(Submitted photo) ‘This Race is for the Birds’ will offer runners 4.9 and 7.7-mile races which follows trails that wind throughout forests and fields of the 538-acre NCTC campus. This is the 10th annual event that the Potomac Valley Audubon Society has held.

The Potomac Valley Audubon Society is now accepting registrations for its 10th annual “This Race is for the Birds!” event, slated for April 9 on the campus of the National Conservation Training Center.

Like last year, the event will feature two professionally timed races – 4.9 and 7.7 miles long.

Registration for these two races will be capped at 400 for both, so same-day registration may not be available.

There will also be a self-timed two-mile community jog/walk for families and individuals who prefer a slower pace, and a one-mile “Fun Run” for children under 10 years of age.

The 4.9- and 7.7-mile races will follow trails that wind through the forests and fields of the 538-acre NCTC campus.

The two-mile jog/walk will follow a course that will be very user-friendly for families with small children.

The trails on the NCTC campus are not normally open to the general public, so this event is a good opportunity to visit and enjoy the facility’s beautiful trail network.

The two races will begin at 9 a.m. The jog/walk will begin shortly afterwards, and the children’s Fun Run will be held at about 10:45 a.m.

The children’s Fun Run will be free. Fees for the other portions of the event will range from $15 to $25.

All proceeds will be used to support PVAS’s programs for children, and all fees will be tax deductible.

For full information, visit www.raceforthebirds.org. Registration is available there through a link to Active.com or by contacting the race directors, James and Suzy Munnis, at jmunnis@earthlink.net or 304-876-6784.

The Potomac Valley Audubon Society is a United Way of the Eastern Panhandle partner agency and a member of the Combined Federal Campaign.

– From staff reports