It has become an annual late-summer ritual at Brock University.

The Dirty Badger Trail Race returns to the flowing running trails around the main Brock campus for the fourth time on Saturday, Aug. 26.

The race is approximately seven kilometres long and each year draws more than 100 runners from the Brock and wider Niagara community.

“This is the fourth summer we’ll be running the Dirty Badger and I’m more excited for this year’s event than any other. The race course is the most exciting we’ve used yet,” said Eric Walter, Brock Sports Zone Manager and race organizer.

The race starts and finishes across from the Isaac’s Bar and Grill patio, which will also host a post-race barbecue with live music.

Racers can sign up as individuals or as part of a team — with prizes up for grabs for the group showing the best enthusiasm and team spirit. The North Face will also be on hand giving away prizes for participants and spectators.

New this year is Dirty Badger Kids, which allows children of those racing the chance to take part in race-related activities supervised by instructors from Brock Sports Camp. The program costs $15 and is open to kids from six to 14 years old.

“Dirty Badger Kids is going to be a lot of fun and it lets parents take part in the race without having to worry about what their children are doing,” Walter said.

Registration is now open on the Brock Sports Dirty Badger website. Race entry, which includes lunch and a Dirty Badger shirt, is $29 until Monday, Aug. 7 or $39 until registration closes at 4 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 25.

The race is open to everyone, and in the two weeks leading up to the race, Brock Sports will host drop-in runs for anyone wanting to give the course a try.