Hot Chili Challenge 8 Mile Trail Run, 5K & Kids Fun Run

Head to Hillside Park in Andover, NJ for an 8 mile trail run and 5K on October 19, 2025 to benefit our free mammography program. Kids age 5-12 (K-8th grade) can particiapate in a fun run.

TRAIL RUN AND 5K RACE LOCATION SETUP

Event Description

Distance: 7.64 Miles

Parking

Hillside Park offers three parking lots.  The Upper Lot located next to the Children’s playground houses is for VOLUNTEERS & EMS ONLY.  Parking in the lower two lots will start in the furthest lot from the entrance.  Attendants will guide you in until parking has reached max capacity at which point the lower lot closest to the entrance will be utilized.  Please do not pull into these spots unless directed to do so.  

Course Description

Start: The Start Line will take place in the upper portion of the park located next to the storage garage by the baseball fields (See Photo 2 above.) Compuscore will have an inflatable finish line set up.

Head straight where you’ll quickly find yourself taking a right hand turn down a paved path toward the lower parking lot.  Cones will direct you down the grass hill and into the cut-through to enter the rail trail.  

Quickly you’ll veer left and head toward the crossing on Lake Iliff Road toward Mulford Road.

From the Start to the Mulford Road turn around, it is roughly 1.46 miles.  The wide rail trail will offer beautiful scenic views of Lake Iliff, horse farms, underpasses, and fall foliage.  

When you get to Mulford Road you’ll turn around the gate and head back the same way you started.

The Road crossing on the way back From Mulford Road is approximately 2.8 miles at which you’ll cross the road directly to the rail trail, take a sharp right onto the connector to the lower parking lot, and follow the orange trail markers on the posts on the outside of the lower parking lot.  

Following these markers on the lower lot will take you to the second parking lot where cones will veer you right toward the beginning of the Orange KVSP – ANDOVER Connector Trail.  A short distance on a grassy hill will lead you to the opening of the woods where you’ll enter to follow the orange connector.

A short gravel climb up will plateau and lead you back into the woods.  Stay left and follow the gravel trail to the Andover Township Storage Yard.  Cones will direct you right to stay on the paved road that runs through the Township Soccer Fields.  You will run straight on this path toward Goodale Road.  *Soccer fields will be on your left and right*

At the end of the paved path upon hitting Goodale Road, Take a sharp right onto the grass so that the soccer fence is on your right.  Follow this fence to the end where you’ll see a wooden post with the Orange Connector marking on it.  Make that right, stay along the wood-line and head to the far corner where you’ll enter the woods again.

When you re-enter the woods on the Orange Connector, stay left at the Y, climb and head back to the entrance.  

Upon exiting the woods, stay along the wood-line to your right to ensure the tall orange posts are to your left.  You will continue straight back through the two parking lots to pick up the connector to the rail trail.

From the first lower parking lot, you’ll head onto the short connector to the rail trail where you’ll make a hard right and begin your .8 mile trek to the next turn around.

You’ll go through two gates and hit a small single track path in grass that will lead you to the next turn around where you will circle back on the rail trail back to the connector to the lower parking lot.  

Head back the way you came and enter the lower parking lot, and it’s time to start round 2 of the Orange connector.  You will enter and exit the same way you did on the first round.

On your way back from the second wooded Orange Connector loop, through the lower two parking lots, you’ll be directed up the paved path to the upper portion of the park where you’ll take a sharp left and sprint to the finish line.

Have Fun!