New Date: February 17, 2024
The February 18, 2023 RACE TO CONSERVE has been POSTPONED to February 17, 2024 as a result of Hurricane Ian and its impacts on the trails and natural areas of the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park. We feel this decision is best for both the safety and enjoyment of the event participants and for the park itself as it continues to heal from the high wind exposure and flooding it endured, followed by heavy equipment intrusion during post-storm clean up.
Welcome to The Environmental Conservancy of North Port And Surrounding Areas Second Annual 5K Timed Run or 1K/5K Walk at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in North Port!
The Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park was acquired by the City of North Port in 1989 with two Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program grants. The name Myakkahatchee comes from the Seminole language: "miarca" meaning "big water" and "hatchee" alluding to "river". A true “Blackwater Creek,” the water in the Creek is stained a brown color by the leaves, roots, and detritus decaying in and around it, making a transparent water that is darkly stained resembling black tea (aka tannin-stained).
The 5K timed run will take you through almost all of the trails in park (Yellow Trail, White Trail, Red Trail and one of the two Maintenance Trails); a new course map is in the works (see 2022 map on this website as a sample for now). A 1K walk route will be marked; walkers can choose their distance between the 1K or 5K routes. 1K map coming soon. Leashed dogs are permitted in accordance with park rules.
Timing provided by Beach Bum Timing (www.beachbumtiming.com).
CAUTION: trails are maintained but preserved in their natural state. You may find uneven surfaces, leaves, branches, roots and other elements typical of this type of environment. Please wear appropriate closed-toe footwear and exercise outdoor-activity caution.
Our 2022 event held in February 2022 included a wellness theme with related nonprofits/vendors. The event will now be expanded from just a general wellness theme to a wellness-through-art/nature/outdoors theme. A variety of nonprofits and vendors will be on hand to share their like-minded missions with event participants/attendees; this race website will be updated with all entities who register to attend as we receive them. Event sponsor/nonprofit/vendor tables will be open both PRE-race/walk and POST-race/walk for your enjoyment and learning.
Food trucks will be on site, possibly music too. We are looking into post-race beer as an additional refreshment for participants.
Visit the Event Sponsors tab of this website to view the Sponsor Invitation Packet, and contact us if you'd like to be a sponsor or vendor at NPconservancy@gmail.com.
Runners/Walkers under age 8 can participate in the run/walk free of charge.
Walk-In Same-Day Registrations will be available the day of the race/walk until 7:30 am. We will have race QR codes posted for same day registrants who are paying with a credit card. Please bring your Runsignup login and password if you have one for same day registration.
One water station at the 1.5 mile mark of the 5K will be provided and water will also be available at the Finish Line. Walkers, please bring your own water to enjoy along your walk route.
Race Shirts are guaranteed to participants who sign up by midnight on 1/31/24. Thereafter additional shirts will be available in a limited quantity on a first come, first served basis at the check-in booth on the morning of the race upon your arrival, prior to the start of the race. In-person awards and post-race refreshments will also be given out (see the Race Shirts & Awards section below).
CHECK IN ON RACE DAY: Please plan to check in for the 5K run by 7:30 am and for the 1K walk or 5K walk by 7:45 am.
PACKET PICK-UP: TBA
DIRECTIONS: Take Exit 182 from I-75 and head East. Follow Sumter Blvd. to Tropicaire Blvd. Turn left on Tropicaire Blvd. and turn right on Reisterstown Road. The park is at the curve of Reisterstown Road on the right.
PARKING: Parking is available within the park or along Reisterstown Road/Estates Drive. Please refrain from parking on the residential side of Reisterstown Road/Estates Drive.
All runners/walkers are encouraged to follow the most current COVID-19 CDC Guidelines that are in place on the day of the event.
We truly ARE in a race to conserve. More than 1,000 people are now moving to Florida each and every day and hundreds to thousands of acres of land are being completely cleared not just locally in our neighborhoods, but Statewide, to accommodate our growing population daily; this displaces and threatens the very being of our wildlife, endangered species, flora and trees at the same time, to include Gopher Tortoises such as those pictured in our race website banner.
All of the trees and plants you will see in the park are the same as those being removed in our neighborhoods daily to make way for development. Few to none are saved/protected or planted back.
We hope that in visiting this natural park you will be inspired to learn more about the natural environment in your neighborhood and how to protect it or improve it. Plant back local native trees and plants that once grew on your land, conserve native trees or plants if you are planning to build a home and begin or continue to support our efforts to protect similar natural greenspace in our neighborhoods by joining one of our Neighborhood Conservation Groups (see our Facebook page or Website under "Events" for more information).
Proceeds from this event will be utilized toward future land acquisition purchases. If you'd like to provide the gift of a donation in support of our mission as well, please visit the Donate tab of this website.
The Environmental Conservancy of North Port, Inc. dba The Environmental Conservancy of North Port And Surrounding Areas is a 501c3 nonprofit corporation. To learn more about us visit our website www.ecnorthport.com find us on Instagram @npconservancy or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ECnorthport.
If you have any questions about this race, click the button below.
Race Shirts are guaranteed to participants who sign up by midnight on 1/31/24. Thereafter additional shirts will be available in a limited quantity on a first come, first served basis at the check-in booth on the morning of the event, prior to the start of the race. Sponsors will be shown/listed on the back of the shirt. See sample design below.
Land Conservation Team Member tokens to all Runners/Walkers at the finish line.
IN PERSON awards will also be presented to the 5k runners immediately following the race as follows:
Top Male/Female Finisher in the following categories: Youth, Overall, Masters, Grand Masters, Senior Grand Master, Veterans.
Age Group Awards to the Top Three Male/Female Finishers in the following groups: 8-12, 13-18, 19-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75+.
Those taking part in the 1K Walk will not receive a bib and will not be timed.
Our 2022 event held in February 2022 included a wellness theme with related nonprofits/vendors). This event will now be expanded from just a general wellness theme to a wellness-through-art/nature/outdoors theme. A variety of nonprofits and vendors will be on hand to share their like-minded missions with event participants/attendees; this section of our will be updated with all entities who register as sponsors/vendors as we receive them.
Sponsors/vendors will be available to visit both pre-race/walk and post-race/walk.
Interested in participating in the Wellness-Art-Nature Forest? Contact us at NPconservancy@gmail.com or 941-218-9775.
The 5K route will take you through almost all of the trails in park (Yellow Trail, White Trail, Red Trail and one of the two Maintenance Trails). See map for the 2022 route; we may alter it slightly for this race.
LINK TO NEW ROUTE COMING SOON.
CAUTION: trails are maintained but preserved in their natural state. You may find uneven surfaces, leaves, branches, roots and other elements typical of this type of environment. Please wear appropriate closed-toe footwear and exercise outdoor-activity caution.
Stands of slash pine and sabal palm and an abundance of live oaks of varying size and age will keep you company and shaded as you travel through. Wild coffee with its brilliant red berries are abundant, as are saw palmetto that glow beautifully when the sun shines through their fronds. Airplants, moss and lichen of various sizes and types color the oak branches/trunks and palm trunks. Ferns glow almost a neon green along the Creek. Wading birds in the depression marsh area of the White Trail are likely; look for their white feathers through the vegetation as you go by. On the Maintenance Trail the wide open sky will likely be providing a beautiful cloud show while you run/walk. The Yellow Trail takes you right through a Creek arm in one place (with little to no water at this time of year and a high spot to travel over). BONUS: there are Bald Cypress in the park - let us know if you see them! Also look for what we've named the "Tree of Life" - a massive live oak with its root system exposed along the Creek.
Click below to view a PDF of the park map that depicts all trails in the park and their distances.
https://www.cityofnorthport.com/home/showpublisheddocument/6298/637672118116670000
Click the icon below to download the attached PDF.
Details coming soon.
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