Anchorage’s annual trail fitness fundraiser, the Moose Loop Trail Challenge, kicked off Saturday and runs through Sept. 19, giving residents a week-long window to log miles on the city’s 32-mile urban trail system. The route traces a moose-shaped path through Anchorage and is open to walkers, runners, cyclists, and anyone rolling through on wheels.

Organized by the Anchorage Park Foundation, the event is untimed and designed to be accessible to all ages and skill levels. Participants choose from four distances — a 5K, 10K, the 25.75K “Mini Moose,” or the 51.5K “Mighty Moose” — and can complete their chosen route on the actual Moose Loop trail or anywhere else that works for them. Adults pay a small registration fee, while kids under 18 join for free, and everyone who signs up gets a digital bib and trail-branded gear.

Beyond the fitness angle, the challenge doubles as a fundraiser for the Anchorage Park Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to improving local parks and trails. The organization has used past event proceeds to help fund neighborhood projects across the city, from trail safety signage to community garden upgrades.

With the event running through the coming week, organizers are framing it as a low-pressure way for Anchorage residents to get outside and stay active before the region’s trail season starts winding down for winter.