10 events in Ann Arbor, Michigan

Alpha Rho Chi (APX) is a professional architecture fraternity at the University of Michigan, and we are partnering with Avalon Housing, which is a community leader in providing equitable housing in Washtenaw County, aligning with our belief in the impact of the built environment on our well-being and ability to thrive. Avalon Housing's mission (https://avalonhousing.org/) is to build healthy, safe, and inclusive supportive housing communities as a long-term solution to homelessness.

Check-In & Pickup is at 9:00am, with the race starting at 10:00am.

Parking in the lot off of Fuller Rd behind the Taubman building is free on weekends!

Wolverines Walk for Reproductive Justice 5k is a fun run/walk hosted by the student organization Lunar Doula Support Network at the University of Michigan. This event is in collaboration with a local organization, Birth Detroit, that works towards reproductive justice. Birth Detroit is a community birth center that works towards safe, equitable, and culturally relevant healthcare for all. Our goal is to bring together a community that supports and works towards reproductive health, rights, and justice with various reproductive health student organizations on campus and community members. This event is for open to all who would like to support reproductive justice! Participants can partake in fun activities after completing the 5k. Light refreshments will be provided for participants! Sign up by March 23rd to get a free t-shirt!

Join us for the 13th annual Big House 5K! This event is an exciting run/walk that courses through the University of Michigan campus before participants finish the race on the 50-yard line of Michigan Stadium.

We proudly host this event to raise awareness for six local, non-profit organizations. All race proceeds are split among the six beneficiaries. We partner with colleagues on campus and look to our Athletic Department service pillars to select beneficiaries whose work addresses immediate needs in our community.

The 2026 Big House 5K will take place on April 12, 2026 at 8am.

In 2025, we sold out of 12,500 race entries and raised $215,000 for our six local, non-profit beneficiaries. We are excited to partner with six local beneficiaries this year to provide a platform on which they can raise awareness and funds in support of their cause.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions at [email protected]. Go Blue!

Winding through a beautiful Ann Arbor neighborhood near the University of Michigan campus, the tree-lined Burns Park Run loop course has been a favorite of beginner and world-class runners alike.

The Burns Park Run will be held on Sunday, May 3, 2026. It is a long-standing and successful fundraiser, organized and run by volunteers, that supports Burns Park Elementary PTO programs. We are excited to celebrate our 48th anniversary this year.

Known for its family-friendly atmosphere, the Burns Park Run 5K and 10K races annually draw 1,000 to 1,500 runners aged 5 to 90 years, with over 200 elementary school kids running the 5K. For the youngest of participants, there is a separate 1/2 mile Fun Run around the park.

Awards & Medals

ALL FINISHERS of the timed events: 5K (Run and Walk) and 10K will receive a finisher medal at the Burns Park Run. Additional awards will be recognized at the awards ceremony which will take place after the Fun Run at approximately 10am. Awards will be recognized for the following categories:

• Top Male, Female and Non-Binary for Top Overall, Masters and Grand Masters winner of the 5K and 10K Run

• Top Male, Female and Non-Binary for Top Winner for each Adult Age Group Division of the 5K and 10K Run

• 1st, 2nd and 3rd place Male, Female and Non-Binary for each Youth Age Division (5 and under through 17 years old) of the 5K and 10K Run

Race T-Shirts

Shirts are OPTIONAL and can be purchased when registering or through the event store on the Run Sign Up website.

Packet Pickup Schedule: TBD

More About the Burns Park Run

The Burns Park Run was started by the PTO as a fundraiser for 6th grade campers in 1979. This Burns Park Elementary fundraiser has grown and symbiotically supported the activities offered by our PTO to its students and their families. Today’s race is headed by volunteer race directors and ~100 volunteers working throughout the year on planning, funding, marketing and staffing the Burns Park Run.

Read more about the storied and unique history of the Burns Park Run in the 2004 press article by marathon legend Doug Kurtis.

Kick off your Fourth of July the Epic Races way: join us in downtown Ann Arbor on the 4th of July for our classic Firecracker 5K: Run, Walk, or Ruck! Our 3.1-mile course gets underway at a truly red, white, and blue locale: the intersection of Liberty and 4th... where else would you start a race on the 4th of July? Racers then loop around downtown and come in for a spectacular star-spangled finish in front of thousands of spectators.

2025 Schedule of Events:

6:30 AM — Packet Pick-Up and Race-Day Registration open

7:45 AM — Packet Pick-Up and Race-Day Registration close

7:47 AM — Hot dog eaters to the stage

7:50 AM — Pacers to line up

7:52 AM — Remarks

7:55 AM — Nation Anthem

8:00 AM — 200-meter Kids’ Dash

8:05 AM — Ruckers Start

8:08 AM — Hot Dog Eating

8:10 AM — 5K Start

8:20 AM — 1 Mile Fun Run Start

Add an all-American angle to your outing by opting for one of our 3 special holiday divisions:

☆It's Back for 2026☆

Rucking Division: Rucking is simply walking or hiking while carrying a weighted rucksack or backpack. It is a staple of military training, as soldiers must be able to carry weapons, food and other supplies for long distances. Embrace an even HEAVIER challenge when you sign up for the Ruck Division.

The Flag Carrying Division: Participants in this patriotic category will run or walk their 5K proudly bearing a mounted 3 x 5 American flag from start to finish.

Hot Dog Eating Division: It’s simply not the Fourth of July without hot dogs, and those who choose this challenge — up to 20 competitors — will try to chow down on four dogs in 76 seconds, then get their 5K underway. Consider it our version of the world-famous Nathan’s Hot-Dog Eating Contest, which is held annually in New York City every Independence Day.

Don't have the time for 5K? Try our timed 1-Mile Fun Run! A fun, friendly course awaits runners and walkers of all ages who want to show their Firecracker fervor but with a little less mileage. Whether you choose to make it competitive or relaxed, enjoy this frolic through downtown on the 4th of July!

Our littlest firecrackers are invited to make a bang all their own in our Kids’ 200-Meter Dash. Open to competitors ages 8 and under, our Kids’ Dash offers children the opportunity soar like eagles down Liberty Street, completing their race at the same finish line as Mom or Dad!

Kids can continue celebrating Independence Day at the corner of State and William, where they can take part in the Epic Races float in the Ann Arbor Jaycees' 4th of July parade (accompanied by a parent or guardian)!

The Firecracker 5K is walker friendly!

Sunglasses and medals for all participants in all divisions!

Zero Waste

The event is a Leave No Trace event. Learn more about our race-day recycling and composting efforts here. Want more information about running a great race and leaving no trace? Click here to visit Happy Planet Running!