Urban Wildland Half Marathon & 5K

Saturday, July 29, 2023 • Richfield, MN • Course Map

Designated and promoted by organizers as “Minnesota’s Green Race,” the Urban Wildland Half Marathon & 5K is perhaps unique in that all waste generated during the event — from cups thrown on the ground by runners to food and packaging discarded at the race start and finish lines — is recycled, re-used or composted.

Runners follow a combination of city streets and trails of the town of Richfield’s many urban parks, the race offers an interesting mix of wooded, tree-lined pathways along with the feel of running through very urban, big-city streets.

The race starts and finishes at Richfield’s Veterans Memorial Park, at the corner of 66th Street and Portland Avenue South, and takes runners on a counter-clockwise 13.1-mile loop route through the city and finishes back at the park.

Mostly flat and fast, the course begins by heading out of the park and then north toward Taft Park and around the edges of Taft Park Pond before heading south into the course’s gentle hills and making a lap through Christian Park.

The course continues west from Christian Park, fast and flat through this section of neighborhood blocks and city streets with a section through Augsburg Park. From there, the course weaves its way south and west, turning northward again as runners reach Interstate 35 and the Wood Lake Nature Center Park, which is also a co-sponsor of the race.

After running along the twists and turns of the trails through Wood Lake, runners then follow through a few streets east of the park, taking runners turn by turn through Richfield before returning to Veterans Memorial Park to cross the finish line.

Runners should note that they need to keep an adequate pace (no slower than a 16-minute mile), as the last groups of runners complete sections of the course, those roads will be re-opened to traffic.

Race Weather & Climate

Located less than 10 miles south of the heart of downtown Minneapolis, the town of Richfield enjoys weather that’s much the same as its larger neighboring city — mild, pleasant summers and sometimes bitterly cold winters.

On race day (Jul. 29), the average low is 63ºF and the average high is 83ºF.

Past Results

Course Map

See the race route map for the Urban Wildland Half Marathon here.

Starting Time

7:00 AM – half marathon
8:00 AM – 5K

Course Time Limit

3 1/2 hours

Fees

$75 and up for the half marathon
$45 and up for the 5K

Registration

To reserve your spot in the 2023 running of Richfield’s Urban Wildland Half Marathon or 5K race, register online at RunSignUp.com here.

Official Race Website

urbanwildland.com

Comments

Ever run in the Urban Wildland Half Marathon? Share your impressions here, or post your review in the Comments below.

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