brewery in Detroit, Michigan

Black Toenail Friday Half Marathon & 7.5 Mile:  November 27, 2026 at Proud Lake Rec Area in Commerce Township, Michigan

 

Trail

Winter Trail Fest (WTF) East Half Marathon & 5 Mile:  February 14, 2026 at Island Lake Rec Area in Brighton, Michigan

Winter Trail Fest (WTF) West Half Marathon & 5 Mile:  February 21, 2026 at Yankee Springs Rec Area in Middleville, Michigan

Carpe Diem Carpe Noctem Morning & Evening Half Marathon & 10K:  April 11, 2026 at Proud Lake Rec Area in Commerce Township, Michigan

Summer Trail Fest Ultra (STFU) 50 Mile, 50K, Half Marathon, & 5 Mile:  June 13, 2026 Sleepy Hollow Rec Area in Laingsburg, Michigan

Moonlight Bootlegger 5k:  May 9, 2026 at Maybury State Park in Northville, Michigan

Wolverine State 100 100M, 100K, 100M Relay, & 50K:  October 10-11, 2026 from Petoskey to Alpena in Northern Michigan

 

Road

Thumb Coast Ultra & Relay 50M, 50K, & 50M Relay:  April 25, 2026 from Harbor Beach to Caseville in Michigan's Thumb

Rock CF Thumb Coast Marathon, Half Marathon, & 5K:  November 8, 2026 from Caseville to Port Austin in Michigan's Thumb

 

North Carolina

Road Mega Medal Series

Only Fools Run Half Marathon, 10K, & 5K:  March 28, 2026 at Jaycee Park in Greensboro, North Carolina

Pig Pounder Brewery 5K:  April 12, 2026 at the Pig Pounder Brewery in Greensboro, North Carolina

Elm Street Run Festival:  May 9, 2026 at LeBauer Park in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina

Greensboro Distilling Speakeasy 5k:  June 13, 2026 at Greensboro Distilling Co. and SouthEnd Brewing in Greensboro, North Carolina

Greensboro Half Marathon, 5K, & 1 Mile:  November 21, 2026 starting at Battleground Ave in Greensboro, North Carolina

 

Trail Mega Medal Series

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Half Marathon & 5 Mile:  January 17, 2026 at Northeast Park in Gibsonville, North Carolina

Northern Trails 17 Mile, 10 Mile & 5 Mile:  March 7, 2026 at Northern Guilford High School in Greensboro, North Carolina

Owls Roost Rumble Half Marathon & 4 Mile:  April 25, 2026 at Bur-Mil Park in Greensboro, North Carolina

Triple Lakes Trail Race 40 Mile, Marathon, & Half Marathon: October 24, 2026 at Bur-Mil Park in Greensboro, North Carolina

Black Toenail Friday Half Marathon and 7.5 Miler: November 27, 2026 at Snow Camp, North Carolina

 

Multisport Mega Medal Series

Belews Lake Sprint Triathlon & Duathlon: April 18, 2026 at Belews Lake Marina in Stokesdale, North Carolina

Big Mack Sprint Triathlon:  June 20th, 2026 at Lake Cammack in Burlington, North Carolina

High Point Sprint Triathlon:  August 8, 2026 at Oak Hollow Marina in High Point, North Carolina

Belews Lake Olympic Triathlon & Duathlon:  September 12, 2026 at Belews Lake Marina in Stokesdale, North Carolina

Nat Greene's Revenge Triathlon & Duathlon: October 3, 2026 at Lake Brandt Marina in Greensboro, North Carolina

 

Multisport

Northeast Park Duathlon:  February 28, 2026 at Northeast Park in Gibsonville, North Carolina

 

Trail

Groundhog’s Lap Race: January 31, 2026 at Haw River State Park, North Carolina

Moonlight Bootlegger 5K:  May 2, 2026 at Hagan Stone Park in Pleasant Garden, North Carolina

Carpe Diem Carpe Noctem Morning & Evening Half Marathon & 10K:  September 12, 2026 at Hagan-Stone Park in Pleasant Garden, North Carolina

Pilot Mountain to Hanging Rock Ultra & Relay:  September 19, 2026 in Danbury, North Carolina

 

Road

Running of the Lights:  January 1st at Tanglewood Park in Clemmons, North Carolina

Blackbeard's Revenge 100 Ultra & Relay 100M, 100K, & 100M Relay:  March 21-22, 2026 in the Outer Banks in Corolla, North Carolina

 

Pennsylvania

End of the Road Half Marathon & One Tunnel 4 Mile:  October 24-25, 2026 on the old Pennsylvania Turnpike in Waterfall, Pennsylvania

 

West Virginia

Highball to Thurmond Ultra & Relay 50M, 50K, & 50M Relay:  May 17, 2026 in New River Gorge National Park, running from Montgomery to Thurmond, West Virginia

Check out this comprehensive athlete guide to answer any nagging questions you may have about the race. If you can't find an answer here, shoot us a message! 

Updated 07/01/2025 HG

If your team has 10+ members registered two weeks before race day, you’ll enjoy:

• A team tent set up by Trivium, featuring a banner with your club's name/logo
• Your registration packets, ready at the tent (skip packet pickup lines)
  • In order for your race packet (shirt, bib, etc.) to be pulled and available at your club tent, you must be registered as part of the club by the Monday before the race at 11:59 pm EST.
• Food, drinks, and goodies waiting for your team.
• Dedicated club porta potties!

Check the Groups/Teams tab and see how many people your team currently has registered!  Questions about Club Benefits? Reach out to Megan at megan@triviumracing.com.

 

Moonlight Bootlegger Club Competition

• All clubs, regardless of size, are part of the club competition.
• Awards go to the winning club
• All finishes count toward the 2026 Trivium Club Cup Competition

How Club Scoring Works at Bootlegger

• All finishers earn 1 point just for completing the race, so the more runners your team brings, the more you score.
• Age group placement earns additional points, with top finishers scoring up to 20 points (1st place) and down to 2 points (for 16th–20th).
• Overall podium winners (1st, 2nd, 3rd) earn double their age group points—for example, an overall 5K winner scores 41 points!
• Volunteers are a huge part of race night too, earning 5 points each for their club.

And to spice it up, Moonlight Bootlegger earns you double points towards the 2026 club competition!

 

2026 Trivium Racing Club Competition

• All clubs who compete also earn points toward the Overall, 2026 Trivium Club Competition
• The Overall season winner will be treated to a club party and receive the club cup to proudly display for the next year!
• Points will start at 500 for first place and decrease by 50 points for each placement. (1st = 500, 2nd = 450, 3rd = 400, etc.)
• Clubs placing 11 – 20 will receive 25 points.
• Club placing 21 and up will receive 10 points.

Don't forget, Moonlight Bootlegger earns you double points towards the 2026 club competition!

First place normally earns you 500 points; in 2026 it earns you 1000!  450 becomes 900, etc.

 

Check out the full club cup schedule and how points are earned here:  https://triviumracing.com/southeast-michigan-club-and-corporate-championship/.

 

Club Program

Love racing with your club/team with Trivium Racing?  Check out our Club Program!  Clubs receive a 10% discount code, a free race entry to raffle at run group, and can potentially partner to do more fun stuff!  Complete this form to request to participate.

Event Location:

49601 8 Mile Rd
Maybury State Park
Northville, MI US 48167

Parking is available in either of the two large main lots near the start and finish line.

Maybury State Park is part of the MI State Parks System and therefore requires a Recreation Passport for entry. 

 

Moonlight Bootlegger 5K offers a referral refund program. This is a fun & easy way to get your friends, teammates, family, or coworkers to sign up to race with you.  Bonus:  You get a little money back on your registration fee!

Referral Incentives:

Refer 5 people who sign up to race and you get a $10 race registration refund.

How does this work?

Share your specific referral code link that came in your original registration confirmation email.  Once you get the above-mentioned people to register using your code, you'll get your registration refund. Start sharing your link today!

You can also locate your personal referral link by clicking this link for instructions.

Read Testimonials from past participants

 

 

 

Race Day: Saturday, May 9th, 2025

• 7:00 pm -  8:45 pm - Packet Pick Up and Race Day Registration
• 9:00 pm - Wave 1 Start
• 9:05 pm - Wave 2 Start
• 9:10 pm - Wave 3 Start
• 9:15 pm - Wave 4 Start
• 10:30 pm(est.) - Awards
• 10:30 pm - Course closed

5k: T-Shirt

5k- Under 21: T-Shirt