Get In Gear - General Information

Get in Gear
10k Run/Walk, 5k Run/Walk & 2k Fun Run
Largest 10K in Minnesota Top 15 in the Nation
Saturday, April 26, 2008

Minnehaha Park
Minneapolis, Minnesota
4825 Minnehaha Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55417 - Yahoo Map

Other Links:
- Registration
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Pre-Race Info Sheet (PDF) For Registered Runners

Description (Back to top)

Get in Gear
10k Run/Walk, 5k Run/Walk & 2k Fun Run
Largest 10K in Minnesota Top 15 in the Nation
Saturday, April 26, 2008

Minnehaha Park
Minneapolis, Minnesota

The 10K Run/Walk 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.

The Fit-For-Fun 2K is open to all school groups signed up and must be done on-line.

Start Times (Back to top)

2K Fun Run - 8:30am - USATF Certified Course
5K Run/Walk - 9:50am - USATF Certified Course
10K Run/Walk - 9:30am - USATF Certified Course

Note: All run and walk participants will be expected to have completed the course by 11:30am (when the roads are scheduled to re-open).

Location (Back to top)

The 10K, 5K and 2K 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:
4825 Minnehaha Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55417 - Yahoo Map

Race Location Maps - Click here

Course Maps - Click here

Packet Pick-Up (Back to top)

This information does not apply to Corporate Teams and the Fit-For-Fun Teams. They will pick up their packets as teams on Saturday morning.

Packet Pick-up at Minnehaha Park Pavilion, Friday, April 25, from Noon - 8:00 p.m. Packets may be picked up by a friend or family member during this time.

Mail-In /On-Line Registrants: All packets containing bib number and chip will be ready for pick-up by Noon on Friday, April 25. It is allowable to pick up someone else' packet.

For those from out of town, a limited number of packets will be allowed to be picked up on race day from 7:00 a.m. - 8:15 a.m. only. No race day registration. You are strongly encouraged to pick up your packet on Friday to avoid being late for the start of the race on Saturday morning.

The 2K will start promptly at 8:30 a.m. The 10K will start promptly at 9:30 a.m. Plan accordingly. 5K Run/Walk info to be announced.

Course Maps (Back to top)

Course Maps - Click here

Parking and Park & Ride 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.

Park & Ride: 7:00am start to 11:30am finish. Get in Gear is providing a park-and-ride 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 the Get in Gear parking area.

Notice! Park & Ride Update

There has been a change in the layout of the VAMC Bus Shuttle as follows:

The staging of the shuttle busses will take place off East 54th Street and not directly in front of the VA as has been done in the past. There will be ample "event parking ahead" signage both off of Hwy. 55 and at the VAMC site.

Parking will be directed by VAMC police in the lots off E. 54th Street and all shuttle busses are loading and unloading in that same staging area.

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 9:30AM 10K start. The distance between the VAMC and Minnehaha Park is one mile. Plan to jog or walk as an alternative option.

Metro Transit/Light Rail

Metro Transit for the Minneapolis Metro area includes stations that are located both at the VA Medical Center (VA Medical Center Station) and 46th Street (46th Street Station). For more detailed information and schedules, go to www.metrotransit.org/rail/index.asp.

Baggage Drop (Back to top)
(Race Day Only)

A baggage drop will be set up at Minnehaha Park, next to bus drop, for your convenience.

Food (Back to top)

Friday: Noon-8:00 p.m. A variety of drinks and sponsor sampling products will be available during packet pick-up.

Post Race Food: A large variety of drinks, food and snacks will be available after the race for your enjoyment.

Water (Back to top)

A full service water stop (with a porta-pottie, music and announcements) will be managed by the ever enthusiastic and energetic representatives of Charities Challenge, (www.charitieschallenge.org) at the 5K mark of the 10K with at least 6000 cups of water set up for participants as they go by on the course.

There will also be water set up at tables at the start of the 10K and 5K.

There is one water stop at the half-way point of the 10K race (at approximately 3 miles).

There is no water stop for the 2K or for the 5K.

There will be water available for participants before the 2K and 5K start and also at the finish line. If additional water is needed, please carry a water bottle.

Vendor Village (Back to top)

A variety of vendors, to be announced, will be available on race day.

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 10K and 5K, but will need to start at the back. We need an individual registration form from the adult pushing strollers/joggers or a family registration form (if three or more of your family - living at the same address - are participating). And, each child in a stroller/jogger must have a child's registration form (free of charge) on file with the child's information and signature of parent.

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

Frequently Asked Questions - Click Here

Park at the VAMC and bus or jog to Minnehaha Park. You will be directed to a specific parking area once you enter the VAMC by VAMC security personnel. There will be school busses at the bus pick-up at the entrance of the VAMC waiting for you to load. A Get in Gear Ambassador will be on hand to answer any questions you have as well as show you a course map and the venue map of Minnehaha Park so you will know where to go once you get to the park. Busses will not begin to return to the VAMC until after the start of the 5K at 9:50a.m. Once you load the bus at the park to return to the VAMC you will be dropped off at the entrance and expected to go to your parked vehicle to leave.

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 begin at 8:00a.m. and warm-ups for the 10K will begin at 9:00a.m.

T-Shirts (Back to top)
(Race Day Only)**

100% cotton high quality white short-sleeved t-shirts will be given to all participants of Get in Gear events. These can be picked up before or after the events at the T-shirt Tent. Look for the banners.

**T-shirts can also be purchased by visiting the Get in Gear store - click here.

Satellites/Bathrooms (Back to top)

Portable bathrooms in plenty supply, in addition to the Minnehaha Park Pavilion bathrooms, including a handicapped portable bathroom, will be available near the start/finish of the 10K.

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

After finishing your race, pick-up your warm-ups at our baggage check, get your t-shirt if you haven't already, your 2K finisher medallion if you finished the 2K, listen to music, and enjoy the post-race food buffet of yogurt, breads, fresh fruit, juice and water.

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) will offer lodging for a reduced rate of $79.00 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.

"Get in Gear Prize Give Away" Team
(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 always looking for volunteer groups from clubs, organizations, corporations, etc. And, we can always use individual volunteers as well.

Thank you in advance for volunteers who stepped forward!

Individual volunteers are also needed for various positions (see positions available). All volunteers receive a t-shirt and post-race food. Individuals sign up as follows:

Call our information line, 612-722-9004, to sign-up.
Or, e-mail us

Community Support (Back to top)

The Get in Gear 10K began in 1978 and was incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1990. Until the year 2004, the funds taken in by our events have only been used to offset the tremendous costs in putting on an event of this size and caliber and to our Fit-For-Fun school programs that absorbs all costs of all children participating that are in financial need. The expense for each 2K participant is higher than the revenue taken in per entry.

We recognize the tremendous need to support our community and have reached out to work with a variety of programs that help educate and nurture our youth and specifically our partnership with Second Harvest Heartland, as follows:

2007 Get in Gear was chosen as the 2007 USATF MN 10K Road Race Championship

Get in Gear, Inc. has also strived to maintain community support within the running community by donating funds to Team USA, supporting the MDRA and USATF by placing advertising to support their local publications and by donating to the Arthritis Foundation, Diabetes Foundation and most recently to Team Charities Challenge (www.charitieschallenge.org) to help support their mission to improve health and fitness, reduce health risks and enhance disease management through goal-oriented training programs.

Second Harvest Heartland

The Get in Gear is pleased to announce a second year 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.

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?
Get in Gear will match your donations dollar for dollar up to $10,000 - printable mail-in donation form or donate online.

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

Home Registration Page Race Course Maps Fit-For-Fun Awards
Results Photos Volunteer GIG Store Contact Us Share Your Comments


			Get in Gear, Inc. P.O. Box 6727 Minneapolis, MN 55406-0727


Phone: 612-722-9004 Fax: 612-722-5414 E-mail: (Get In Gear)