Get a jump-start on your 2026 race planning – and support nature in the process! – by signing up for next spring’s Run for the Trees: Happy Little (Virtual) 5K.

Registration for this event, which is a collaboration between the DNR, Bob Ross, Inc. and a dozen other states, opens this Saturday, Nov. 1.

“We are thrilled to see the Happy Little 5K return for its seventh year,” said Michelle O’Kelly, race director and philanthropy specialist for the DNR Parks and Recreation Division. “What started as a creative way to connect people with Michigan state parks and tree plantings has grown to a nationwide movement. Participation grew again last year – more than 10,000 people, in Michigan and across a dozen other states, participated in the 2025 event – showing that more and more people are eager to make a difference.”

Participants receive a Happy Little T-shirt, sticker, commemorative bib and finisher’s medal, and may select their preferred state to support with their registration. This virtual event, which takes place between April 18-26, honors iconic art instructor and television host Bob Ross while supporting tree-planting and forest-protection efforts.

Register on RunSignUp.com.

Questions? Contact Michelle O’Kelly at 517-899-5211.