More than 100 Participants Registered in “Running Green for Crossroads”

The local response to Door County’s first “green” running and walking event has been surprising and encouraging to everyone involved in launching the June 26 event, “Running Green for Crossroads.” Sponsors have been enthusiastic in backing it, and the public has been excited by a new opportunity to get fit and enjoy the outdoors.

“We’re quite pleased to already see more than a hundred people registered in advance and we’re still a week away,” says event founder Gretchen Schmelzer. “We don’t have any cap on attendance at Crossroads, and we expect to see quite a few people register on the morning of the event. This is a great turnout!”

Competitive runners may experience something quite new in shifting from road events to trail running. Since this is a green run, participants are expected to bring and carry their own water vessel. All of the snacks are from local providers. Even the entertainment will be local: Sugar on the Floor Barn Dance Society.

Many local artists and business have contributed to this “green” event: Evergreen Nursery has donated trees to be given away, Earthworks has designed wooden trophy disks, and Dan Swanson has created walking sticks from invasive species found on Crossroads land.

“Running Green for Crossoads,” the first annual eco-aware trail run in Door County, will take place on Saturday, June 26 at 9 am. All of the courses, including a 2K, 5K and 10K trail walk or run are staged on the woodlands and open fields in and around Crossroads at Big Creek in Sturgeon Bay. For more information or to download a race packet with trail maps and a registration form, visit http://www.CrossroadsAtBigCreek.org.