Within This Page:
Description | Start Times | Location | Packet Pick-up | Course Maps | Parking | Park & Ride Options | Baggage Drop | Food | Water | Exhibitors
T-Shirts | Satellites/Bathrooms | Safety | Pre-Race | Post-Race Festivities | Showers | Lodging | "Get in Gear Prize Give Away" Team
Volunteers | Community Support | Information Hotline

Other Links:
- Registration
- Frequently Asked Questions

Description  (Back to top)

Get in Gear
10K Run, 5K Run/Walk, 2K Fun Run & Half Marathon
Largest 10K in Minnesota Top 15 in the Nation
Saturday, April 28, 2012

Minnehaha Park
Minneapolis, Minnesota

The 10K Run is open to all 12 and over.  If under 12 years of age, permission must be granted by the Race Director at (Email: Get in Gear Race Director). 

The 5K Run/Walk and 2K Fun Run are open to all ages. 

Start Times  (Back to top)

2K: 8:00a.m.
10K & Half-Marathon: 9:00a.m.
  (Note: Three hour limit. Roads open to public at Noon.)
5K: 9:20a.m.

Note: All run and walk participants will be expected to have completed the course by Noon (when the roads are scheduled to re-open).

Location  (Back to top)

The 10K, 5K, 2K and Half Marathon will begin and end at Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis located at the intersection of 46th Avenue/Street and Mississippi River Blvd. in Minneapolis.

The actual race location address is:
4801 Minnehaha Ave. South, Minneapolis, MN 55417 - Google Map

Race Location Maps - Click here

Course Maps - Click here

Packet Pick-Up  (Back to top)

For those from out of town, a limited number of packets will be allowed to be picked up on race day beginning at 7:00 a.m. No race day registration. Please prepare to be on-site one hour before your race starts to pick up your packets and prepare for the race.  There may be long lines and the races will start on time.

You are strongly encouraged to pick up your packet on Friday to avoid being late for the start of the race on Saturday morning.

Start Times

2K: 8:00a.m.
10K & Half-Marathon: 9:00a.m.
  (Note: Three hour limit. Roads open to public at Noon.)
5K: 9:20a.m.

Note: All run and walk participants will be expected to have completed the course by Noon (when the roads are scheduled to re-open).

Please plan accordingly.

Course Maps  (Back to top)

Course Maps - Click here

Parking, FREE Shuttle Info and Lightrail Options  (Back to top)
(Race Day Only)

Parking Notice - VERY IMPORTANT NOTICE!  There is NO PARKING allowed at the Minnehaha Park on event morning. Vehicles are subject to being ticketed if parked in a "no parking area."

BE EARLY!!!  Traffic can, and will be, congested in and around the VAMC and Minnehaha Park the morning of the Get in Gear events.

FREE Shuttle: 6:45a.m. start to 12:30pm or when buses are no longer needed.  This will be determined by our bus coordinator on race day. Get in Gear is providing a FREE shuttle service which will begin at the VAMC (Veterans Affairs Medical Center web site or Veterans Affairs Medical Center web site map).

The VAMC is located approximately one mile south of Minnehaha Park on Minnehaha Avenue (Junction of Hwy. 55 & 62). 

VAMC address: 1 Veterans Drive, Minneapolis, MN 55417. Look for directional signs on race morning.  Incoming vehicles to the VAMC will be directed to designated Get in Gear parking area by VAMC personnel.

Note: To ease congestion, we have two VAMC entrances arranged for Get In Gear parking. The second entrance to VAMC is at Hwy. 55 (Hiawatha Avenue) and East 54th Street. Follow signs.  Map to VAMC parking.

Participants will then be taken by designated buses directly to Minnehaha Park.  Buses will be ready for return to VAMC AFTER the buses have completed dropping participants off for their race.  The distance between the VAMC and Minnehaha Park is one mile. You may plan to jog or walk as an alternative one way or two way option.

Metro Transit/Light Rail

Clothing Baggage Drop Pre-Race (Back to top)
(Race Day Only)

Food - Friday & Saturday  (Back to top)

Water  (Back to top)

All of the Get in Gear water stations are managed by one of our charitable donation recipient teams.  We invite your feedback once the race is completed.

Exhibitor Expo - Friday & Saturday (Back to top)

Want to be an exhibitor? Exhibitor Request Form - Click here!

Safety  (Back to top)

For the safety of your fellow participants, bicycles, inline skates, skateboards and dogs are not allowed on the race course.

Walkers and strollers are welcome in our 5K only, but will need to start at the back. Though strollers/joggers are allowed on the 5K course, the road closure timeline is still enforced. Walkers and stroller mail-in registration and info.

Pre-Race  (Back to top)
(Race Day Only)

Frequently Asked Questions - Click Here

A bag drop will be set up in the Pavilion, and pre-event warm-ups will be conducted at the Bandstand by staff of the Highland Park LifeTime Fitness center. Warm-ups for the 2K will be held 7:30a.m to 7:45a.m and warm-ups for the 10K will be held 8:30a.m. - 8:45a.m.

Race and Volunteer T-Shirts (Back to top)
(Available both on Friday at packet pick-up and Race Day)

Satellites/Bathrooms (Back to top)

Post Race Festivities  (Back to top)
(Race Day Only)

Music: There will be music playing throughout the morning at the park for your enjoyment.

Showers  (Back to top)
(Post-Race)

LifeTime Fitness-Highland Park will offer showers to those participants that show their race number after the race.

Lodging  (Back to top)

Hampton Inn Eagan (website)
SPECIAL reduced rate of $84.00 per night

Hampton Inn Eagan is offering lodging for a SPECIAL reduced rate of $84.00 per night to anyone registering because of the Get in Gear. Call 651-688-3343 and ask for the Get in Gear events reduced fee or go directly to the Hampton Inn's Get in Gear special rate online reservations

"Get in Gear Prize Give Away" Team  (Back to top)
(Race Day Only)

Get in Gear is proud of our exclusive "Get in Gear Prize Give Away" Team which offers hundreds of a variety of gift certificates, t-shirts and promotional items to a random selection of Get in Gear participants throughout the morning at the park. They will find you and make you smile!

Volunteers  (Back to top)

We're looking for charitable GROUPS of 30 to volunteer. In return we will donate up to $500.00 to the organizations that have the right fit for the Get in Gear and its mission. Charitable Volunteer Group Sign Up Form

We're also looking for non-charitable volunteers.  Non-Charitable Volunteer Group Sign Up Form

Finally, we're also looking for individual volunteers.
Go to https://secure.getmeregistered.com/get_information.php?event_id=5607 for volunteer position information and descriptions and sign up.

All volunteers receive a t-shirt and post-race food.

Thank you in advance for volunteers who stepped forward!

• Call our information line, 612-722-9004

Community Support  (Back to top)

The Get in Gear 10K began in 1978 and was incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1990. 

In 1987, in response to the burgeoning crisis in youth wellness, the Fit For Fun 2K training program was developed and since then has involved over 70 schools and 70,000 children achieve higher levels of health, fitness and self-esteem through participation in the Get in Gear 2K.

In 1998, the Fit For Fun 6-week training program was given the Award of Excellence for outstanding contributions in the promotion of physical activity presented by the Minnesota Council on Physical Activity and Sport.  The Fit For Fun program has also been recognized as a candidate for Youth Program of the Year in 2008 at the Running USA conference.    The Get in Gear offers youth scholarships for those wishing to participate in the 2K but in need of financial aid and has funded hundreds of children’s participation since 2000 helping to fuel the future of the sport of running.

In 2005, the Get in Gear added a 5K as a training tool for those needing a lower distance event to train and aspire to the Get in Gear  10K.  It has been a success and approximately 2000 participants register each year.  Youth group discounts are offered to coaches of teams interested in utilizing the 5K as a spring board to training and as a way to continue to bring youth to the sport of competitive running.

In 2009, the Get in Gear added a final event,  the Half-Marathon,  to reach those runners in our greater metro area that are training for a spring/summer marathon and are looking for a long run the last Saturday in April or as a springboard to spring and summer marathon training.

In 2006, the Get in Gear partnered with Second Harvest Heartland in their fight to end child hunger and has annually donated a match in kind from participants to reach a goal of a grand total of $100,000 in 2011. Additionally, an on-site food drive is held annually and participants are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to donate to Second Harvest Heartland.

The Get in Gear also reaches into the community by offering a charitable donation to any community groups or school groups looking for a fund raising opportunity by volunteering for our event.  The Get in Gear has proudly contributed to the following list of community groups with a charitable donation and/or offering discounts for group participation.

1. Charities Challenge

2. Boys to Men Inc.

3. Lakeville South High School Track & Field Team

4. Bolder Options

5. Heidi’s Angels Trust

6. St. Helena’s  Church Youth Group

7. Eagan High School Cheer Team

8. White Bear Lake North Honor Society

9. White Bear Lake Boys Tennis Team

10. Girl Scout Club of America

11. Boy Scout Club of America

12. Bethel University Student Athletic Training Society

13. Mickey’s Hope Breast Cancer Fund Raiser

14. Neurofibromatosis  Team

15. One Brick Organization

16. University of St. Thomas Crew Club

17. Woodbury High School Girl's Tennis Team

18. The New Face of Guatemala

19. Roseville Area High School Volleyball Booster Club

Get in Gear is also delighted to assist other charitable volunteer organizations by offering them cash donations for their time spent volunteering at Get in Gear. (See Get in Gear Girl Scout Club of America story)

Second Harvest Heartland

The Get in Gear is pleased to announce our seventh year of partnership with Second Harvest Heartland
( www.2harvest.org) to support them in their mission to fight hunger.

We are proud to announce a fund matching program that will match donations given by our participants and have now reached the $100,000.00 level of matched donations since our partnership began in 2006. Please join us as we continue to support the child hunger program.

Dollars donated will help support Second Harvest Heartland’s child hunger programs. We feel that great impact can be made by our participants and our organization to donate the dollars needed to support these programs. Almost 45% of those that benefit from food shelves are children and an estimated 1 in 10 children in Minnesota live in poverty, while 1 in 3 qualify for free and reduced lunches (based on low income guidelines). Supporting child hunger programs is in alignment with our support of our 2K and Fit-For-Fun programs in the schools of our greater metropolitan area.

In our first year of matching contributions we are excited to report we were able to contribute almost $9000.00 and over 5000 pounds of food to relieve hunger in our community. 

The generous donations made by our participants were matched by Get in Gear to provide meals for hungry children, teach children about nutrition and healthy eating, and staff a nutrition lending library. Thank you to all who made this happen!

It is our hope that corporations and participants will join with us in supporting this worthy cause as we continue to explore the avenues of support, while at the same time continuing to support the Get in Gear mission to provide the community with well organized runs for both adults and children.

Not running... but want to donate dollars to Second Harvest Heartland? If you're not running, but wish to donate to Second Harvest, click here.

Get in Gear will match your donations dollar for dollar up to $10,000.

The Get in Gear is managed by a Board, Executive Director, Race Operations Committee, a small seasonal part-time office staff and hundreds of volunteers that dedicate their time and energy to making the Get in Gear Minnesota's Annual Rite of Spring.

Information Hotline  (Back to top)

Info line: 612-722-9004
Fax Line: 612-722-5414