CentraCare Earth Day Run is Central Minnesota’s premier race event. Held in St. Cloud in April, the event includes a half marathon, half marathon relay, 5K run/walk, 5K corporate challenge, 1K kids’ run, and expo. Courses feature great views of the gorgeous Mississippi River, rustic trails, and a celebratory finish line atmosphere in downtown St. Cloud on historic St. Germain Street.
CentraCare Earth Day Run
1/2 marathon, half relay,
5K & kids 1K
April 19-20, 2024
St. Cloud, MN
11 a.m.-8 p.m.
April 19, 2024
River’s Edge Convention Center
10 4th Ave S, St Cloud, MN 56301
Note: event details subject to change. Please check back before the event.
Race participants will receive the 2024 CentraCare Earth Day Run medal. Stay tuned for the finisher medal design, which may be revealed soon!
Race participants will receive the 2024 CentraCare Earth Day Run t-shirt (short sleeve t-shirts for 5K and kids 1K participants and long sleeve for half marathon participants). Stay tuned for the t-shirt design, which may be revealed soon!
Special awards are presented to corporate and relay team as well as first, second and third place men and women finishers across several age groups:
19 and under 20-24 25-29
30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49
50-54 55-59 60-64 65-69
70-74 75-79 80 and up
5K Corporate Challenge fastest teams
5K Corporate Challenge largest teams
Half marathon relay team (Male)
Half marathon relay team (Female)
Half marathon relay team (Co-ed)
Participants will enjoy live music, food and refreshments at the finish line, inside the River’s Edge Convention Center.
11 a.m.-8 p.m.
Friday, April 19, 2024
Earth Day Run Health & Wellness Expo
River’s Edge Convention Center
10 4th Ave S, St Cloud, MN 56301
What you need to know
Can’t make it on Friday? We offer race-day pickup for a fee!
11 a.m.-8 p.m. Expo and packet pickup
6:30 p.m. – Capital One Kid’s 1K Run
6:30 a.m. – Race-day packet pickup
8:30 a.m. – Bernick’s Half Marathon start time
8:30 a.m. – Bernick’s Half Marathon Relay start time
9:00 a.m. – Capital One 5K Walk/Run, including the 5K Corporate Challenge
11:30 a.m. – Awards
11 a.m.-8 p.m.
Friday, April 19, 2024
River’s Edge Convention Center
10 4th Ave S, St Cloud, MN 56301
Check out the Earth Day Run Health & Wellness Expo in historic downtown St. Cloud, MN! Local, regional and national vendors will be selling, sampling, and showing off the latest products from the world of running and fitness. You’ll find great deals on everything from running shoes to your last-minute nutrition needs as well as hand crafted souvenirs from local artisans.
Learn more about becoming an Earth Day Run Health & Wellness Expo exhibitor and complete the vendor requirements.
Sign up to become an Earth Day Run Health & Wellness Expo exhibitor now!
Sign UpThe race starts on the East St. Germain bridge, adjacent to the River’s Edge Convention Center (10 4th Avenue South, St. Cloud, MN 56301). The half marathon course tours the best of St. Cloud and includes gorgeous Mississippi River views and trails, tree-lined neighborhoods, the St. Cloud State University campus and — of course — the downtown St. Cloud finish, where runners will cap off the run with a sprint down historic St. Germain Street. This generally flat half marathon course is the best way to kick start your running season!
The race starts on the East St. Germain bridge, adjacent to the River’s Edge Convention Center (10 4th Avenue South, St. Cloud, MN 56301). Working closely with the City of St. Cloud and St. Cloud Police Department, we’ve created an amazing 5K course set almost entirely along the Mississippi River! Participants will start in downtown St. Cloud, enjoy great views of mighty Mississippi, turn around at Munsinger Gardens, before finishing on historic St. Germain Street, where they’ll enjoy the celebration they deserve! This Friday night tradition is a great event for experienced runners, first-timers and for those needing a warm-up for Saturday’s race.
The Kids 1K course, which features a loop through part of downtown St. Cloud, starts and ends adjacent to the River’s Edge Convention Center (10 4th Avenue South, St. Cloud, MN 56301).
Mahowald Cheer Zones will be located across five energizing locations on Saturday morning during the CentraCare Earth Day Run half marathon. To host an official Cheer Zone, your group must apply and be chosen. All applications will be reviewed, and the Earth Day Run committee will select five groups to participate in this year’s cheer zone areas. Groups must be a charitable organization (sports team, non-profit, etc.) raising money and support for their cause as part of this cheer zone. Selected groups will automatically receive a $500 stipend towards their organization. After the race, runners will be asked to vote for the most motivating Cheer Zone, and the wining group will receive an additional $1000.
Requirements:
Application
The 5K Corporate Challenge takes place as part of the 5K Run/Walk and promotes health and wellness among area businesses. Run with your colleagues and alongside rival companies. Teams consist of 5-10 runners. All competitors will have their times recorded and adjusted using an age-grading scale. Age-grading scales work to even the field among runners of all ages and genders. The top five times from team members will then be added up and averaged to produce the team’s overall time. Get the Earth Day Run weekend started with this fun, healthy, team-building adventure.
If you’re not quite ready to tackle 13.1 miles, grab a friend, relative, coworker, or stranger and take on the half marathon together! Each of you will run approximately 6.5 miles, with the first runner kicking off the relay at the half marathon start line on 1st Street North next to the River’s Edge Convention Center and the second runner taking over at the half marathon relay Exchange Zone just after Mile 6.
Half marathon relay Exchange Zone:
The Kids 1K invites children 12 and younger to run, walk or wheel their way to the finish line. This is an inclusive event and is accessible to children of all abilities. Registration is only $10 and includes a t-shirt. Limited to 500 adventurers!
To ensure your little adventurer can get the most out of the 1K:
The 1K will begin at 6:30 p.m. sharp with four heats 3:00 minutes apart. Locate your age group prior to the start of the race:
Heat 1: Ages 11 and up
Heat 2: Ages 8-10
Heat 3: Ages 5-7
Heat 4: Ages 4 and under
Please remember: Parents should remain outside the staging and finish line area. Parents are allowed to run with young children, but space is limited. No strollers are allowed on the 1K course. If a child arrives at the finish line without a parent or guardian, they will be kept in the finish line chute until a parent or guardian arrives to pick them up. Volunteers will be there to assist.
Headphones/earbuds are allowed for all events, which are closed to traffic. We ask that participants be safe, courteous, and aware of other runners if they choose to use headphones on the course.
For participants who have overdressed or prefer to start the race with additional layers, there will be a clothing drop box at the start line and at the first water stop. Items tossed into the drop boxes will be brought to the finish line, so participants can recover their items. Active Central MN is not responsible for lost or stolen items.
Several porta-potties will be located near the River’s Edge Convention Center. Porta-potties will be located about every two miles on the half marathon course.
There will be a great spread of post-race recovery food available, which is for registered participants only (participants must have their racer bib on to be served in the food area).
Water and Gatorade stands will be located about every two miles on the half marathon course. For participants running the 5K, there will be a water station at or near the turnaround at Munsinger Gardens.
We’re running rain or shine! The race will not be rescheduled due to inclement weather; however, in the event of severe weather, all attempts will be made to delay the race rather than cancel it.
Although we cannot predict the weather, we can provide some historical weather averages for the area on race weekend. In St. Cloud, average Earth Day Run weekend temperatures include highs of around 57°F and lows of around 35°F and record temperatures include a high of 96°F and low of 21°F. Participants should be sure to check the weather forecast in the days leading up to their runs.
Note that weather conditions can change rapidly. We recommend participants prepare for both best- and worst-case scenarios when preparing and selecting clothing for the race.
Any weather-related delays will be reported on the Active Central MN Facebook page in the event they occur.
All racers are encouraged to stay for the awards ceremony starting at approximately 11:30 a.m. in front of the stage area. We look forward to presenting awards for all age groups in 5-year increments. Winners must be present to claim their prizes.
If you need medical assistance, from band-aids and ice packs to medical emergencies, staff from CentraCare will be located near the finish line. Volunteers along the course will be available to call for aid, in the case of emergencies.
For those who have additional questions or need assistance prior to race day, please contact us at heather.rothfork@activecentralmn.org.
Online registration ends Tuesday, April 16, 2024 (last-minute registrants can sign up in-person at the Expo from 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday, April 19, 2024). Event partner GetMeRegistered.com provides secure, online registration for Earth Day Run and all Active Central MN events.
River’s Edge Convention Center
10 4th Avenue South
St. Cloud, MN 56301
All races start on the East St. Germain bridge, adjacent to the River’s Edge Convention Center.
Visit the city website for downtown St. Cloud parking information.
Parking south of downtown is encouraged. For participants parking near the north end of the St. Cloud State University campus or by Lake George, expect a 5 to 10-minute walk through downtown to and from the start and finish lines adjacent to the River’s Edge Convention Center (10 4th Avenue South, St. Cloud, MN 56301).
All races over Earth Day Run weekend will start and finish in downtown St. Cloud. Several downtown streets will be temporarily closed to traffic for race events, including the East St. Germain Bridge (Veterans Bridge, just north of the River’s Edge Convention Center), West St. Germain Street, 5th Avenue and others. Please be aware that these closures that may affect your travel and require detours and additional time to reach local destinations.
The City of St. Cloud and the St. Cloud Police Department worked on course routes to minimize disturbances and ensure community safety and the safety of event participants. In cases of emergency, vehicles and responders will make it into all locations.
We encourage participants and spectators to enjoy all that St. Cloud has to offer Earth Day Run weekend.
Restaurants and bars include, 7 West Taphouse, Cowboy Jack’s, Green Mill, Howie’s Sports Bar & Grill, Jules’ Bistro, MC’s Dugout, Olde Brick House, The Pickled Loon, Red Carpet Nightclub, Veranda Lounge, The White Horse among many others.
Stay the weekend at one of many area hotels. Learn more about lodging, restaurant and entertainment options at visitstcloud.com.
Thanks to all spectators who come out to support our Earth Day Run participants! We hope you enjoy the race.
Note that, for the safety of spectators and race participants, we ask that those watching the race remain clear of the immediate race course. Spectating pets should be tightly leashed and kept clear of the course.
Check back here for official times following the event. Active Central MN events are timed by Pickle Events. Results can be found by going to www.mtecresults.com or www.pickleevents.com
Check our Facebook page at facebook.com/activecentralmn about a week after the race to see photos.
Each year, volunteers help direct runners and provide a safe experience for everyone during the CentraCare Earth Day Run. If you are part of a nonprofit, you may use this event as a fundraiser for your organization!
The rates of volunteer pay are as follows: $35 per volunteer for groups of 1-20 volunteers and $40 per volunteer for groups of 20+ volunteers.
Event setup, the expo, and Kids 1K will take place on Friday, April 19, and we have volunteer openings throughout the day on Friday. Half Marathon and 5K events begin at 8:30am on Saturday, April 20. Volunteers will start at 8:00am and will be finished by 11:30am. Volunteers will be stationed at various locations along the run course to direct runners and provide a safe experience for everyone.
NOTE: Due to safety and liability considerations, volunteers must be 16 years of age or older. Parents are welcome to volunteer in place of a child who is under the age limit or to volunteer as an additional member of a group in the case that their child meets age eligibility requirements.
Active Central Minnesota also has other volunteer opportunities and fundraising opportunities for non-profits. We have events in May, June, and August. If your team is interested in signing up for volunteering for these events, please reach out to heather.corcoran@activecentralmn.org and she will reach back to you with details.