Let's Get Physical
This year’s Bass Pro Shops Outdoor Fitness Festival is bigger, better and cheaper than previous years. See how it’s beefed up for 2009.
The Bass Pro Shops Outdoor Fitness Festival is back for another year, and it’s in the best shape of its life.
Last year, the festival had nearly 6,000 participants in all the events, not to mention everyone who visited the health fair or all the spectators who enjoyed the events from the sidelines.
This year, even though the Outdoor Fitness Festival has expanded to include a third weekend full of activities, the festival has trimmed the fat and tightened up all the events. Organizers hope the changes will increase participation again.
“This is not a Bass Pro Shops event,” says Carol Hodson, festival coordinator. “This is really a community event. This festival has exploded from the desire of the community to participate.”
The first weekend (October 16-18) is dedicated exclusively to Outdoor Days at Lake Springfield. Outdoor Days, co-sponsored by the Springfield-Greene County Park Board, has several different outdoor activities for families including canoe and kayak races and classes, tours and classes.
Rhonda Vincent, seven-time female bluegrass vocalist of the year, kicks off the second weekend of the festival (October 23–25) with a concert on Friday night. On Saturday, the cyclists take center stage with the St. John’s Tour de Bass (with courses from 9 to 100 miles long). Saturday is the Kids and Youth Cross County Fun Run at Springfield Underground on the corner of Division and Highway 65. The Dogwood Canyon Trail Run (25–50K) closes out the second weekend on Sunday.
The final weekend (October 30–November 1) features the marquee events for the Outdoor Fitness Festival. Saturday is the CoxHealth Wellness Walk and the Ozark Greenways Halloween Run (5K/10K), and Sunday is the Maynard Cohick Half Marathon and the Bass Pro Shops Conservation Marathon, which is U.S. Track and Field certified and a qualifier for the Boston Marathon.
Besides all of the races, walks and rides, there is a free Fitness and Wellness Festival at Bass Pro Shops.
Several running celebrities are coming to town for the Outdoor Fitness Festival, including Frank Shorter, an Olympic gold medalist; Dick Beardsley, a marathon champion who has the 5th fastest time in U.S. men’s history; and Jeff Galloway, the founder of the run-walk-run method. Rob Powers, a two-time Olympic team coach and America’s voice of running, will be the emcee of the festival.
Bass Pro Shops Outdoor Fitness Festival Schedule of Events
Friday, October 16
• Outdoor Days At Lake Springfield
• Camping Begins
Saturday, October 17
• Outdoor Days At Lake Springfield
• Pre-1840’s Mountain Man Rendezvous
• 4H Outdoor Skills Village
• Wonders of Wildlife Outdoor Skills Village
• Great American Canoe/Kayak Race
• The Pro’s Kayak Race
• Canoe/Kayak Classes
• Dutch Oven Cooking
• Pontoon Rides on the River
• Fishing Clinics
• Moonlight Float on the James River
Sunday, October 18
• Outdoor Days At Lake Springfield
• Sunrise Service
• Cave Tours
• Audubon Trail Hike
• Wilderness First Aid Class
• Get to Know Your Parks
• GPS Gep Caching Clinic
Friday, October 23
• Outdoor Fitness Festival Opening Day
at Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World
10 a.m.–7 p.m. Registration
• Volunteer Orientation
at Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World
6:30–7:30 p.m.
• Rhonda Vincent Concert
at Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World
8–10 p.m.
Saturday, October 24
• Tour de Bass
at Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World
5:30–9:30 a.m. Registration
8:30 a.m. Springbike Century Ride Starts,
35-mile and 70-mile Rides Start
9:30 a.m. Family Fun 9-mile Ride Starts
Cost: 100-mile for $40, 70-mile for $38, 35-mile for $30, 9-mile for $15
• Kids and Youth Cross County Fun Run
at Springfield Underground (Division and Hwy. 65)
Noon, Registration
1 p.m., 3K Starts (7-8 Grade)
1:30 p.m., 2K Starts (3-6 Grade)
2 p.m., 1K Starts (1-2 Grade)
2:15 p.m., 300 Meter Starts (Pre-K)
Cost: $10 for all runs
Sunday, October 25
• 25/50K Dogwood Canyon Trail Run
at Dogwood Canyon
2–7 p.m., Registration (10/24)
6:30–7:30 a.m., Packet Pickup
8 a.m., Trail Runs Start
Cost: $65 for 50K, $45 for 25K
Friday, October 30
• Corporate Wellness Conference
at Bass Pro Shops
7:30-8:45 a.m., Registration (at Cherokee Lobby)
8-9 a.m., Expo (at Mezzanine by Hemingways)
9 a.m.-5 p.m., Conference (at Uncle Bucks Auditorium)
• Outdoor Fitness Festival Events
at Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World
10 a.m.–8 p.m., Registration (for all Weekend Events)
• Fitness and Health Fair
At Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World
10 a.m.–8 p.m.
Cost: Free
Saturday, October 31
• CoxHealth Wellness Walk
and 5–10K Ozark Greenways Halloween Run
at Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World
6–7:30 a.m., Early Registration
8 a.m., 5-10K Run and Wellness Walk Start
10:30 a.m., 5-10K Awards Ceremony
Cost: $25 for Wellness Walk, $30 for 10K, $25 for 5K; Kids 10 and under, $10 (for Walk, 10K, 5K)
• Fitness and Health Fair
at Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World
9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Cost: Free
• Jeff Galloway Training School
at Bass Pro Shops Uncle Bucks
10:30 a.m.–4 p.m.
• Pasta Dinner
at Hemingways
6:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 1
• Bass Pro Shops Conservation Marathon
and Maynard Cohick Half Marathon
at Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World
9 a.m.–8 p.m., Registration for Marathons (10/31)
5:30–6:30 a.m., Packet Pickup for Marathons
7 a.m., Marathons Start
1 p.m., Marathons Awards Ceremony
Cost: $75 for marathon, $45 for half marathon
• Fitness and Health Fair
at Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World
8 a.m.–4 p.m.
Cost: Free
