REI Co-op, the specialty outdoor retailer with 15 locations in Northern California and Reno, is launching Dirt, Sweat & Beers, a 5K/10K run and do-it-yourself cleanup series featuring eight events from June through November.

Why? So you can feel good and do good.

It's no surprise REI created an event series that not only gets people outside to enjoy local parks but also encourages participants to care and give back to these outdoor spaces that have been an outlet for many of us this past year. REI is a co-op that gives 70 percent of its profits back to local communities, employees, and members. In 2021 alone, REI has already given nearly $300,000 in grants to Bay Area and Sierra local nonprofit groups and recreation areas.

So let's dive into these event details.

Each Dirt, Sweat & Beers event is open for 60 days and features both a 5K and 10K open course as well as a DIY cleanup. Participants can run, walk, hike or plog the courses on their own schedule within the 60-day event period. Runners can also run the course as many times as they'd like within the event duration to get their best time. Results are tracked on a leaderboard, and runners' fastest time will be counted. Before, during, or after completing the course, participants are encouraged to pick up trash along the trail or surrounding area to care for the lands where we recreate.

How exactly does an open course work?

REI is working with the Bay Area's Trail Portal, which has created a new concept for racing through an "open course," a designed GPS course at a set location that allows runners to complete courses on their own schedule while still competing against other runners. All Dirt, Sweat & Beers courses are powered through the RunGo App and course access is provided to participants once they register. Just like a live race, runners' times are validated, and names are populated onto the RunGo App's leaderboard.

Where you can expect to run.

From June through November, REI will host eight Dirt, Sweat & Beers events that span the Bay Area, Sacramento, and Truckee. The series will travel to Sanborn County Park (June and July), Mount Sutro (July and August), Sonoma County Parks (August and September), American River Conservancy (August and September), Half Moon Bay State Beach (September and October), Glen Park Greenway (October and November), Sacramento Valley Conservancy (October and November) and Truckee Meadows parks (October and November). The courses will be mostly trails; however, some will feature a mix of trail and road so there's a little something for everyone.

How and when can I register?

Registration is open now for the first four events in the series. The next four events will open for registration on July 1st. Participants can run and clean up all trails or select a few in the series. Three competition categories are available for runners when signing up: women, men, and open gender. Each 5K and 10K course requires separate registration and participants must be 21 and up to participate. Registration ranges from $25 to $50.

The swag and prizes—all the goods.

In partnership with event sponsors Sierra Nevada, Salomon, Kuju Coffee and HydraPak, REI is providing multiple run and DIY cleanup kit options at registration to meet the needs of first-time and returning runners. And who could forget the plethora of prizes! There are multiple prizes available for participants to win throughout the entire series. Top time finishers with verified times of each course in the three competition categories will receive gear from REI, Salomon, Sierra Nevada and Hydrapak. At the end of the series, one overall winner for each category, who completed the most verified 5K and/or 10K courses will receive a Dirt, Sweat & Beers package with swag, gift cards and head to toe gear from REI and sponsors. And knowing REI, there will probably be more surprises along the way.

The first event will open at Sanborn County Park in June. You in? Cheers, and see you out on the trails!

// Dirt, Sweat & Beers registration for the first four events is now live. Find the full calendar and register at reidirtsweatandbeers.splashthat.com.