Maternity Leave

Hi Everyone!

We had a baby very recently and have decided not to hold the race this year. We're on maternity leave, I guess you could say!

Check back for details for the 2018 5K On the Farm!

Thanks for your support!

2016 Press Release!

Here's the copy of our recent press release!

We are really looking forward to race day. Hope you can join us! Click the SIGN UP tab along the top of this page to register!

Bangs Family to Hold 2^nd Annual 5K on the Farm

Great Falls, MT- Fitness, food and farming will be center stage at the Bangs Family Farm near Inverness September 17 for the 5K on the Farm fun run event. The farm is located near Inverness and owned and operated by Tom and Carol Bangs. Event organizers Jeff and Katie Bangs, son and daughter-in-law of Tom and Carol, are active members of Montana Farmers Union. Jeff and Katie were the 2014 Farmers Union Enterprise Leadership Couple. In addition, Katie has served on the Montana Farmers Union Women’s Committee and also served on the National Farmers Union Next Generation Advisory Council. Jeff and Katie have also represented MFU as delegates at the National Farmers Union Convention.

“My husband and I decided to do the race with several goals in mind,” said event organizer Katie Bangs. “ First, we wanted to show that fitness and farming are lifestyle choices that can go together. We also wanted to build community in our rural neighborhood. Lastly, we wanted to give back to an organization that has meant a lot to us, and to many rural Montanans, in Montana Farmers Union.” 

Katie said in the race’s first year they had 120 runners and volunteers, and were blown away by the turnout. The Bangsplan to donate the majority of race proceeds to Montana Farmers Union women’s educational programming and leadership training. If the race continues to grow and surpass expectations the Bangs will also consider donating some proceeds to local charities.

5K on the Farm Event Details:

Ø  Race day is Saturday, September 17

Ø  Bangs Family Farm, Inverness, MT

Ø  Packet pick up 9:00 a.m.

Ø  10K at 10:00 a.m. and 5K and 1 Mile events at 10:30 a.m.

Ø  Registration Cost: 10K - $30; 5K 20; option for a virtual run/$20 – lunch provided

Ø  Register at: https://runsignup.com/Race/MT/Inverness/5KOnTheFarm

What is the WHY?!

Why did we decide to hold a race in rural North-Central Montana? Read on!

5K On The Farm started as an idea to bring people together and do something active out on the farm. Running and racing has been something I've done for many years, but is only just now getting big on the Hi-Line. My husband and I decided to do the race with several goals in mind. First, we wanted to show that fitness and farming are lifestyle choices that can go together. We also wanted to build community in our rural neighborhood.  Lastly, we wanted to give back to an organization that has meant a lot to us, and to many rural Montanans, in Montana Farmers Union. 

In the first year of holding 5K On The Farm, we didn't know what to expect for turnout. When we ended up with around 150 runners and volunteers, we were blown away. To me, it demonstrated that there is a real hunger for events like this. By combining fitness, food, and fun and setting it in a unique location, we held a successful race that helped build community with friends and neighbors from near and far. We had a mix of people from within Hill County as well as some who traveled from as far away as Bozeman, Missoula, and even Eureka! 

Last year, we donated our proceeds back to Montana Farmers Union, with funds earmarked specifically for Women's Educational Programming and Leadership Training. Rural women are already great leaders and strong voices in our communities. Leadership training and educational programs, like those offered by Montana Farmers Union, can go a long way toward providing support and inspiration for women, and can help turn dreams into reality. 5K On The Farm was an idea that was shared aloud at a Montana Farmers Union Women's Conference, and became a reality.  We plan to donate the majority of our race proceeds back to Montana Farmers Union again this year, and if our race continues to grow and surpass expectations, we'd like to look into making donations to local organizations as well. 

We would love to see you on our farm on race day! Our race begins and ends on our farm, located north of Inverness. Packet pick-up is race day only and begins at 9:00 a.m. on race day, September 17. The 10K race will start at 10:00 a.m. and all other distances will begin at 10:30. The routes for each distance- 1-mile, 5K, and 10K, showcase our cropland and pasture and give a taste of what farming in Northwestern Hill County is like. There are nice views of the Sweetgrass Hills, an old Community Hall, and some homestead shacks that are still standing. We are proud to hold the race on our farm. All participants receive a t-shirt and goody bag, and in true Montana hospitality, we will have lunch after the race. The event has become a great source of pride for our family, and we hope to continue to build on the momentum we held in our first year. 

Ready to sign up for the race? Click the Sign-Up tab on this blog to be directed to our RunSignUp page!

Save the Date for 5K On The Farm 2016!

Time to spread the news!

SAVE THE DATE--

5K ON THE FARM WILL BE HELD

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2016!

We will once again hold the race on our family farm north of Inverness, MT, and we will also be doing a Virtual Run option for those who live far away or can't make it on race day. We will be serving lunch after the race, and proceeds will again benefit Montana Farmers Union. This year, if there are extra proceeds we may look into donating to local organizations, such as North Star and CJI Schools.

CHANGES for this year include:

* Separation of the 5K event into "Competitive" (timed) and "Non-Competitive" (untimed) divisions. Many people came last year simply to walk or jog at their own pace and simply to enjoy the day and the company. This year, we'll be offering a separate division for people who wish to participate in the "Non-Competitive" 5K division. In this division, you won't wear a race bib, but everything else is the same.

* Addition of a 10K (6.2 miles) race route. We would like to continue to expand our event every year, and so are planning to offer a 10K race route this year in hopes to appeal to even more people. The registration fee for 10K will be slightly higher, but will also include all the goodies and lunch.

* Addition of Family/Group registration bundle pricing. We will offer a slight reduction in price for groups who are registering together as a family of four or more related individuals. Group pricing will also be available for clubs or sports teams.

* More Prizes and Awards. We plan to offer more awards for place finishers and/or age groups for the different events this year. We also plan to offer door prizes.

Please mark Saturday, September 17 in your calendar as the day to join us on the farm for some fitness and delicious food! We strive to make this year's event even better than our inaugural run from last year. See you in September, and watch for more announcements pertaining to race registration coming out soon!

August 26 Updates

August 26 Updates

Wow! We are really picking up some steam in the past few days, with more registrations every day! We are now up to ______36___ paid registrations, with many others who have either RSVP'd on Facebook or verbally told me they plan to come. Enthusiasm and excitement is growing!

Since this is our first time putting on a race, there were bound to be some adjustments and changes made along the way, right? This is to update everyone on a few things we've decided or done recently.

Bring your Kids!

We decided today that kids age 8 and younger will be allowed to participate for FREE at 5K On The Farm as long as they are accompanied by a registered adult. We will request a $5 donation for any extra lunches you may need for your family, however, and request that you let us know how many extra lunches you will want at the time you sign up. We just want to make sure we have enough hamburgers! 

Virtual Runners-

We will be mailing out your race packets next week. We are excited to announce that we are now offering a photo contest, just for our Virtual Runners! Just submit a photo of yourself in your 5K On The Farm t-shirt and you'll be entered. We're not judging the quality of your photo- it just has to have you in it. Everyone who sends a photo will be entered to win one of our awesome homemade race medals! Submit your photo by adding it to the 5K On The Farm Facebook page, or emailing katie(dot)r(dot)adam(at)gmail(dot)com! 

Just need to add the ribbons!

Volunteers!

We are so excited to announce that the North Star High School Volleyball Team will be joining us on race day as course volunteers. You'll see their smiling faces at the registration table, start/finish line, and along the course! If you can, please support the team by attending one of their games. You can find their match schedule on the North Star Website (<-- click that link!)

Go Knights! 

That's it for now! We're hoping to keep increasing registrations, and we know race day will be fabulous and fun! Be sure to check out the "About" page for all the basics, and the "Sign Up!" page to get registered! 

August 14 Update and TOP TEN REASONS to do 5K ON THE FARM!

Thanks to EVERYONE who is stopping by the site here to find out more information or to sign up! There has been a big bump in traffic to the website in the past week or so and excitement is growing for 5K On The Farm!

If this is your first visit, make sure you click through the ABOUT, LOCATION, and SIGN UP! tabs up there in the navigation bar to find out more and be sure to contact us if you have any questions! Race day is only four weeks away!!!

As of now, we're up to _____18_____ sign ups, and our goal is to make it up to 25 by Monday morning. Will you help us achieve our goal?! Sign up TODAY! 

If you need a little incentive, read on...

TOP TEN REASONS why YOU should SIGN UP for 5K On The Farm!
10. It's inexpensive-- only $20 and for everything you get for that $20?!?! Are you kidding me?! Add up what it costs to buy a day pass at a gym, a hamburger lunch somewhere else, and a t-shirt, and then tell us what's the better deal. ;) **But don't delay- price goes up to $25 after September 5, including race-day registration! 
9. Fitness and farming CAN go together!
8. There is a distance and speed for every ability. Run or walk either one mile or 3.1 miles with us on Race Day. Don't tell us "I'm not a runner..." because you don't have to be a runner to enjoy being outside. Sounds like an excuse to me! If you can walk for 20 minutes, you can do 5K On The Farm in the 1-mile distance and be just fine.

Runners and walkers of all ages and abilities can participate!

7. There is a place for every participant! Can't make it to the farm? Sign up for Virtual Run and get your fitness on wherever it's convenient for you.
6. Helping rural economies! Race proceeds are going to help fund leadership and education opportunities for rural women, so the positive ripple effect of community strengthening and growth can continue throughout Montana! If you believe in strengthening rural communities, then this is a cause you will want to get behind.

Women helping women and strengthening rural Montana communities!

5. Race Swag. We're going to have really awesome goody bags and race tees! Just you wait and see!
4. Exercise is good for you! But you already knew that, didn't you?
3. Hanging out with friends. Get a group of friends together to do the race. Walking or running together is a great way to catch up and spend time with friends and family!

2. Truly unique race venue. How many races or runs have you done on a farm!? You can't beat the view of the Sweetgrass Hills from here!

Looking west toward the Sweetgrass Hills.

1. HAMBURGERS! Every participant who joins us on race day gets a free hamburger lunch with their entry fee! Who says there's no such thing as a free lunch?!


If there are ANY reasons above that sound good to you, then you need to click on the RunSignUp icon over there in the sidebar RIGHT NOW and get registered! Can't wait to see YOU on race day! :)

Bonus reasons:
Because #Ruraliscool! 
Because you may get to see some farm animals, too!
What else can you think of as a good reason to do 5K On The Farm? 

VOLUNTEER to help on race day! We'll need help with timing, start/finish line, registration table, and with food.

SHARE YOUR STORY-- If you have something you'd like us to put in our race goody bags, we'd love to include it!

Weekly Update July 23

Weekly Update: July 23 Edition

I'll be posting weekly updates on the website until Race Day (September 12!) draws near! Keep checking back to stay in the know on 5k On The Farm!

We're up to ___6___ registrants for the run! Hey, it's a start! Right now, there are three people signed up for Virtual Run and three signed up for 5K. No one signed up for the 1-Mile course yet... If you've been thinking about signing up, please go ahead and do so! Don't wait until the last minute because in the last week the price goes up five dollars! You want to get a deal, right? So, do it now! Click the RunSignUp link over there in the side bar, or click on the SignUp! tab above! :)

Running in the USA
With our race being on RunSignUp, we were automatically posted on the Running in the USA website! So, that's cool.  Running in the USA is a website I check frequently when looking for races, especially in places I'm traveling to. It was kind of surreal to see my race on their website, but very cool!

Race Bibs
Race Bibs have been ordered and are expected to arrive no later than July 31. For you three Virtual Runners who have already registered: once I get the bibs in and the t-shirts printed, I'll begin mailing out your race packets. I'm meeting with a t-shirt printing place today to get started on that process.

FACEBOOK: 5K On The Farm has it's own Facebook page AND a Facebook Event. Our Page is up to 97 "likes"-- just a few people away from 100! If you haven't yet, get on there and "like" the page. That way you won't miss any info about the run. Then, while you're on FB anyway, make sure you join the official 5K On The Farm Facebook Event!

Maroon and Gold Fun Run
If you're in the Hi-Line, MT area and love to run just like I do, you'll want to sign up for the Maroon and Gold Fun Run in Havre on August 22. They're offering 1-Mile, 5K and 10K distances. Proceeds will support the first ever MSU-Northern Cross Country Teams! They're just getting a program up and running, so this is a fundraiser event for them. I'm pretty sure I'm going to do the 10K, and I'll be there handing out info about the 5K On The Farm! Here's a link to their website, where you can download registration forms and read more info: Maroon and Gold Fun Run