Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College (FDLTCC) will be hosting the 11th annual Pumpkin Run and Walk on October 22, 2016. The race is five kilometers (3.1 miles), and the route will begin and end on the FDLTCC campus at 2101 14th Street in Cloquet, Minnesota. The event is open to runners and walkers of all ages and abilities.

“We have always planned the Pumpkin Run as a community event held on our campus,” says Tom Urbanski, director of public information at FDLTCC. “We purposely keep our registration fees low to encourage participation and physical activity. We see runners and walkers of all ages and abilities, with many college students and area residents, as well as people who travel a long way to get here. It’s a fun theme and has turned into a festive event.”

To celebrate the theme of the race, participants are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes or wear orange clothing. Prizes will be given for the best costumes. The race attracts top-level talent as well as families, recreational runners, and walkers. The course record of 15:13 is held by five-time winner Eric Hartmark, one of Minnesota’s best distance runners and a past qualifier for the U.S. Olympic trials in the marathon. Although roughly 25% of participants are walkers, the race course has a reputation for producing fast times.

The Pumpkin Run’s five-kilometer course is a mix of the campus ring road, County Road 3 (14th Street), and the residential streets of Valley View Drive and Harner Lane. Essentially flat, the course features a fast downhill stretch with a return trip up the same hill. Mile markers will be posted and traffic control safety will be conducted by students in the law enforcement and nursing program with assistance from the Cloquet Police Department and neighbors who live along the race route.

In 2015, a record 428 runners and walkers registered for the race. Every registered finisher will receive a long sleeve t-shirt and post-race refreshments. Medals will be awarded to the top three male and female finishers. Age group awards will be given to the top male and female competitors. The event offers indoor facilities and warm gathering areas before and after the race, healthy refreshments, free parking in campus lots, and door prize drawings.