2025 "Feel the Burn" 5K Run/Walk - June 21, 2025   10am - Lapham Peak

Among Lapham Peaks most popular attractions are its many pristine prairies.

The restoration efforts of the prairies within the park go back a few decades involving an incredible amount of work done by the Friends of Lapham Peak - dedicated volunteers, and the DNR's staff!

One of the most important parts of prairie restoration and maintenance involves fire. Prescribed burning allows natural prairie grasses and flowers to thrive while suppressing invasive species like thistle, buckthorn, honeysuckle, boxelder, and Crown Vetch. These unwanted plants and shrubs are detrimental to our restoration efforts and threaten the prairies we’ve worked so hard to restore.

In recent years, work responsibilities have changed, and park staff no longer plan or conduct prescribed burns.  The Friends of Lapham Peak have taken over the role of coordinating this work with the help of contracted services in partnership with the Park's Property Manager.  The cost of burning our prairies is  nearly $100/acre. With several hundred acres of prairie at Lapham, this quickly becomes an expensive venture.

 

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Run Day Results

Saturday 6/21/25 was very warm, but over 60 participants came out and ran or walked the race route.

Thank you to everyone who participated, and to Bang'in Burgers for sharing proceeds with us, thanks to Good Oak Ecological Services for sponsoring the event again this year, and to TYDISH Running for being a new sponsor this year.  Thanks to Kris Maki (FLP) and Colton Kelly (DNR) and to the DNR staff at Lapham Peak plus the more than dozen volunteers who made this event possible.

Native Prairie Seeds, T-Shirts, and walking sticks were sold as a fundraiser for the event; additional prairie seeds ($5 per packet) and merchandise are available at the Park's Office for purchase to help us with prairie and woodland restoration costs.  Stop in and shop!

2025 Results (by name, by class, and by time)

2024 (Rainy weather)

2023

2022