MARQUETTE — If you’re into mountain biking, strap on your helmet and get ready to kick up some dirt.

Today kicked off the annual Marquette Trails Fest. It’s three day event that includes nine races, including a 5-k and a half marathon for all the runners out there.

“I like going downhill and when the gravity kicks in it really gets your bike going. You feel free, you float and you kind of feel like you can do anything even though you kind of can’t. It’s a lot of fun, you just keep going,” said Jake Dobbratz, of Green Bay.

This year, the festival coordinators wanted to be more community and family oriented. There are some non–competitive events for kids and women. Festival–goers can also attend a bonfire and the premier of a brand new bike movie. But, everyone is pretty excited about the races.

“It’s about 550 vertical feet down. There’s lots of rocks, there’s roots. It’s a really good spectator sport. It’s pretty exciting to watch. There’s lots of bikes going pretty fast, there’s jumps, there’s rocks, there’s some really good cyclists out there having a good time,” added Phillip Ott, the Downhill Race Coordinator.

If you want to join in on the fun, you can still register on the day of events. Follow this link for more information.