Registration is open for the Northern Nevada Wildfire Awareness Multi-hour Trail Event in Reno, hosted by University of Nevada Cooperative Extension's Living With Fire Program in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management and Desert Sky Adventures. All proceeds from the race will be donated to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation.

The event is Saturday, May 13, at Bartley Ranch Regional Park, 6000 Bartley Ranch Road in Reno. Participants can choose how long they want to run, either one, three or six hours, and then they see how many laps around the one-mile flat, dirt trail loop that they can run in the chosen amount of time. Participants can register as solo runners or as teams. The six-hour race begins at 7 a.m., the three-hour race begins at 8 a.m., and the one-hour race begins at 9 a.m.

Cost is $25 per person by Jan. 31, $30 between Feb. 1 and April 1, $35 between April 2 and May 11, and $40 on May 12 and 13. Cost includes a tech t-shirt, goodie bag, finisher's medal, snacks, a downloadable race photo and refreshments, including refreshments courtesy of the Brewer's Cabinet. To register or for more information, visit the race website.

There will be a variety of fire engines and displays of educational information, along with a visit from Smokey Bear. The public is invited to come out and cheer on the runners, visit with firefighter representatives, and enjoy Nevada's outdoor beauty.  

The Wildland Firefighter Foundation is a nonprofit organization that provides assistance to fallen firefighters' families and to firefighters injured in the line of duty. The proceeds of the race will help families travel to see firefighters who were injured while aiding another state; help the families of firefighters unable to work because they're still healing; and help the families of firefighters killed while working.

The race is part of the activities for Nevada Wildfire Awareness Month in May, which is a collaborative effort by local, state and federal firefighting agencies; University of Nevada Cooperative Extension; and many others. This year's focus is on the importance of preparing yourself, your family, and around your home and property, in advance of a wildfire. Having good defensible space and an evacuation plan can help ensure wildfire survival.

Cooperative Extension's Living With Fire Program, which began in 1997, teaches homeowners how to live more safely with the wildfire threat. The program has received numerous national awards, and been credited with spurring actions that have saved many homes. For more information about Living With Fire, visit the Living With Fire website, or contact Sonya Sistare at University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, sistares@unce.unr.edu or 775-887-2252.