For veteran runner Mike Norton, good things come in twos. For the second year in a row, Norton finished in first place at the Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust Trail Race on November 5.

Although the first leg of the race — which began at the north entrance of Slocum’s River Reserve, traveled south down Horseneck Road, and back through reserve itself — gave Norton little trouble, he did face a challenge in the second leg through Parsons Reserve.

“It’s a real technical section with rolling hills and turns,” Norton said.

Finishing in second place overall was Alex Walecka. The Dartmouth resident was on the Endicott College cross country team, and now coaches cross country at CATS Academy in Braintree, a high school for international students.

He visits DNRT trails all the time, and decided to bring 15 of his team members with him to participate and see firsthand the beauty of the trails.

“Being in New England and seeing these scenes right on the river... it’s a tremendous thing for them to see,” Walecka said.

For others, like Don Dayton, the race is a way to stay active and healthy. Just days after his 83rd birthday, Dayton successfully completed the course with a group of friends he runs with three times a week.

“Getting your heartrate up and keeping yourself relatively thin is key,” Dayton said, adding that he thanks his genetics for keeping him in shape at his age as well.

While Dayton enjoyed most of the course, he too had trouble with the second leg through Parsons Reserve.

“[Parsons Reserve] was rocky, and there are a lot of roots,” Dayton said.

In total, 170 people participated in either the full 4.1-mile run, or walked in a 2-mile short course, according to DNRT Outreach Coordinator Jim Bride. Participants were treated to pizza, beer, and live music from The Oh No’s after the race.

“Running, music, beer, and pizza. It’s a good combination,” Bride said.

For Bride, the event is multifaceted, serving as a fundraiser for DNRT, a fun and unique challenge, and an opportunity for people to get out and enjoy the organization’s properties.

“We’re excited to get people out on our trails to see what DNRT protects,” Bride said.

The event began in 2015, and sparked from DNRT board member Nate Rego, said Executive Director Dexter Mead.

“Nate is a casual runner and had friends in the running community,” Mead said. “He thought it’d be a fun and different kind of run.”

Mead said he is already looking into new ideas for next year, including the possibility of a venue change.