Active Events in the South Lake Area

The recent Lake Minnetonka Half Marathon which concluded in Excelsior reminded me of the many upcoming active events that occur in our backyard.

In case you are interested in participating or spectating, here is a listing for the near future:

Lake Minnetonka Triathlon, June 20. Registration is long full, but it is still a great spectator event.

Wenmark's Legends ALARC Run, June 6. Fun family event, recognizes running legends after the race. Can also include breakfast. Deephaven.

4th of July Firecracker Run, July 4. 2 mile or 10K run on the morning of the 4th. Downtown Excelsior. A very popular event.

Tour de Tonka, August 1. Bike ride with choice of 16, 38, or 62 mile ride. Becoming a major statewide draw for cyclists, a great event.

South Lake Minnetonka: An Active Place

The South Lake area will once again play host to many active events this spring and summer. As we have noted on this blog before, these events are a nice change of pace for the community, and bring a respectful group of people to the area who may not otherwise come. Each summer, we can count on having the boating crowds, tour boat crowds, festival crowds, bar crowds, and wedding reception crowds in the area on a regular basis. Adding the active crowd to that list adds a new dimension of visitors, and uses the South Lake area in more of an off-peak manner (most of these events take place early on weekend mornings, when most people are still sleeping off the evening before).

Here is a partial list of active pursuits in the area, and we'll try to keep this updated:

Sunday, April 27: Excelsior Criterium Bicycle Race. This is a sanctioned bike event put on in conjunction with Excelcycle, the local bike shop. First event of its kind in the area.

Sunday, May 4: Wells Fargo Half Marathon. Begins in downtown Wayzata, runs along the western edge of lower Lake Minnetonka, through Navarre and Tonka Bay, and ends in downtown Excelsior. Registration Full.

Saturday, June 21: Lake Minnetonka Triathlon. Start / Finish line is at the Excelsior Commons. This event is fast becoming a premier Twin Cities Triathlon. Sprint distance - .5 mile swim, 15 mile bike, 3 mile run.

Saturday, June 7: Wenmarks ALARC Legends 5K and 10K run race, Deephaven. Annual event.

Wednesday, July 4: Firecracker 10K and 2 mile run. Excelsior. Popular, well-attended event.

Saturday, August 2: Tour de Tonka. 15, 33, and 65 mile bike ride, beginning at the Deephaven Education Center. In its 3rd year, it has become a very popular cycling event regionally.

On It and In It: Lake Minnetonka New Year's Day Plunge

One of the great things about living in Minnesota is how we embrace winter. Nothing exemplifies it more than the ALARC On It and In It Lake Minnetonka Run and Jump.

The run begins on New Year's morning at 9am at Bayview Event Center in Excelsior, with the freezing plunge into Lake Minnetonka immediately following. More information can be found here: http://www.alarc.com/Portals/2/Registration%20form.pdf

As of press time, the temperature at 9am tomorrow is expected to be 6 degrees above zero.