Run for the Trees: Happy Little Virtual 5K Returns for 2026

ZANESVILLE, OH – Get ready to lace up, roll out, or even grab a paddle for The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Run for the Trees, Happy Little Virtual 5K.

From Sunday April 18th until Sunday April 26th, ODNR will once again be hosting this unique event that helps to promote physical activity and saving the planet.

Dave Parsons, a Public Information Officer with ODNR, said you can do this 5K in your neighborhood, park, gym, or even take it out to the water.

“We’d love it if you would come to one of our parks and do it. There’s trails and lots of parks you can go to but really it’s just a way to get outside and be active.” Parsons said. “You log 3.1 miles however you want to do it, whether that’s walking, running, riding your bicycle, maybe the weather is nice enough that you can get in your kayak and you can kayak, just anyway you can be active for roughly 3.1 miles, it’s on your own, no one is winning anything, except we all do because there’s going to be more trees planted.”

Parsons said registration is going well and they’re actually ahead with the amount of people that are signed up for this event.

He also said that about $15 of the $36 registration fee will go right back into planting trees in Ohio’s State Parks.

“If you don’t want medals and all those kinds of things and you just want to donate to this, if you go to the website, instead of registering you can click the donate button and that will allow you to participate as well through that.” Parsons said. “We’ve had over $1,000 donated already towards this, so people are just very giving, they love seeing the trees in our State Parks and those kinds of things.”

If you are interested in signing up for the race or donating, you can head to the Race Sign Up Website.