The crisp autumn air, the crunch of leaves underfoot, and the thrill of discovering a new trail – these were the ingredients for a perfect race day at the Bonfyre Trail Fest.
Bonfyre Trail Fest is a unique trail race that offers participants a challenging course and beautiful views. It was an ideal way to wrap up my training season and move into the easier miles of winter.
This race takes place on the scenic DTE Foundation Trail in Chelsea, Michigan. The Bonfyre Trail Fest caters to runners and hikers of all levels, with distances ranging from 5 to 18 miles. With generous cutoff times for the 5 and 10 mile distances are accessible to those who prefer to hike or fastpack. I opted to run the 10 mile distance this time around.
The festive atmosphere combined with the challenging course, makes Bonfyre Trail Fest an unforgettable experience. unforgettable experience.
The Course
All three races begin at the same time. Not something I typically enjoy in a trail race but the RF Events did a good job at managing this by starting everyone in time waves.
Unfortunately, I got stuck behind a few groups of people who not only placed themselves in a faster wave but also refused to step off the trail and let people pass with ease. It made it difficult to enjoy the first few miles of the race.
However, once we finally got spread out and I could get into my rhythm, I was quite happy to lose myself in these trails. The scenic course winds through rolling hills and dense forests. Participants traversed through pines, along steep embankments and around boulders with beautiful views of isolated lakes popping up along the way.
The ups and downs flowed smoothly with a few challenging climbs mixed in to keep things interesting. The nickname of “dirt roller coaster” is very accurate. I thoroughly enjoyed this movement on the trail. It helped break up the course a bit and made the miles fly by.
There were 2 aid stations along the 10 mile-course that offered the basics – water, gatorade, and gu. I didn’t stop at any of these aid stations. I prefer to carry my own liquids during these shorter distance races.
The Goodies
All participants received a beanie. All finishers received a really neat campfire mug.
Additional awards were given to age group winners.
In RFevents fashion, post-race treats, foods, and entertainment were available. There was a small fire for roasting marshmallows for s’mores, a couple of food trucks, a live band, and a beer garden.
RFevents
RFevents is a local running organization who hosts multiple races throughout the year, including Trail Weekend, Island Time, the Legend, and Run Woodstock. They have a variety of other events throughout the year, most of which are in Michigan. The goal of the organization is to create events that create memories. And they are very good at that.
The GOAT Trail Series
Along with their events, RFevents offers the opportunity for people to compete across multiple races. The GOAT Trail Series is a points-based trail running series where participants earn points based on where they place in their races. In addition, people who complete the entire GOAT Trail Series receive an award and those who reach certain point levels receive a very cool The GOAT medal.
I have yet to complete a GOAT series but is something that is on my bucket list. Maybe for 2026.
Overall
Support a great organization, enjoy hours on beautiful trails, and devour a tasty s’mores post-race. I couldn’t ask for a better way to wrap up my season.
The Bonfyre Trail Fest is an excellent choice for anyone looking to get into trail running, those who already love it, or those who want to participant in a race but prefer hiking.
For more information visit Run Bonfyre.
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