Mount Hood Nutcracker Challenge
Melrose, United States • 13 Dec 2025
Event overview
The Mount Hood Nutcracker Challenge is scheduled for Saturday, December 13, 2025, in Melrose, MA at the Melrose Fish & Game Club (100 Slayton Rd.). This is the 19th running of the event. It offers a team cross-country competition and individual entries. The event is limited to 250 entrants. The event benefits Housing Families, Inc. and the Melrose High School cross-country teams. Strollers are not allowed.
Distances
- 3.5-mile cross-country race
- 2-mile non-competitive walk
Course and logistics
The course uses almost the entire 18-hole Mount Hood Golf Club and changes each year. Surfaces include fairways, paved golf cart paths, short road sections and crossings, and possible short dirt road or wooded sections. For the 2025 course there are three short road crossings and about 0.5 mile of asphalt total, including the final 0.1 mile. One water stop is provided about halfway for runners. The start is 0.2 mile from the Fish & Game Club and the finish is at the club parking lot. Awards include nutcracker figurines for winners, top three male and female overall, top three male and female by age divisions, and top three teams in each division. Post-race amenities include a pasta lunch and a cash bar. Race-day registration and bib pick-up are offered. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.