Hopkinton’s Upper Charles Trail Committee has been awarded a $111,563 MassTrails grant for work on the Campus Trail Connector, a proposed 2,750-foot shared use path connecting Hopkinton High School, Hopkinton Middle School and and the new Marathon Elementary School, the town announced Monday.

The Campus Trail Connector, when combined with adjacent existing and proposed facilities, will allow students, runners, cyclists and others easy passage between the three schools as well as the downtown area, for a total distance of approximately 2.5 miles.

The section crossing school grounds has been approved by the School Committee, and the area is contained on entirely town-owned parcels. While a portion of the Campus Trail Connector has been cleared, the project still is in the early planning and engineering phase. According to a press release from the town, the grant funds will allow for a detailed engineering study to determine the exact route, surface materials and total cost and funding sources of the project.

While this is a stand-alone project, the Campus Trail Connector is a critical link to expanding the existing Upper Charles Trail network, which will include a continuous 8-mile shared-use path through Hopkinton, from Milford to Ashland.

“Hopkinton is very fortunate to have over 200 trails for a variety of outdoor activities,”  Jane Moran, chair of the Upper Charles Trail Committee, said in a statement. “Our committee is thankful for the support of the Select Board, and we commend Town Manager Norman Khumalo and senior accounting manager Ben Sweeney for their support of, and assistance with, the grant application.”