Fat Ass Trail Run

The Fat Ass Trail Run is a long-running end-of-season trail-running tradition held at Batawa Ski Hill in Quinte West, Ontario, Canada. First organized in 2003 with just 23 participants, the event has grown into one of Ontario's largest trail races, regularly bringing more than 500 runners together for a late-autumn day of technical trails, unpredictable weather and an unmistakably grassroots running atmosphere.

Organized by Dirty Soles Trail Running, Fat Ass has deliberately retained the informal and welcoming character of its earliest editions even as participation has grown. The organizers describe its philosophy as “all fun and no frills,” with an emphasis on keeping entry fees affordable and creating an event where runners of every ability feel at home. The result is an unusual mix of experienced ultrarunners, first-time trail runners, walkers, families and everyone in between sharing the trails throughout the day.

The race takes place on the trails surrounding Batawa Ski Hill, a small ski area in the community of Batawa, part of the City of Quinte West in southeastern Ontario. Unlike a groomed road race, the Fat Ass course delivers a varied collection of classic Ontario trail-running terrain. Runners encounter rocks, roots, wide forest trails, narrow singletrack, wooden bridges, creek crossings, open meadows and plenty of hills.