Gear Up for Yellow Rose Race Week!

Aug 4

Virtual Race – August 6-13 // Yellow Rose Community Day – August 13 // Warroad In-Person Races – August 14

Runners and walkers, start your engines – The 18th Annual Yellow Rose 5K/10K Race is just around the corner, with excitement building for the virtual and in-person races!

This year’s virtual race will start on Friday, August 6 through Friday, August 13, leading right up to the in-person race in our Warroad and Fargo locations on Saturday, August 14. Race results will be shared at the Award Ceremony immediately after the race and on social media the following week. (Instagram: @yellow_rose_race, Facebook: @yelllowroserace)

Funds raised from the Warroad race will be donated to the Warroad Area Community Fund, a local nonprofit that promotes charitable giving for the public good to respond to needs in the community and build an endowment for the area’s future.

This year’s races in both Warroad & Fargo kick off with the 10k (6.2 miles) at 8:15 a.m., the 5k (3.1 miles) at 8:30 a.m., and two heats for the Kids Fun Run at 10 a.m. The Awards Ceremony will follow at 10:30 a.m.

Where To Stay in Warroad

The Hampton Inn of Warroad is offering a special Yellow Rose weekend rate when you book reservations for August 13-15. Hurry, these will go fast! Limited rooms available.

Drinks tickets to the Fab Tab

Yellow Rose Gift Bag

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Other Events & Activities:

Yellow Rose Community Day will take place the day before the race in Warroad as a way to get the party started. The public is invited to attend Yellow Rose Community Day at the brand-new Hampton Inn on Friday, August 13 starting at 3PM. There will be a series of events showcasing some new downtown development projects, a pasta bar fundraising meal, and traveling up from the Twin Cities is the FAB TAP bringing joy, and drinks on wheels in a custom airstream travel trailer.

This open-house format allows folks to come and enjoy food, drinks and hear about some exciting future development projects. Warroad Real Estate, LLC will reveal the downtown Main Avenue streetscape designed by JLG Architects. See how the bank of four aged buildings will be transformed, retaining the historic architecture, with a modern twist plus more!

From 5-7PM Chef Richard Morris, from Doug’s Catering will serve up a pasta bar - a perfect “pre-race” meal for those running in the 5K/10K Yellow Rose Race on Saturday morning.

At 7pm, head over to Allison Park for a live concert of The Lubben Brothers and an outdoor movie of Raya and the Last Dragon.

What To Know About The Yellow Rose Race

The Yellow Rose Race is a staple event in Warroad, Minnesota, providing a variety of ways to participate. The 5K and 10K races and the Kids Fun Run provide an opportunity for locals to come together to raise money for a chosen charity and have fun in the process. The event was initially planned as part of the 2004 year-long celebration commemorating George Marvin’s 1904 arrival in Warroad. That first walk/run brought 257 participants and $4,019 for the Warroad Food Pantry. The consensus of everyone involved was “Let’s do this again.”

2005 was noted as the year of the “serious runner” as times improved, and 42 medals were given out. Just one week before the 2006 race day, 180 mile per hour winds swept through the course as Warroad experienced its first tornado in many years. The event, however, was still a go. Rain and rumbling thunder were described as a “slight annoyance” in 2009 as 21 members of the Buffalo, MN track and cross-country teams participated. Also that year, Megan Mitterling, Warroad, inspired many as she completed the course just nine months after an accident that initially left her unable to walk. In 2014 friends and family of Peg (Marvin) Johnson donned Peg O My Heart shirts on race day as they rallied for a cure and remembered a special gal.

Mark Watson has brought stillness and reflection through the singing of the U.S. and Canadian national anthems. Friends have renewed acquaintances and families have gathered. In August 2012 as ten of her family huddled for a post-race photo, Connie Wells may have said it best, “We had so much fun. It’s a good event for the community and some things families can do together. We really love it! It’s a good thing!

In 2019, the Yellow Rose Planning Team added a 10K to the mix with plans to continue adding new elements to the races in the coming years. That idea shifted somewhat as 2020 brought unique challenges. With the onset of COVID that year, the Yellow Rose Planning Team decided to take the race to a virtual setting. Virtual attendance was comparable to previous years and funds were raised for The Max Foundation for their mental health work – at a time where mental health was being pushed to the limit. The team also added the Race to the Rose Challenge to the mix to raise excitement and create a community that connected people and encouraged them to get outside. The virtual race and Race to the Rose Challenge were so successful at reaching racers across the U.S. that the team decided to make it a tradition.

The Yellow Rose Planning Team is back on board with this year’s event and their promise to continue adding new, exciting elements to the races. This year, the event has been moved to a new location and a Kids Fun Run has been added to the mix. This is something you won’t want to miss! More information and registration for the Yellow Rose Races can be found at www.yellowroserace.com or by checking out Yellow Rose Race on Facebook and Instagram.

Over the years, the Yellow Rose Race has raised over $71,000 to local non-profits such as HELPP Inc., Max Foundation, WACF, Warroad Rescue Unit, and more.