3rd Annual Bruce Hollabaugh Memorial 5K & Fun Run

Run with purpose. Walk in remembrance. Celebrate a legacy.

Join us on Sunday, April 11, 2027, for the 3rd Annual Bruce Hollabaugh Memorial 5K & Fun Run at Hollabaugh Bros., Inc.! This special event brings together family, friends, and community members for a morning of fun, fitness, and remembrance, all while supporting a cause close to our hearts.

A Race Experience Unlike Any Other!

Forget the traditional road race! Our 5K takes participants off the pavement and through the beautiful, blooming orchards of our fourth-generation family farm. With a course that is more like a trail run than a typical road race, participants will experience the rolling terrain, natural beauty, and fresh spring air of the very orchards our family has been tending since 1955.

Looking for something a little less challenging? Our Fun Run features a shorter, flatter course that's perfect for walkers, families with children, and participants of all ages and fitness levels. Whether you're an experienced runner, a casual walker, or simply looking for a meaningful way to spend the morning with family and friends, there's a place for you at our starting line!

For Bruce, We Will Farm.

In March 2022, our family and farm experienced an unimaginable loss when Bruce Hollabaugh, a third-generation family member, passed away unexpectedly at just 41 years old.

Bruce was many things to many people: a devoted husband, father, son, brother, uncle, and friend. As Production Manager at Hollabaugh Bros., he was deeply committed to the family farm and the agricultural community. Despite his many responsibilities, Bruce always made time to give back, supporting the people, organizations, and causes that meant so much to him.

Following his passing, our family embraced a simple but powerful promise: "For Bruce, We Will Farm." Those words continue to guide us as we honor his memory, carry forward his passion for agriculture, and celebrate his remarkable spirit of community service.

To ensure Bruce's legacy of generosity lives on, his parents, Brad and Kay Hollabaugh, established the Bruce A. Hollabaugh Memorial Endowment Fund through the Adams County Community Foundation. The fund provides lasting support to the charities and community initiatives Bruce cared deeply about throughout his life.

Every Step Makes a Difference

Net proceeds from the 5K & Fun Run will benefit the Bruce A. Hollabaugh Memorial Endowment Fund, helping to make a meaningful difference throughout the Upper Adams community and beyond.

Whether you're running for a personal best, walking in memory of someone special, or participating simply to support a wonderful cause, every step helps us carry Bruce's legacy forward.

Race Day Details

• Date: Sunday, April 11, 2027
• Location: Hollabaugh Bros., Inc., Biglerville, PA
• Opening Ceremonies: 9:00 AM, with the 5K beginning immediately afterward
• 5K Course: A scenic, trail-style run through our blooming orchards, featuring natural terrain and rolling hills
• Fun Run Course: A shorter, flatter route designed for all ages and fitness levels
• Additional Activities: Food trucks, raffles, awards, and more!

Register Early for Race Day Extras!

All participants who register by March 21, 2027, will receive a complimentary race T-shirt and commemorative medal. Registrations received after this date will receive these items while supplies last.

We invite you to lace up your running shoes, gather your family and friends, and join us for a morning that celebrates community, honors a life well lived, and helps create a lasting legacy.

For Bruce, We Will Farm. For Bruce, We Will Run.

* The Bruce A. Hollabaugh Memorial Fund is a component fund of the Adams County Community Foundation. The official registration and financial information of Adams County Community Foundation may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free 800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.

The race will take place through our beautiful, blooming orchards here on the farm. On your run/walk, you will see a variety of signs including orchard identification, fun facts and sweet memories. We hope you enjoy this unique opportunity to see our farm. Unfortunately, the course is not open to the public before or after the race due to farm operations!

A: Asian Pear Block- First on the trail, runners will pass a new planting of Reddy Robin pears.  This was a variety that Bruce was able to secure many years ago with an established planting at another site (Sandoe Block) in 2018.  It was his hope that we would expand production of this variety.  It became a successful variety in our markets, so we fulfilled that hope with this new planting.  Nearby, another planting of Harrow Crisp was established this spring.  This was another variety that Bruce resourced and planted in a small trial as a cross-pollinator variety in 2018.

B: 10 Acre Block - As you pass the Asian Pear Block and turn right, you will pass the 10 Acre Block.  This block was renovated, then replanted in 2014 with Buckeye Gala and Aztec Fuji varieties.  Bruce was very interested in and knowledgeable about dwarfing rootstocks.  So, this planting became a four-rootstock trial for us.  M-9, G-11, G-41, and G935 rootstocks were planted in five row blocks for evaluation.  It has not only been a good study for our own purposes but also was used in a nutritional research project by Dr. Rob Crassweller to investigate how different rootstocks performed regarding nutrient uptake and balance.

C: Garretson Block- After running a short distance past the 10 Acre Block, you will pass through the Garretson Block.  On the right are full grown peach trees which reflect the perfected pruning practices for an open vase training system.  Research showed that retaining a specific number of fruiting branches was ideal for maximizing production and quality for peaches. On the left is a new planting of peaches which will be trained in the same manner.  This site had been renovated and was ready for the new orchard to be established.  In a few years, the new orchard will look much like the mature trees on the right.

D: Egypt- After you cross Yellow Hill Road and run along the pond bank, on your right you will see “Egypt”.  This block was a relatively new pear planting (using a higher density planting system on four wire trellis) promoted by Bruce as we applied an orchard design system similar to our new apple plantings.  The main block was established in 2017.  The Asian pears at the bottom of the block were planted in 2019.  It has been very successful.

E: Contour- Continuing up the hill to the woods, you turn left along another mature peach orchard.  This orchard was one of the blocks that Bruce first began to manage the harvest crew during peach harvest.  We grow beautiful peaches here, but the block does offer some challenges for tractor, pallet, and crate management due to the increasing slope throughout the block – a factor that taught Bruce many important lessons!

F: Behind the Barn- As you exit the Contour Block, you will pass along our Hemlock windbreak on your right and an older apple planting on your left.  This block will soon be replaced. Turning around on the opposite side of the small apple block you’ll pass another block of peaches.  This variety, GaLa Peach, was an interesting variety and Bruce was excited to get it established on the farm.

G: Pear Bank- As you continue up the very steep drive along Yellow Hill Road, on your left you will see a steep bank.  At the base of that area, an old nectarine planting was removed this winter.  However, there are other bushes and trees growing on the steeper sections of the bank. We grew pears on the Pear Bank for over 30 years.  Once removed, we deemed the bank too steep in some areas to continue as an orchard.  So, primarily through Bruce’s efforts, we secured an NRCS project to do a planting of wild berries and nut trees as a more permanent planting that would eventually contribute to the conservation of the bank.  Although we did not have 100% success with all species, many of the tree nuts and berries continue to grow there.  We hope to re-establish missing plants in the future.

H: New Ground- The New Ground was once a woodlot which was cleared, renovated, and planted to apples for many years.  However, it was also an ideal spot for peaches and after a couple decades of apples, we established the site as a large peach block.  Bruce identified a number of interesting, new peach varieties, including several donut peach varieties that we established in a small section of this block.  We have since planted some of those varieties in other areas thanks to our ability to evaluate many varieties on our farm.  Enjoy the view!

I: Sandoe Block- As you continue the long, uphill path along the New Ground, you pass a small woodlot and then run through that pear planting where the Reddy Robin were first established.  This block was started in 2012 and was our first pear orchard established with a 4-wire trellis system.  Bruce also wanted to train some of the trees with a double leader to help create a more dwarfing canopy as there are no true dwarfing rootstocks for pears commercially available at this time.  The science behind the training system was valid and it worked quite well.  Bruce was constantly seeking ways to improve our production systems!

J: New Sandoe Block- Just next to the pears is a planting of plums and apricots.  You can note the difference in the planting systems and the relative tree size.
Turning left as you exit the pear and plum planting, there is open ground to your right.  This was an area that was cleared several years ago.  It is still undergoing renovation and soil amendment as forest soils are extremely “sour” (acid) and need to be amended before tree fruits are established.  However, organic matter is very high in these soils, and they often prove to be excellent planting sites, once the nutritional balance is established. A future peach planting is planned at this site.  Bruce was excited to have a totally new peach site to plant.

K: Yellow Hill Road- After exiting the Sandoe Block area and turning left down a steep portion of Yellow Hill Road, you will pass areas on the right where trees have been removed. That area will be renovated before new orchards are established. As the terrain levels out, you’ll pass more peach orchards on your right and another pear planting on your left using the 4-wire trellis system.  We continue to utilize these planting systems as they have proven to be successful on our farm.

L: The Hollow- Continuing along Yellow Hill Road, you’ll finally turn right up the farm lane through the Garretson Block, pass by our Spray Shed and emerge to have a perfect view of the new plantings in the Asian Pear Block. The race finishes just around the corner!

Click here to download a printable PDF. For more information about sponsorship, please email Hollabaugh Bros, Inc. at info@hollabaughbros.com or call 717.677.8412. Thank you!