GoFar USA Park to host annual trail run May 10
For The Enquirer
GoFar USA Park will host its annual GoFar Forest 4.2.1 Trail Run on May 10. Participants can choose from a 4-mile, 2-mile or 1-mile course, or run multiple routes. The courses vary in difficulty to accommodate community members of all ages and running abilities.
“We try to make it so people can come out whether they’re runners or not,” Patrick Fagerman, owner of GoFar USA Park said. “If they want to run, they can. If they want to progressively hike it, they can do that too.” Fagerman held his first trail run at GoFar USA Park in 2020 after participating in a virtual race and missing the energy of in-person events.
“Nothing beats person-to-person interaction on the trails,” he said. “So, we had our first race. It wasn’t called the GoFar Forest 4.2.1. We called it the ‘Call Your Pass, Keep Your Distance 5K.'” Fagerman opened GoFar USA Park in March 2020 and held a grand opening just two weeks after the COVID-19 pandemic began. Rather than feeling discouraged, he viewed the park as a safe way for families to spend time outdoors.
“After everything closed for a few months, everybody wanted to go out-side,” Fagerman said. “We made a cut rate so people could get outside and feel comfortable. We had people coming out with extended family, just hanging at the park. It actually worked very well.” Fagerman originally created the park as a place for his family to enjoy the activities they loved. An ultra-trail runner, he built trails to train for races and added a petting zoo as a nod to his upbringing on a farm.
“I was really into endurance running, triathlons and hiking, and I liked to include my kids,” he said. “So, the park was kind of a natural fall from the stuff we did. Then I thought, we’ve put all this effort into the park-let’s let the public enjoy it. And my kids were the right age to help with everything.” Today, GoFar USA Park offers more than just trail runs. Attractions include a U.S. Marine-style obstacle course, zip lines, a petting zoo, a natural playscape, climbing wall, paintball shooting range, scooter course, mountain biking and more.
“As far as the park goes, it’s your backyard,” Fagerman said. “You don’t have the space; you don’t have the money to invest in it-we’ve already built it. Come and enjoy it.” Fagerman said his children played a significant role in building and maintaining the park and have learned valuable life skills through the experience.
“They’ve seen it’s a lot of work, but they’ve also gotten the rewards-working out on the stuff we’ve built, for exercise, fun and play,” he said. “We see a lot of people, and that’s been awesome. My kids are learning how to talk with different people, and I really like that.” To register for the GoFar Forest 4.2.1 Trail Run or learn more about GoFar USA Park, visit gofarusapark.com. Runners may also register in person during business hours or before the race.
