The First Howl: Trails & Nog
About this race
The First Howl: Trails & Nog is everything you could hope for in a winter trail party...snowy trail loops, a book hunt, and a bit of eggnog to top off the festivities!
The Details
TRAILS: Runners will have 4 hours to complete 3 separate loops on the Crevasse Moraine trail system. There will be a 5 mile, 3 mile, and 1 mile loop. At bib pick up, each runner will spin the wheel to determine the order of their loops. At the halfway point of each loop, runners must find a hidden book and tear out the page that matches their bib number (Barkley style) and return their page to the RD at the completion of that loop. The first M/F runners to complete all 3 loops and turn in their 3 pages will be the winner.
NOG: After runners have finished their trail loops they can participate in the valley's first Nog Mile (like a Beer Mile but more festive). Runners will drink their first glass (8oz) of eggnog at the start line pavilion then run a 1/4 mile before returning to the pavilion for their next glass. Fastest M/F runners to complete 4 loops (1 mile) without throwing up will be the winner. Eggnog will be provided but donations are appreciated. Please email us if you plan to bring some to share.
Registration
There are three options for registering. Runners can sign up for both the Trails & Nog Mile, Trails ONLY, or Nog Mile ONLY.
Start Time
TRAILS: The trail race will begin at 10:00am from the pavilion at Crevasse Moraine. Runners must complete all loops by 2:00pm.
NOG: The Nog Mile will begin at 1:00pm from the pavilion at Crevasse Moraine.
Bib Pick Up
TRAILS: 9:00-9:45am at the pavilion
NOG: 12:30pm at the pavilion
Swag and Awards
Awards will be given to the top M/F winners of each race.
Every runner will receive a custom First Howl gift upon completion of their race.
Parking
Parking is limited at Crevasse Moraine so please think about carpooling and parking in a manner to fit the most cars in the parking lot. Additional parking can be on the street but please use common sense.
With the race being on the first of the year, a 2027 MatSu Borough parking permit will be required. Please plan ahead to order one online or use the kiosk in the parking lot for a day use permit.
Pick your distance
Running
Trails & Nog Mile
Trails ONLY
Nog Mile ONLY
Typical race-day weather
Based on 2 years of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Palmer, plus the 3 days either side.
The sun rises at 10:14 AM and sets at 3:45 PM local time (AKST) in Palmer on January 1, 2027 — 5h 31m of daylight.
Course
No course map published yet.
The organizer hasn't released a route for this event, and we don't publish guesses. If you're the organizer, send us a GPX file and we'll draw the profile.
Reviews
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Results — The First Howl: Trails & Nog
Other races near Palmer
Different organizers, within 40 miles, in the next three months
Trick-Or-Trot
Zombie Half Marathon
Flow Through the Snow Challenge
Frightening 4k
🏃 Plan Your Next Race in Palmer
Find upcoming events by distance:
- Palmer 5K Races 7 races
- 10K Run Events in Palmer 3 races
- Palmer Running Calendar 2026 13 races
Where this page comes from. Race details were last updated on . We re-check listings regularly and again in the week before race day.
- Entries, prices, waves and inclusions — the event's official registration page
- Temperature and humidity — Copernicus ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0)
- Elevation and terrain relief — Copernicus DEM GLO-90, ESA (CC BY 4.0)
- Comparisons and counts — Race Discovery calendar, 13 Palmer events
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