The Mount Hood Nutcracker Challenge

We are looking forward to next year's 20th edition of the race - MHNC XX!  We plan to have some special features associated with the event.  As part of this, if anyone has some interesting displays of nutcrackers over the years which you don't mind sharing (by name or anonymously), please email photos to mhnc@melroserunningclub.com .
 
  The Mount Hood Nutcracker Challenge is excited to welcome runners and walkers again for this year's 20th round over the hilly Mount Hood Golf Club. This race is a unique 3.5-mile cross-country race in the Greater Boston area in that the course changes every year.  Runners look forward to a vigorous team competition or competing individually, a challenging course, and vying for the coveted nutcrackers!  Others arrive festively dressed for this December race, and come for the experience and challenge of XC running.

  There is also a non-competitive 2-mile walk for those who want an easier option while still enjoying the festive nature of the event, and to help support the race beneficiaries.

Race Start Time

12:00 pm for both the 3.5-mile XC race and 2-mile walk.  Starting line this year is 0.2 miles from the Melrose Fish & Game Club (see below).

Venue

The host venue is the Melrose Fish & Game Club.  For those unfamiliar with this location, directions are the same as for the Mount Hood clubhouse except that you take the road to the left of the clubhouse (Stillman Rd.) and travel 1/3 mile further.  The majority of race parking is closer to the clubhouse, so be prepared for a warm-up walk or jog to reach the venue.

Race limit

250 entrants

XC Team registration procedure

         => See Teams Info page

Awards

Top 3 M+F overall

Top 3 M+F in age divisions (19-under, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-over)

Top 3 teams in each division

The walk is a non-competitive event.

Amenities

• Nutcracker figurines to awards winners
• Melrose Fish & Game Club’s famous post-race pasta lunch
• Cash bar

Beneficiaries

Housing Families, Inc. and the Melrose HS XC teams.

Strollers

No strollers allowed

Race day registration hours

10:00 – 11:30 am at the Melrose Fish & Game Club

Bib pick-up location & hours

• Fri. 12/11/26: 3 - 7 pm at Marathon Sports, 401 Main St., Melrose
  
  
• Race day: 10:00 - 11:45 am, Melrose Fish & Game Club

Melrose Running Club extends special thanks to the City of Melrose Parks Department, the Mayor's Office, and Golf Management LLC for their cooperation.

(Results provided by Second Wind Race Timing)

• Overall Results - see PDF below.
• Age Group Results
• 3-Person Team Results
• Coed Open (4-Person) Team Results
• Photos

Race results (provided by Second Wind Race Timing)

Overall Results  |  Age Group Results

3-Person Team Results  |  Coed Open (4-Person) Team Results

Walk - Overall Results

Photos (courtesy Melrose Running Club)

Album collection (6 race locations + awards) (2000+ photos)

Direct links to individual albums

Start (32 photos)  |  Mile 1.2 (136 photos)  |  Mile 1.6 (542 photos)  |   Mile 3.25 (905 photos)  |   Almost finish (154 photos)  |   Finish (177 photos)  |   Awards (66 photos)

Race results (provided by Second Wind Race Timing)

3.5M XC Run - overall results

Gender sorted results

Age group results

3-Person Team results

4-Person Team results

2M Walk results 

Photos (courtesy Melrose Running Club)

Album collection (5 race locations + awards) (1200+ photos)

Direct links to individual albums

Start (85 photos; 1 video at beginning)

Mile 2.15 (96 photos)

Mile 2.35 (114 photos)

Mile 2.35 (wider view) (207 photos)

Mile 3.4 (323 photos)

Finish (305 photos)

Awards (70 photos)

Miscellaneous Pre- and Post-race (29 photos)

                  Visit website

                  Visit website

                  Visit website

                 Visit website                                        

        473R Main St., Melrose          

Plus additional thanks to Shaw's Melrose                                            

XC Team divisions

3-person teams: Male Open, Female Open, Male Masters (40+), Female Masters (40+)

4-person teams: Coed Open (2 men, 2 women)

Team scoring is by total time

Runners interested in being part of a 3- or 4-person team have the option of creating a team or joining an existing team during registration.

Creating or joining a team during registration

You'll have an option to do this when registering starting with 'Sign Up', or by clicking on the 'XC Teams' menu.  Note: Team name is different from a Running Club name.  You can enter your Running Club after the Team entry section.

Creating or joining a team after registration

Multiple ways!

Sign into your RunSignUp account.  Select this race, then Manage Registration, and go to the Teams menu.
Team Captains can add or change team members online by signing into their RunSignUp account and doing the following steps: Profile / <select this race> / Groups /  Edit Group / Back to XC Team Page / Add Member.  You'll need the name and e-mail address each runner uses for RunSignUp.
A Team Administrator (see below) can assign you to a team.
Team Captains can fill out a Team Registration form on race day, providing member names and bib numbers

Club Team Administrator option

If a club likes to assign members to teams after seeing who has registered, a designated Club 'Team Administrator' can become the Team Captain for all of their club's teams. Create a RunSignUp account if you don't already have one, then e-mail the following information by 12/9/24 to: mhnc@melroserunningclub.com
     1) Team Administrator's name and e-mail address used for the RunSignUp account
     2) All the Team names and their respective Team division
The Team Administrator will then be assigned as the Team Captain for all the teams.  He or she can then go to their account and Manage Registration, select Groups, then for each team name, select Edit Group to assign team members.  Changes can be made online right up until race time.

• The course changes every year and encompasses almost all of the 18 hole golf course, as well as making “good use” of its several hills! Each year’s course is primarily run over fairways but also includes paved golf cart paths, road crossings, road sections, and may include short dirt road or wooded sections.

MHNC XX Course Info for 12/12/26

• This year’s course has a cumulative 0.5 miles of asphalt (cart paths and roadway), including the final 0.2 mile.

• One water stop about halfway for runners is provided.

• Start is 1/4 mile from the Fish & Game Club.

• Finish is at its parking lot.

• The 2 mile walk follows the first 1.5 miles of the same course, then takes a shortcut to the last 1/3 mile of the course. Course monitors will help guide you.

Mount Hood Nutcracker Challenge XX Course map

     (forthcoming)