Running

Race Start3 GO 2013

Green Lake Half Marathon ~ Race Start

Are you a runner?

 

Whether you like short jogs for fitness, or long distance runs in preparation for an upcoming race, the Green Lake Country area is a great place to “pound the pavement”!  With its many beautiful roads and trails to explore, it is easy to find the right place that suits your running style.

 

Wendy 10-15-11 after 15K race at Mt Morris

Wendy Schultz

 

 

For me, I am blessed to live in the country and in no time at all can be out of my work attire, into running gear and putting the miles in near my home.  Every time I head down my driveway, I have the privilege of seeing an abundance of deer and turkey and keep track of a multitude of resident birds and remnant prairie plants that occur along my route.

One of my favorite spots to run is within the Green Lake Conference Center.  Loaded with history, you can feast your eyes on many breathtaking scenic vistas, emerald green golf courses, and peaceful woodland settings. Scattered throughout this variable landscape are numerous historic buildings and handcrafted stone walls dating back to the early 1900’s. Runners can choose from a variety of routes that include gentle slopes, more challenging hills and areas of flatter terrain along the shores of BIG Green Lake. It is a gorgeous place to visit.

32 Half Marathon 9-1-13 runners on Shore Dr4

Runners on Shore Dr.

 

For those who prefer a flatter route, check out the Mascoutin Bike Trail. Surrounded by nature and free from cars, this path starts in Berlin and heads east to Ripon and is shared by bicyclists and pedestrians out for a stroll. Check it out—it is worth a visit.

Not only does Green Lake County have great roads to run on, it offers a number of running events starting in the early spring and ending in the fall:

  • April, the RC2 (Ripon College/Ripon Community) Half Marathon begins in Ripon (Fond du Lac County) and heads out of town crossing into Green Lake County.  http://www.ripon.edu/rc2/
  • In May, the CHN Helping Hands 5K takes place at Berlin Memorial Hospital and raises money for cancer survivors. http://www.chn5k.org/
  • Princeton’s Run for Sam 10K and 1 mile walk on the 1st Saturday in July https://www.facebook.com/pages/Run-for-Sam-10K-1-Mile-Walk/198291970191654
  • Ripon Medical Center Triathlon (hugely popular) this year falling on Sunday morning, July 27th. www.rmctriathalon.com
  • The season ends with the one of Wisconsin’s most SCENIC race routes—the Green Lake Area “13dot1” Half Marathon and 5K Fun Run. Growing ever more popular, this race takes place on Labor Day Sunday, August 31st and is on its 5th year. The starting line is near the Chamber of Commerce building in downtown Green Lake and the finish line at the breathtaking Deacon Mills Park. This happens to be my favorite race!    www.greenlakehalfmarathon.com

 

Written by Wendy Schultz, Marathon logo 2014 rev sm w border

Avid runner, birder and community enthusiast