Want to get active and explore Rochester and the surrounding communities while you’re at it? We compiled details on eight of the top active events in the area this spring and summer. Whether you run, bike, walk, or some combination thereof, you'll find an event to suit your tastes in this race guide.

Scheels Med City Marathon

May 28 – 29, all events finish at the Mayo Civic Center

Run 13.1 or 26.2 miles from Byron to Rochester. This annual running event has been a fixture on the local race calendar for more than 20 years. Not up for those distances? Check out Saturday’s family events, including kids’ races of various distances, a mascot race and a 5K.

Registration is $35 - $85 depending on event; kids' races are free.

Chester Woods Trail Races

June 4, Chester Woods Park, Eyota

Take a trek through the woods and prairies at Chester Woods Park. The race docket includes a 5K, 10 mile, and 50K, and every runner receives a beer and a freshly-grilled bratwurst when they finish.

Registration is $30 - $45.

Rochesterfest Triathalon

June 19, Foster Arrend Pond

Swim, bike, and run in this annual event that’s the crown jewel of the Rochesterfest lineup. Distance options include sprint (swim 750 meters, bike 20 kilometers, run 5 kilometers), Olympic (swim 1500 meters, bike 40 kilometers, run 10 kilometers) and a relay.

Registration is $71 - $90.

Hal Martin All-Comers’ Track Meets

Location to be determined

Let the kids get in on the active action. Each year, the Rochester Track Club hosts free track meets for kids of all ages, with distances ranging from 50 meters to a mile. The meets start June 14 and run for six weeks. Races start at 6 p.m. beginning with the 50-meter dash and progress in distance.

Stewartville Summerfest Races

July 4, Florence Park, Stewartville

Start off Independence day with a bang — and a starting gun. Choose from 3 and 5-mile races, or take on both back-to-back in the two-race challenge. The annual event, which starts Stewartville's Summeriest celebrations for the day, is directed by Olmsted County Sheriff Kevin Torgerson. Every racer gets a heaping helping of watermelon at the finish!

Registration is $15 - $25.

Team R.E.D. Beer Mile

July 21, The Bear's Den, Byron

Drink, run, repeat. This event challenges participants to chug a 16-ounce cup of beer, run a quarter mile, and then repeat those two tasks until they’ve drank four beers and completed a mile. The event kicks off Byron’s annual Good Neighbor Days celebration.

Registration cost to be determined.

Rochester Eco Tri

July 30, Camp Victory, Zumbro Falls

Take on the three-sport challenge in a nontraditional way with this event sponsored by Camp Victory in Zumbro Falls. The adventure triathlon includes 4.5 miles of kayaking, 7 miles of mountain biking and 3 miles of trail running. Just want to run? The event also includes 5-kilometer and 10-kilometer trail races.

Triathlon registration is $50 - $65; trail races cost $20 - $30.

Scheels Healthy Human Race

August 20, Mayo Civic Center

Cap off the summer with another run at 13.1 miles, sponsored by Scheels and the Rochester Track Club. Not up for the full distance? Try out the 5K. Both courses wrap around Rochester on the roads and bike paths before finishing at Mayo Civic Center.

Registration is $30 - $80.

About Claire Walling: Claire is a contributing editor for the Med City Beat. She moved to Rochester two years ago from the Twin Cities after graduating from Hamline University. When she’s not working as a business writer she enjoys running the great trails around the region, designing and creating things, and drinking coffee. Fun fact: she was on a relay team that ran across Iowa in 54 hours. Twitter.