Stretch your legs in October with Forest Preserve’s Harvest Hustle Virtual 5K and Pumpkin Fun Run

October is the perfect month to take your fitness path to the next level by participating in the Forest Preserve District of Will County’s Harvest Hustle Virtual 5K and Pumpkin Fun Run.

If you prefer running on a day when it’s convenient for you, complete the Harvest Hustle Virtual 5K on any date in October. If you love to run surrounded by others, choose the Pumpkin Fun Run on Saturday, Oct. 14. Or, if you are really motivated and want to get moving this fall, tackle both runs. And don’t worry about your pace; both runs are for people of all abilities. You can run, jog or walk the virtual 5K, which is 3.1 miles, or the fun run, which is just under 2.5 miles.

Harvest Hustle
The Harvest Hustle can be completed from Sunday, Oct. 1, through Tuesday, Oct. 31. Preregistration is not required. Harvest Hustle participants need to track their self-guided 5K on their smartphone and complete the online submission form with a screenshot of their run. The first 100 participants to finish their virtual 5Ks will receive long-sleeved Harvest Hustle T-shirts. The online submission form will go live on the Forest Preserve website on Oct. 1. All runs must be completed on one of 11 designated Forest Preserve trails. For a list of the trails, visit the Event Calendar at ReconnectWithNature.org.

Pumpkin Fun Run
The Pumpkin Fun Run is set for 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 14, at Hadley Valley – Gougar Road Access, which is located on Gougar Road north of Route 6/Maple Road in Joliet. Registration for this program is required by Wednesday, Oct. 11. Register online on the Event Calendar at ReconnectWithNature.org or call 815-727-8700. A decorated booth will be set up for photos to commemorate the day. Pumpkin Fun Run participants will receive water bottles, and they can pick out a pumpkin to take home. Strollers are welcome at the Pumpkin Fun Run, but in-line skates, bicycles and dogs are not.

Funding for both the Harvest Hustle Virtual 5K and the Pumpkin Fun Run has been generously provided by The Nature Foundation of Will County.