Runners grinned and grimaced as they crossed the finish line during the annual Arbor Day Five Race on Sunday morning.
The five-mile course began at Greenleaf Street and snaked north along the lakefront, winding through Northwestern’s campus. The event was sponsored by the Evanston Recreation Division and the Evanston Running Club. Runners pounded the pavement in honor of National Arbor Day, which is observed every year on the last Friday of April.
The holiday encourages tree planting and tree care. For the 19th year, Evanston was named as a Tree City USA two weeks ago by the National Arbor Day Foundation. The local festivities will end Saturday, April 26, with Evanston’s Earth Day/Arbor Day celebration at the Ecology Center in Ladd Arboretum, 2024 McCormick Blvd.
