Connection Through Community.
Tuesday Evenings 6:00 pm and Sunday Mornings 7:30 am
Weekly Social Runs in Downtown Bar Harbor
Join Us!
Run Club Overview:
We are Mount Desert Island's weekly run club, and host road and trail runs in Bar Harbor, in and around the beauty of Acadia National Park! Our runs are open to the public and all paces and abilities are welcome and encouraged to attend!
Nestled into the coastline on Wabanaki land, Acadia National Park is home to rugged granite mountains, verdant forests, and pristine lakes. With 158 miles of running and hiking trails and 45 miles of scenic, crushed stone carriage roads, the options to connect and access the island's 26 major peaks and their special views are numerous. Mount Desert Island truly is the Northeast's running paradise. We are excited to explore it all with you!
Are you new to the area or in town visiting? You can think of us as your local tour guides! We love to share the beauty of Mount Desert Island and all it has to offer with others. Let us show you around so you can enjoy the area without the distraction of needing directions. We are always happy to share recommendations for future runs or adventures to embark on during the rest of your time here.
Our runs are led by Move Free Athlete Ambassadors and members of the local running community with various distance and pace groups offered (more details on what to expect can be found below)! And post run socializing is always encouraged!
Alongside our weekly runs, the Move Free Run Club also host numerous social gatherings throughout the year. We believe connections and friendships should extend well beyond just the miles we share. We invite you to join our community at an upcoming run!
Nestled into the coastline on Wabanaki land, Acadia National Park is home to rugged granite mountains, verdant forests, and pristine lakes. With 158 miles of running and hiking trails and 45 miles of scenic, crushed stone carriage roads, the options to connect and access the island's 26 major peaks and their special views are numerous. Mount Desert Island truly is the Northeast's running paradise. We are excited to explore it all with you!
Are you new to the area or in town visiting? You can think of us as your local tour guides! We love to share the beauty of Mount Desert Island and all it has to offer with others. Let us show you around so you can enjoy the area without the distraction of needing directions. We are always happy to share recommendations for future runs or adventures to embark on during the rest of your time here.
Our runs are led by Move Free Athlete Ambassadors and members of the local running community with various distance and pace groups offered (more details on what to expect can be found below)! And post run socializing is always encouraged!
Alongside our weekly runs, the Move Free Run Club also host numerous social gatherings throughout the year. We believe connections and friendships should extend well beyond just the miles we share. We invite you to join our community at an upcoming run!
Meeting Spots:
Tuesday Evenings at 6:00 pm: We will gather pre and post run by the gazebo at the Bar Harbor Village Green in the center of town. Our run leaders try to be there several minutes early to welcome everyone. Parking options and details are described below.
Sunday Mornings at 7:30 am: We will gather pre and post run outside or inside (depends on the weather!) Choco Latte Cafe near the center of town. Our run leaders try to be there several minutes early to welcome everyone. Parking options and details are described below.
We also host Move Free Track Nights and Move Free Vert Nights many weeks of the year, as well as other impromptu runs around the island and beyond! The days and times of these additional gatherings vary, so make sure to join the Move Free Run Club on Facebook, Strava, or Heylo for upcoming events! And members of the community are always welcome to share there own runs and adventures in these spaces if they are looking for company!
Sunday Mornings at 7:30 am: We will gather pre and post run outside or inside (depends on the weather!) Choco Latte Cafe near the center of town. Our run leaders try to be there several minutes early to welcome everyone. Parking options and details are described below.
We also host Move Free Track Nights and Move Free Vert Nights many weeks of the year, as well as other impromptu runs around the island and beyond! The days and times of these additional gatherings vary, so make sure to join the Move Free Run Club on Facebook, Strava, or Heylo for upcoming events! And members of the community are always welcome to share there own runs and adventures in these spaces if they are looking for company!
Tuesday Location: |
Sunday Location: |
Parking Options:
Metered parking is available throughout Bar Harbor, and is in effect from May 15 to October 30. In addition to street parking, public paid parking lots can be found throughout town, including right next to the Bar Harbor Village Green. The Bar Harbor athletic fields also have numerous parking spots nearby. Street parking is free on Sundays until noon. You can find more information about parking in Bar Harbor here. Plan to give yourself extra time to find parking if you are driving to the runs. Downtown Bar Harbor can be pretty busy depending on the season!
Who We Are:
Move Free aims to spread our love for movement and the outdoors, while bridging the gap between outdoor recreation and outdoor conservation by supporting our community and providing opportunities to give back to our planet. Our Move Free Run Club is just one of the many ways we hope to inspire adventure and foster this passion for nature with others. We are dedicated to fostering an inclusive environment to support runners wherever they are in their running journeys. We welcome people of all races, nationalities, ethnicities, sexual orientations, gender identities & expressions, ages, and abilities. Everyone deserves the opportunity to Move Free. Come join us on the trails and roads!
Distance & Pacing:
We typically have one of our run club members leading 1 to 3 miles at 10 to 13 minute per mile pace around neighborhood roads and flatter trails and another member leading 4 to 6 miles at 9 to 11 minute per mile pace on trails and roads! People will often add on more miles on the Sunday morning runs depending on what they are feeling up for or are training for at the time.
Please know that distances and paces are flexible, and what's most important is that everyone enjoys themselves and feels welcomed!
Before our runs we will discuss distance and route options and make sure everyone has someone to run with. We aim to stay together in groups during our runs and will regroup as needed.
Please know that distances and paces are flexible, and what's most important is that everyone enjoys themselves and feels welcomed!
Before our runs we will discuss distance and route options and make sure everyone has someone to run with. We aim to stay together in groups during our runs and will regroup as needed.
Nearby Resources:
In need of last minute gear? These local businesses have your back!
Cadillac Mountain Sports (Bar Harbor)
Bar Harbor Bicycle Shop (Bar Harbor)
Alpenglow Adventure Sports (Bar Harbor)
Acadia Outdoor Center (Seal Harbor)
Cadillac Mountain Sports (Bar Harbor)
Bar Harbor Bicycle Shop (Bar Harbor)
Alpenglow Adventure Sports (Bar Harbor)
Acadia Outdoor Center (Seal Harbor)
Any Questions?
Land Acknowledgment:
"You’re giving a piece of yourself to the land by engaging with it, by running on it and giving it your energy, giving it your time, giving it that space and acknowledgement.” Dinée Dorame, citizen of the Navajo Nation
Running on Native lands gives us all the opportunity to connect with and reflect on the history of the land and the communities who have lived here for centuries. The Wabanaki are a confederacy of tribes that include the Abenaki, Maliseet, Mi’kmaq, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot Nations. The Wabanaki have been here, in their homeland, for thousands of generations. This includes Pesamkuk, this place we now call Mount Desert Island and Frenchman Bay.
We recognize and honor the current Tribes who comprise the Wabanaki Confederacy (the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Maliseet, and Micmac peoples) as distinct, sovereign, legal and political entities with their own powers of self governance and self determination, who have stewarded this land throughout the generations. We respect the traditional values of these Tribes and affirm their inherent sovereignty in this territory. We support their efforts for land and water protection and restoration, and for cultural healing and recovery. We pause in remembrance of the Tribes of the Wabanaki Confederacy whose lives and land were taken through genocidal strategies of colonial settlement of this land. We pay respect to elders both past and present, and we commit to the ongoing work of decolonization in Maine and beyond. This land acknowledgement is just the start of the conversation and our work at Move Free. We are continuing to educate ourselves and learn about the ways we can help decolonize the outdoors.
Running on Native lands gives us all the opportunity to connect with and reflect on the history of the land and the communities who have lived here for centuries. The Wabanaki are a confederacy of tribes that include the Abenaki, Maliseet, Mi’kmaq, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot Nations. The Wabanaki have been here, in their homeland, for thousands of generations. This includes Pesamkuk, this place we now call Mount Desert Island and Frenchman Bay.
We recognize and honor the current Tribes who comprise the Wabanaki Confederacy (the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Maliseet, and Micmac peoples) as distinct, sovereign, legal and political entities with their own powers of self governance and self determination, who have stewarded this land throughout the generations. We respect the traditional values of these Tribes and affirm their inherent sovereignty in this territory. We support their efforts for land and water protection and restoration, and for cultural healing and recovery. We pause in remembrance of the Tribes of the Wabanaki Confederacy whose lives and land were taken through genocidal strategies of colonial settlement of this land. We pay respect to elders both past and present, and we commit to the ongoing work of decolonization in Maine and beyond. This land acknowledgement is just the start of the conversation and our work at Move Free. We are continuing to educate ourselves and learn about the ways we can help decolonize the outdoors.
Discover and Explore.
Move Free Running Retreats
In addition to Move Free Run Club's social group runs offered every week, we host multiple running retreats throughout the year for those looking for that extra adventure and immersive experience in Acadia National Park. All retreats are designed to accommodate various paces and abilities with multiple distance and elevation options offered. Engage in educational workshops, unwind with relaxing yoga sessions, and create lasting memories around evening campfires. Our retreats are about more than just running; they're about building community and finding inspiration in every step.
