Quick dash or leisurely stroll?
This is the time of year when most people want to slow down and take a leisurely stroll through Morton Arboretum to enjoy fall's color show.
Yet hundreds of runners will be competing Sunday morning to see who can run fastest through the tree museum in Lisle.
With many trees starting to change colors in the expansive woodland area, most people might normally want to take their time and enjoy nature's beauty. Perhaps that's why organizers include a walk component to the arboretum's annual Fall Color 5K Run and Walk.
"We're going to have the runners start first with the walkers and people with strollers behind them," said Erin Cave-Rutili, the arboretum's special events coordinator. "It's actually a very scenic part of the grounds. We expect a lot of walkers, too."
This is the event's fourth year and participants get to follow a 3.1-mile trail through areas most visitors don't often reach in their arboretum jaunts. The course runs through the larger, eastern portion of the arboretum. The start and finish line is near the visitor's center.
"It's all on paved surfaces, but it's also a way for participants to see areas that aren't as normally visible as other parts," Cave-Rutili said.
Spots are still available in the race, which begins at 8 a.m. Sunday. Registration is $25 for nonmembers and $23 for members. Race-day registration is available for $30, but runners can't be "chip-timed" if they register Sunday, Cave-Rutili said.
About 1,400 participants already have registered, and organizers are shooting for a final tally of 2,000, she said.
The event also features a fitness fair with vendors and sponsors near the starting line from 7:30 to 11 a.m.
There will be raffles and giveaways, Cave-Rutili said. A special Kids Dash race will begin at 9:30 a.m.
The event is more than a showcase for the color-changing leaves on the thousands of trees within the arboretum, said public relations manager Gina Tedesco.
"Events like these do heighten the awareness of what the arboretum offers to people who might just be coming for the run," she said. "They see the beautiful trees and all the other wonderful offerings and recognize, perhaps for the first time, that we are a 12-month operation and there are many different ways to enjoy our facilities."
If you go
What: Fall Color 5K Run and Walk
When: 8 a.m. Sunday; Kids Dash at 9:30 a.m.; Fitness Fair 7:30 to 11 a.m.
Where: Morton Arboretum, 4100 Route 53, Lisle
Costs: $23 in advance for members, $25 for others; $30 race day
Register: mortonarb.org or fax (773) 868-0425