Earth Day Run

Event Information

Participant Perks

Shirts

Race participants who register by March 27th will receive the 2026 CentraCare Earth Day Run t-shirt (short sleeve t-shirts for 5K and pre-registered kids 1K participants and long sleeve for half marathon participants).

5k and Half Marathon Race participants will receive the 2026 CentraCare Earth Day Run medal. Free kids 1k runners will not receive medals.

Packet Pickup

Brought to you by Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation

3 p.m.-8 p.m.
Friday, April 17, 2026
Earth Day Run Health & Fitness Festival
River’s Edge Convention Center
10 4th Ave S, St Cloud, MN 56301

What you need to know

There will be late registration available at the Expo on Friday for all events.
Participants must pick up their own packets with the exception of immediate family members.
Team captains for half marathon relay teams must pick up packets for their relay team.

Can’t make it on Friday? We offer race-day packet pickup for a $10 fee per person!

All Half Marathon packets not picked up on Friday will be automatically transferred to our race-day pickup service.
The Saturday morning race-day packet pickup service is for those who cannot make it on Friday or are from out of town and is $10/person. All proceeds going to local student groups who will have your packet ready for you to pick up Saturday morning beginning at 6:30 a.m. at the River’s Edge Convention Center.

Schedule

Friday, April 17, 2026:

3 p.m.-8 p.m. – Health & Fitness Festival, packet pickup, and late registration.
5:30 p.m. – Coborn’s Free 1K Kids Run (12 & under)
6:30 p.m. – 5K Run/Walk/ including the 5k Corporate Challenge & CentraCare Wellness Challenge
7:15 p.m. – 5k Awards & Door Prizes at the expo stage. (all categories)

Saturday, April 18, 2026:

6:30 a.m. – Half Marathon Proxy packet pick up
8:00 a.m. – Bernick’s Half Marathon start time
8:00 a.m. – Bernick’s Half Marathon Relay start time
11:30 a.m. – Half Marathon awards and door prizes
12:00 p.m. – Half Marathon Course Time Cap.

Gallagher Cheer Zones

Gallagher Cheer Zones are an exciting and treasured part of the CentraCare Earth Day Run weekend. Cheer zones are positioned to add fun, motivation, and encouragement for participants throughout run courses, which start and end in downtown St. Cloud.

All applications will be reviewed, and the Cheer Zone committee will select 5 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 receive $500 to go toward their organization for being chosen. After the race, runners will vote for the Most Motivating Cheer Zone, and the winning group will receive an additional $1000!

Requirements:

Apply by filling out the Cheer Zone Application and submitting it by the last Friday in March, to our Cheer Zone coordinator at Goebell13@gmail.com.
Cheer Zone areas will be designated to water stop locations on the half marathon course where they can set up their zone to be as fun and festive as possible.
Cheer Team members will also help to keep runners hydrated by manning their water stop (all water stop supplies provided by ACM).
Groups must be in place before the first runners arrive (approximately 8:30 a.m.) and can break down their cheer zone when cleared by the Earth Day Run volunteers at around 11:30 a.m.
Groups must have a minimum of 10 participants (we encourage 20+!)
There is no electricity on the course, but music, instruments, high fives, and more are encouraged. Groups are permitted to bring their own power source/ generator and reasonably sized sound system for music.
Clearly represent your organization with signage, costumes, etc., for ease of voting.

Application

5K Corporate Challenge

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.

Travel, Parking, & Lodging

Race start/finish location

River’s Edge Convention Center
10 4th Avenue South
St. Cloud, MN 56301

All races start and finish directly in front of the River’s Edge Convention Center in downtown St.Cloud.

Parking

Visit the city website for downtown St. Cloud parking information.

Parking south of downtown is encouraged and it is FREE to park in the downtown parking ramps. 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).

Road Closures

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.

Lodging and Restaurants:

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.

Find Earth Day Run hotel blocks and accommodation info at visitstcloud.com.

Race Results and Photos

Results

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

Photos

Check our Facebook page at facebook.com/activecentralmn about a week after the race to see photos.

Volunteers and Fundraising Groups

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, 5k, and Kids 1K will take place on Friday and we have volunteer openings throughout the day on Friday. Half Marathon and events begin at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday. 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.

If you have interest in volunteering for the Earth Day Run, please reach out to emma.zeglen@activecentralmn.org

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 emma.zeglen@activecentralmn.org and she will reach back to you with details.

Race Rules and other Information

Bernick’s Half Marathon Relay

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 at 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 half marathon relay Exchange Zone is located at 2480 Clearwater Road, St. Cloud, MN 56301 (just after Mile 6).
A relay Exchange Zone shuttle provided by Trobec’s Bus will be located at the Metro Bus lot located across from Wells Fargo on 5th Avenue in downtown St. Cloud. Shuttles will run every 15-20 minutes to allow for easy access to and from the Exchange Zone.
Parking is available at nearby Life Assembly of God Church (2409 Clearwater Rd, St Cloud, MN 56301); however, we encourage participants to use the relay Exchange Zone shuttle as there will be limited parking available at the church.
Participants must enter the relay Exchange Zone via the crossing near the shuttle drop off point. Police officers and volunteers will assist with foot traffic crossing the road. Spectators are allowed adjacent to the exchange zone, but they should not enter the run route or exchange zone. Signage will assist you and make it easy for you when you arrive.

Coborn’s Free Kids 1K

The FREE 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 required includes a t-shirt for those who register by March 20th.

To ensure your little runner can get the most out of the 1K:

Register with a buddy
Invite family members to cheer for the young participants
Wear running shoes and comfortable, weather-appropriate clothes

The 1K will begin at 5:30 p.m. sharp with heats starting 3:00 minutes apart. Locate your kids 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

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.

Clothing Drop Box

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.

Restrooms

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.

Food provided by Coborn’s

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).

Race Course Time Cap

Out of respect to the community, our volunteers, and law enforcement it is necessary to limit the length of time participants are out of the course. Time caps will be enforced so that road closures can be opened and volunteers released as agreed upon through the permitting process. The race course will close at 12:00pm. Participants estimated to finish after that time will be asked to exit the course or finish without support.

Water

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.

Weather

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.

Awards Ceremony

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 10-year increments. Winners must be present to claim their awards and any door prizes (registered participants only)

Medical

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.