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And the winners of the Olmsted Parks #OctoberChallenge are…

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During the Olmsted Parks #OctoberChallenge, we challenged over 230 athletes to complete activities in the Olmsted Parks over a span of 15 days. The routes weren’t always easy, they didn’t always feel like working out, and the weather wasn’t always great – but that didn’t stop them!

From October 11-25 athletes who ran, walked, hiked, and biked in the #OctoberChallenge—racking up over 5,000 miles in our Olmsted Parks across East, South, and West ends of Louisville and earning more than 850 chances to win up to $1,300 in special prizes.

And did we mention they accomplished all of this while generously supporting the Olmsted Parks you know and love through registration fees? 

These athletes helped raise nearly $6,000 to enhance signage in the Olmsted Parks, improving park users’ experiences and helping them better navigate our trail system. And with added donations from our amazing sponsors, the event raised $21,000!

And as an Olmsted Parks Conservancy member (which came free with your registration), participants will now exclusive access to special benefits while helping Olmsted Parks Conservancy continue to restore, enhance, and forever protect Louisville’s Olmsted Parks and Parkways, connecting nature and neighborhood while strengthening our community’s well-being. More information will be included in membership letters sent to participants over the coming weeks.

In our eyes, you’re all winners! We can’t thank you enough for participating in the Olmsted Parks October Challenge, and we hope you had as much fun as we did. If you have 5 minutes, please take our post-event survey so we can improve the event for next year. 


While all of you deserve a trophy, only eight athletes will be walking away from the Olmsted Parks #OctoberChallenge with prizes. Winners will be contacted via email or phone by Friday, 10/30 and gift cards will be delivered to the mailing address provided at registration.


The Scenic Loop Challenge, presented by BB&T (Now Truist), required athletes to run, walk, or bike the “Scenic Loop” in any of the three flagship parks – Cherokee, Iroquois, or Shawnee Park to be entered to win the prize. Over 250 walking, running, and biking activities qualified for the challenge (woo hoo!) and the winner was selected via random drawing.

The winner of the Olmsted Parks #OctoberChallenge Scenic Loop Challenge is Traci McAlister, who will be getting a $100 gift card to Ken Combs Running Store


The Neighborhood 3k Challenge, presented by Kaden Companies, required athletes to walk or run 3k (about 1.8 miles) in one or more of the 14 neighborhood parks. 145 walking and running activities qualified for the challenge (way to go!) and the winner was selected via random drawing.

The winner of the Olmsted Parks #OctoberChallenge Neighborhood 3K Challenge is Catherine Braganza, who will be getting a $100 gift card to Quest Outdoors! Catherine not only managed to complete at least one 3k in a neighborhood park to qualify – but she visited ALL 17.


The Rainbow Mile Challenge, presented by Rainbow Blossom, required athletes to walk or run one mile in the greatest number of Olmsted Parks. 8 athletes qualified for the challenge (17 parks visited) and 21 athletes visited at least 5 Olmsted Parks during the two week period…wow!   Because of the 8-way tie, the winner was selected via random drawing, but all of you deserve major bragging rights. 

The winner of the Olmsted Parks #OctoberChallenge Rainbow Mile Challenge is Julie Lockwood who will be getting a $100 gift card to Rainbow Blossom


The Tour De Olmsted Challenge, presented by Kertis Creative, required athletes to complete a challenging cycling route in Cherokee, Iroquois, and Shawnee Park via the Olmsted Parkways. 13 verified activities qualified for the challenge (a total of 398 miles!) and the winner was selected via random drawing.

The winner of the Olmsted Parks #OctoberChallenge Tour De Olmsted Challenge is Stephen Kertis who will be getting a $100 gift card to Scheller’s Fitness and Cycling! 

It’s truly a coincidence that Stephen won the prize and his company is the sponsored, but he has offered to give his prize to the another competitor. You rock, Stephen! You can also thank Kertis Creative for the amazing event logo feautured on your performance t-shirt. 


The Sands of Time Challenge, presented by Nugent Sand Company, pitted mountain bikers against one another in a competition to see who could accumulate the greatest number of miles in Cherokee and/or Seneca Parks. 10 athletes were in the running, completing a total of 300 miles during the challenge window.

The winner of the Olmsted Parks #OctoberChallenge Sands of Time Challenge is Trevor Williamson, (by a landslide) who will be getting a $50 gift card to Paul’s Fruit Market! 

Trevor put an impressive 143.59 miles on his mountain bike between October 11 and 25 in the Olmsted Parks – WOW!


The Shady Trails Challenge, presented by Associates in Dermatology, encouraged hikers and trail runners alike to accumulate the greatest distance of trails in Cherokee, Iroquois and/or Seneca Parks.   52 athletes were in the running for the challenge, totaling 320 miles on the natural trails.

The winner of the Olmsted Parks #OctoberChallenge Shady Trails Challenge is Austin Schaffner, who will be getting a $50 gift card to Plant Kingdom! During the challenge, Austin completed 24.87 miles of activities on the trails – which is nearly the distance of a marathon.


 The Smiles For Miles challenge, presented by Perelmuter & Goldberg Orthodontics, gave families an extra reason to smile during the October Challenge…entering all registered participants under the age of 18 in a prize drawing. We loved seeing photos of your families enjoying yourselves in the parks. Visited all 17 Olmsted Parks with your little one in tow? Next year, be sure to register them to earn extra chances to win! 

The winner of the Olmsted Parks #OctoberChallenge Smiles for Miles Challenge is Oscarr P, who will be getting a $50 gift card to Carmichael’s Book Store


And last but not least, the winner of the Olmsted Parks #OctoberChallenge Grand Prize, presented by Olmsted Parks Conservancy, is…

Matthew Ruben, who will be getting his very own canopy tree planted in an Olmsted Park – a $750 value. Matthew visited all 17 Olmsted Parks during the challenge window (totaling 48 miles) which helped him earn extra chances to win. 

Our Memorials and Celebrations team will work with Matthew to locate the perfect spot in his favorite park for his young, native canopy tree, using the historic planting plans from Frederick Law Olmsted himself and the Olmsted firm.

He’ll also get a custom certificate, a keepsake ornament, and an invite to attend the planting, which is handled by our Team for Healthy Parks in the winter (when the trees are dormant and the most viable.)

All registrants who completed at least one activity on Strava in an Olmsted Park between October 11-25 were entered in a drawing to win, with each additional activity counting as an extra entry – which totaled to of 752 entries! (The winner was drawn randomly.)


But the prizes aren’t over just yet…you can get 50% off any one item in our online store by completing a 5-minute post-event survey. To redeem, using the code provided on the thank you page when prompted at checkout. Your answers will help us make the event even better in the future. 

Already have a Cherokee and Iroquois t-shirt? Your discount code is good through 12/31/2020, so keep an eye on your email inbox over the coming weeks to get notices when new items (including masks & graphic t-shirts) hit the “shelves.” 


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