Lincoln Track Club has announced the addition of a new race to its 2024 event calendar. The board voted in December to add the Woods Park Running Festival as an official LTC event. It is set for Nov. 1, 2024, and includes a 5K race and a 1-mile youth run.

The Woods Park Running Festival debuted in 2023. It was designed and hosted by LTC Board Member and North Star Cross Country Coach Brian Wandzilak, who said he was looking to create a new event that had a competitive, cross country component to it, but yet was achievable for runners of all abilities. He also wanted the location to be centrally located in the community. A fourth goal was to differentiate the race by making it a “twilight” event with evening race times. 

Between the three races (there was a competitive 5K, a community 5K, and a youth 1-mile in 2023), the inaugural Woods Park Running Festival had 150 participants. Wandzilak said he was pleased with that figure for a first-year event, but is looking to grow the festival in 2024 and is confident the official support of LTC will benefit the event. Other changes include moving to a single 5K race, which will require some logistical alterations to the Woods Park course. In 2023 the event was billed as a fund-raiser for The Food Bank of Lincoln, and Wandzilak said he will continue this in 2024.

Other race details are still being determined therefore registration for this new LTC event is not yet open.

Please check back later for event information at lincolrun.org.