Registration for the 2024 Pumpkin Run is now open.
The annual event hosted in Downtown Lincoln’s Haymarket district is “the largest youth only fun-run in the United States,” says Dave Minarik, President of the Nebraska Sports Council.
The run is geared towards elementary and middle school aged children. Kids and their parents will race 1-mile through the Railyard and cross the finish line in front of Pinnacle Bank Arena (PBA) to receive their finisher medal. The PBA floor will host a vendor fair for the length of the event, complete with freebies and giveaways for the kids.
Minarik says the run is often utilized by PE teachers in and around Lincoln to encourage kids to develop a fitness activity they can participate in for a lifetime. Last year, there were over 3,900 participants.
The race has six different heats for each grade level. If kids miss their heat, they’re welcome to jump in the next one. The race is not officially scored, however there is a clock to track you completion time.
“It’s actually pretty amazing some of the times these kids come in with 1 mile,” Minarik told KLIN News.
The tentative date for 2024’s Pumpkin Run is Sunday, October 13, 2024. But Minarik says, with all PBA community events, they can’t declare the official date until about 90 days prior, as prospective concert announcements could interfere with that date.
“I advise everyone to practice, get out there and get moving. That’s part of the wellness attraction, is that you learn how to train for an event, and then that day will be really fun for everyone,” Minarik says.
The Pumpkin Run is all pre-registration, which can be done at pumpkinrunlincoln.com.
“It’s the 40th anniversary of the sports council, and the pumpkin run is maybe one of the events we’re most proud of over that time,” Minarik said proudly.