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COA runners join forces on summer intensive

Move Free runners in Acadia National Park.Move Free runners in Acadia National Park.Four idyllic days in and around New England’s running paradise, Acadia National Park, are in store for attendees of the Move Free Acadia Running Retreat, a project of mountain, ultra, and trail runner Patrick Carron ’23 and marathoner (and COA IT expert) Jarly Bobadilla.

The retreat features four days and three nights of running, dining, and relaxing in the Acadia National Park region. Participants will get the most out of the lovely June weather by heading out into the heart of the park for a long run each morning. Their adventures will take them through the eastern deciduous and northern boreal forests of the park, on trails carpeted with moss and pine needles,​​ and up bald peaks with sweeping views of the surrounding islands and ocean. Post lunch, participants will have time to rest, enjoy a yoga session or workshop discussion, and go for a lake swim. Before dinner they will embark on a relaxed recovery run through the nearby network of carriage trails, and in the evenings they can walk downtown for a cone of delicious ice cream or share favorite stories and songs around a campfire by the ocean.

“Running is the perfect way to deepen our human connections while spending time outdoors doing something we love,” Bobadilla says. “Patrick and I love establishing meaningful connections with people through the conversations that spring up while running.”

Bobadilla and Caron are both experienced distance runners. Caron is a professional mountain, ultra, trail athlete who fell in love with running at an early age. Most weekends he can be found racing and adventuring throughout New England, as well as abroad on the international scene. He has been passionate about finding ways to give back to the greater community as well as the planet through his running. His inspiration and vision for launching Move Free revolved around bridging the gap between outdoor recreation and outdoor conservation, to help protect and preserve the landscapes and playgrounds we love for future generations.

Bobadilla started running in his thirties, shortly after arriving in Maine. Never taking a hobby too casually, he trained hard and ran several marathons until achieving a Boston qualifying time and running the race in 2019. Besides the excitement and thrill of racing, and the many fitness benefits, one of his favorite aspects of running is the deep conversations that spontaneously develop between running partners, giving way to meaningful human connection. In fact, that is how he and Caron initially connected with one another on the island.

The Acadia Running Retreat takes place June 16-19. Learn more at movefreedesigns.com.