April’s Spring Sprint benefits UW Arboretum

Hot on spring’s heels comes the second annual Spring Sprint for the Arb presented by Nakoma Dental.

The 5-kilometer Spring Sprint — which will step off at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 16 — benefits the Friends of the Arboretum, which in turn supports the University of Wisconsin–Madison Arboretum’s research, restoration and outreach mission.

Hundreds of runners participated in the first Spring Sprint in 2010. This year’s event is a great kickoff to the spring running season and handy tune-up for the Crazylegs Classic.

Superior Timing will provide exact times for all runners as they navigate a new course through the Arboretum and Madison’s west side, and Sarah Carlson of WISC-TV will lead the pack away from the Arboretum Visitor Center.

Awards will be presented at a ceremony immediately following the event to the male and female winners of the race, and to top male and female finishers in a range of age categories.

Sign up for the Sprint at www.springsprintforthearb.org. Registration is $20 for Friends of the Arboretum members, $25 for nonmembers and $10 for youth ages 13 to 17. Children 12 participate free. Registration for the Sprint and membership in the Friends of the Arboretum is just $55.

Advance registration — for adults who register by April 1 — includes a Spring Sprint T-shirt. Those who do not want a shirt can register at a discount.

At the same cost as race registration, family members and other nonrunners can participate in a 1-mile trail walk with Arboretum naturalists through the prairie and learn about nature at stations staffed by trained naturalists. Children are especially welcome.

The Sprint is also a green event, kicking off Earth Week with paperless online registration, encouraging alternative transportation to and from the event, printing posters on 100 percent recycled paper, serving fresh food and water and organic fruit from large containers rather than individual plastic water bottles, composting waste and providing environmental learning opportunities with Arboretum naturalists.

Other Spring Sprint sponsors include: Nan M. Zimdars Inc.; All Comfort Services Inc.; Michael Best & Friedrich LLP; Step Ahead with Nike Grind; and Unity Health Insurance. In-kind donation sponsors include Good for Business; Nature’s Bakery; Road ID; Student Emergency Medical Services Club; Total Water Culligan; Trader Joe’s; Whole Food Market-Madison; and Willy Street Co-op.

For more information, visit www.springsprintforthearb.org or contact Sara Minkoff, Friends of the Arboretum manager, 608-263-7760 or sminkoff@uwarb.wisc.edu.