Spring Sprint 5K benefits UW Arboretum

Inviting runners to kick off Earth Week, help welcome spring and celebrate its 50th anniversary, the Friends of the UW Arboretum group is hosting the Spring Sprint for the Arb on Saturday, April 13.

Susan Siman, co-anchor at WISC-TV, will serve as lead runner for the fourth annual sprint, which is timed as an early season tune-up for the Crazylegs Classic.

The 5-kilometer course will follow Arboretum Drive on Madison’s near west side. The event starts at 10 a.m. at the Arboretum Visitor Center, and will be held regardless of the weather.

Chip timing will track finishing runners this year. Awards will be presented at a ceremony immediately following the event to the male and female winners of the race, and top male and female finishers in several age categories.

Runners can register online at www.springsprintforthearb.org through April 11. Registration will also be open at Nakoma Dental, 4333 Nakoma Rd., on April 12 and on-site at the Arboretum Visitor’s Center, 1207 Seminole Highway, April 13.

Registration is $20 for Friends of the Arboretum members. For non-members, registration is $35, and — new for this year — includes a six-month Friends membership. Registration for children ages 13 to 17 is $10, while children ages 12 and under may participate free.

Adults registering before April 1 will receive a Spring Sprint T-shirt. Registration on the day of the event will be increased by $5 and will not include a T-shirt.

Parking at the Arboretum will be limited, and require a $5 permit ($10 on the day of the event). Participants and spectators are urged to carpool or find alternative transportation (bus, bike or walk).

All proceeds from the Spring Sprint will help the Friends of the Arboretum support the Arboretum’s mission of ecological restoration and environmental education.

Once again, the Spring Sprint will be a green event: posters have been printed on 100 percent recycled paper, fresh and organic snacks and water will be served from large containers rather than individual bottles, waste will be composted, a secure bicycle corral will be available to encourage alternative transportation to and from the event, and participants are encouraged to use paperless, online registration.

Nakoma Dental and Dr. Don Tipple of Madison are lead sponsors of the Spring Sprint. Other sponsors include: Melt; Michael Best & Friedrich L.L.P.; Eisele Executive Search; Madison B-cycle; Q106 Radio; Nature’s Bakery Cooperative; Willy Street Co-op; Culligan Total Water; and Whole Foods Market.