Getting Fit While Having Fun

Real Racine welcomes back The Biggest Loser RunWalk for a busy, inspiring weekend. Also on the way are concerts and lots of outdoor family fun.

Fitness takes center stage.  Get ready for a day of fitness and inspiration with The Biggest Loser RunWalk at Racine's Festival Park, 5 Fifth St., on Sunday, Sept. 22. This is a professionally timed half-marathon or 5k for all fitness levels. Dan and Jackie Evans, Season 5 alumni of the hit NBC-TV series, are the hosts. They'll be joined by Season 14 alums Jeff Nichols and Francelina Morillo. The race course follows the beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline - starting and finishing near Festival Park. The half-marathon begins at 7:30 a.m. The 5k starts at 8 a.m.  Stop by Festival Park for packet pick up from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. It includes free  lectures and demonstrations on food/fitness and running followed by a The Biggest Loser Q&A session. A 1-Mile Fun Run for kids ages 4 through 12, supporting the nonprofit Kids Fit Foundation, is at 2 p.m. The half-marathon is $90 per person, the 5k is $45 per person and the kids fun run is $10. Registrations will be available during Saturday's packet pick up. Visit www.biggestloserrunwalk.com/

A voice from the '60s.  Actor/singer Creed Bratton presents his solo music and comedy show at Memorial Hall, 72 Seventh St., at 7 p.m. Friday. Best known as a cast member of the TV comedy "The Office," Bratton was a member of the 1960s super group, The Grass Roots. He'll be presenting a little bit of everything from current original material to The Grass Roots hits. The music will be sprinkled with stories of his musical touring and acting careers. General admission tickets are $20 at the Racine Civic Centre box office (5 Fifth St.) or $26.80 via Ticketmaster.com. A limited number of group tickets are available at $15. Call the Civic Centre at 262-636-9229.

Celebrating the Root.  Everyone's invited to a celebration of natural resources and cultural influences that have shaped Racine at the Root River Festival. This free event runs from 2-10 p.m. Saturday at Island Park. It will include community workshops, live music, a nonprofit resource fair, horses and picnic games. The Root River Festival is hosted by the Root River Council. Visit www.rootrivercouncil.org

Biking for fun.  Thirsty Third Thursday is THIS Thursday. It's pub crawl on bicycle. Stop by Toad Hall, 611 Wisconsin Ave., at 6:30 p.m. The ride departs at 7:30 p.m. for stops at 3rd Coast Bicycle, Mc Auliffe's on the Square, Yardarm Bar & Grill, envi and The Ivanhoe. Music guest Reilly performs 9 p.m. to midnight in honor of "Halfway to St. Patrick's Day."

Getting corn-fused! It's not just a corn maze, it's an adventure. There are 10,000 feet of paths, riddles to solve and 8 acres of corn to navigate at Borzynski's Farm and Floral, 11600 Washington Ave., Mount Pleasant. This year’s theme is Borzynski’s 20 years of farming. From the air, the maze is shaped like an antique farm truck loaded with produce in addition to corn and cabbage in the background. The maze is open this Saturday through Oct. 31. The cost is $8.50 for adults and $6.50 for kids ages 2 through 12. Groups of 20 or more may schedule visits Monday through Friday. Weekend hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Flashlight nights in the maze are coming Saturdays in October. Call 262-886-2235 or visit www.borzynskis.com.

For more fall fun, visit the Real Racine website (www.realracine.com) for a calendar of activities. Daily updates are on Facebook (www.facebook.com/realracine) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/realracine).