Registration Now Open for 16th Annual Nature Center 5K Race

Mark your calendars for April 13 if you plan to break a sweat in the Nature Center 5K Run and Walk.

Registration for the annual run — now in its 16th year — recently opened. The price increases by $5 for kids and adults on Monday, April 1. (Currently, it is $25 for adults and $15 for kids.)

Online registration closes on Wednesday, April 10, but participants can still sign up at the 7 a.m. walk-in registration on race day. While walkers are welcome, pets and strollers are not.

The race, which begins and ends at the Walker Nature Center (11450 Glade Drive), is set to start at 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 13.

The course spans paved paths and woodchipped trails through the forest and neighborhoods. Runners will be greeted at the finish line with refreshments, music and prizes.

Awards will be given to overall finishers and men’s and women’s categories in 10-year increments, according to a press release. Three team categories — “Corporate,” “Friends” and “Family” — were added this year.

Racers will also have the chance to win prizes in random drawings. Kids under the age of 13 will receive a participation prize.

The funds raised by the race will help support the Walker Nature Center’s facility enhancements, educational exhibits and programming, the press release says.

Photo courtesy Ken Plum