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Your registration fee supports environmental education, outdoor recreation, and natural resource conservation. River Bend is a 501(c)(3) non-profit nature center that relies on donations, memberships, and fundraising events. Thank You!
2026 Maple Syrup Fun Run Registration
Registration is open. Click the Blue Links to register.
| Race Distance | Early Bird Pricing | Pricing After March 31 |
| One Mile | $30.00 | $40.00 |
| 5K | $40.00 | $50.00 |
| 10K | $45.00 | $55.00 |
| 25K | $55.00 | $65.00 |
| 50K | $65.00 | $80.00 |
All registrations get a free pancake brunch and goodies from race sponsors.
Free Pancake Brunch begins at 9:00 am for runners and their spectators
Register by Sunday, April 12 to get a Free t-shirt. T-shirts are unisex sizes. Same day registrations can get a t-shirt on a first come, first serve basis while supplies last.
Public Brunch Attendees Register Here, Brunch 10:00 am -12:00 pm
RBNC Members $5.00 per person . Non-Members $10.00 per person
Children 2 & younger Free
2026 SPONSORS
Race Day Timeline
25K & 50K
- Check In 6:00 am - 6:45 am
- Race Starts at 7:00 am
10K, 5K, One Mile
- Check-in 7:30 am - 8:15 am
- 5K & 10K Starts at 8:30 am
- One mile walk/run starts at 8:40 am - Not chip timed
Pancake Brunch
- Starts at 9:00 am for runners & their spectators, 10:00 am for public
Off-Site Event Parking
Located at 100 State Ave, Faribault, MN 55021
25K & 50K can park at the nature center, all other participants and spectators please park at Allina.
Get Printable Parking Information by clicking this link. Fun Run Parking and Bus Schedule
Please see updated map below for new routes for each distance. The 5K and 10K routes are slightly longer than listed distance. The 25K and 50K routes are slightly shorter than the listed distance.
The race routes will have 3 course marshals and 4 water stations through out the course. We will have an athletic trainer available at the start/finish line and an ambulance on standby for additional support.
Porta-pottys will be available near the 1. start/finish line in the prairie (red dot), 2. upper parking lot as you run towards Prairie Loop Trial and 3. south-side entrance by the water-stop (yellow dot) on Sumac Trail
See map below.
25K (2 Loops) /50K (4 Loops) Route = Purple . 5K (1 Loop) /10K (2 Loops) Route = Orange
Course Marshalls = Green Dots . Water Stops = Yellow Dots . Start/Finish Line = Red Dot
New 2026 Race Routes
New 2026 Race Routes
1 Mile
Once around the loop
5k Once around the loop
10K Twice around the loop
*Note this route is slightly longer than a true 5K/10K due to the positioning of the start/end line and the lengths of the trails.
25k Twice around the loop
50K Four times around the loop
*Note this route is slightly shorter than a true 25K/50K due to the positioning of the start/end line and the lengths of the trails.
History
Why the Maple Syrup Fun Run? Hundreds of years ago, Indigenous people started making maple syrup or sugar which has become a long-standing tradition in Minnesota. In late winter/early spring when the temperatures get above 32 degrees Fahrenheit in the day and below 32 at night for a week or longer, sap starts to move in maple trees. When crows and bald eagles started to return, the Ojibwa knew it was time to move to the sugar bush. They would make tools out of birch bark, willow, and clay in order to collect sap and boil it. Many times they would boil sap until only maple sugar was left. This made it easier to transport and trade. To read more about the history and science of maple syruping, visit this article from the MN DNR website.
Today, River Bend Nature Center continues this tradition with the large sugar bush along racoon trail all the way to the Straight River. By May, the sap is cooked, bottled, and ready to be sold!