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Run for the Zoo is an annual highlight on the Chicago running calendar. The 41st annual Run for the Zoo benefits Lincoln Park Zoo and helps to keep it free and open 365 days a year. Some of the race highlights include:
And much more!
All participants receive a t-shirt with registration.
Registration Fees
Through March 28
10K Run (chip-timed): $39
5K Run/Walk (chip-timed): $34
Through May 9
10K Run (chip-timed): $44
5K Run/Walk (chip-timed): $39
Through May 31
10K Run (chip-timed): $49
5K Run/Walk (chip-timed): $44
PPU/Race Day
10K Run (chip-timed): $59
5K Run/Walk (chip-timed): $54
(Zoo members receive a $5 discount on the 5K and 10K events if registered by May 31, 2019. Members should enter their first three digits of their member ID when prompted during the registration process. We do not offer discounts on event day.)
The Safari Stampede is a mini obstacle course for kids to express their inner animal! The event, recommended for ages 3–8, takes place on the South Lawn near Park Place Cafe. Registration includes a participation shirt!
Back by popular demand, we will have two waves for Safari Stampede! The first will start at 9 a.m. and the second will begin at 9:45 a.m.
5K Run/Walk
The 5K Run/Walk starts outside the zoo’s West Gate, heads south on Stockton Drive, loops around the southern end of Lincoln Park, and then heads north through the park along the west side of the South Lagoon. Runners make a U-turn at the Lincoln Park Boat Club, head south, loop around the Nature Boardwalk pond and past Café Brauer, enter the zoo, run past Camel & Zebra, and finish on the east side of the Kovler Lion House.
No dogs are allowed on the course, and strollers must start in the last wave, regardless of pace time.
10K Run
The 10K starts outside the zoo’s West Gate, heads south on Stockton Drive, makes a U-turn near the south end of Lincoln Park, and then heads north on Stockton Drive. Runners turn east on Fullerton Parkway toward Lake Michigan, head north on the Lakefront Trail, and then loop around south of Belmont Harbor through a Lake Shore Drive viaduct. The course continues south through the Fullerton viaduct along the South Lagoon and makes a U-turn back north at the lagoon’s south end. Runners circle westward around the zoo at Fullerton, head south along Stockton, loop northward around Café Brauer and onto the Nature Boardwalk path, travel around the pond and into the zoo, run past Camel & Zebra, and finish on the east side of the Kovler Lion House.
No dogs or strollers are allowed on the course.
The Safari Stampede mini obstacle course will be held on the South Lawn, near Park Place Café inside Lincoln Park Zoo.
Download the 5K & 10K course maps here
Tech shirts will be offered in men’s and women's sizes once again for all 5K and 10K participants. Safari Stampede T-shirts are unisex and available in youth extra small, small, medium, and large.
T-shirt pickup is first come, first serve at Packet Pick Up, so please arrive early in order to obtain your preferred size. Here is a sneak preview of this year's shirt design:
We need more than 250 volunteers ages 14 and older to make this event successful! Volunteer positions include Packet Pick-Up, Finish Line, Course, Water Stations, and more. Volunteers will receive a special Lincoln Park Zoo shirt. This is a great opportunity for individuals or volunteer groups!
Please direct any questions to volunteer@lpzoo.org. Bring a friend!
Paid parking is available in the zoo’s parking lot on Cannon Drive. Parking is limited, so please arrive early. Click here for more information and pricing.
While the zoo is open and free 365 days a year to guests of all ages during the day, ticketed event age restrictions vary by occasion and ticket type. For Run for the Zoo 5K and 10K races, there is no age restriction, but for Safari Stampede, the recommended age is 3–8 years old. Spectators, family, and friends of all ages are welcome to join us on zoo grounds before and during the race, as well as at the post-race party.
Yes. However, participants running with a stroller must start at the back during the 5K Run/Walk, regardless of pace time. Strollers are not permitted on the 10K course.
If registrations remain available, a limited number of registrations will be for sale at the Packet Pickup tents for an increased fee. We highly recommend advanced registration, though, as there are a limited number of openings for this event and, historically, it sells out quickly! We cannot guarantee availability on the day of the event.
Guests may enter the zoo at the East Gate on Cannon/Fullerton (the zoo’s parking lot) or the West Gate on Stockton/Webster. Participants will check in and receive their race packets at the Packet Pickup tents located on the Main Mall.
If you have a question regarding this event, please email events@lpzoo.org.
If you are interested in being a sponsor of this event, please contact Ryann Kehoe, manager of Corporate Alliances, at rkehoe@lpzoo.org.