Golden Made Events to host maple syrup 5K and Fun Run

Runners, walkers, family and all alike are invited to join together as Golden Made Events prepares to host their Maple Syrup 5K & Mini Maple Fun Run on Saturday, March 28. Established in April 2025, Golden Made Events aims to curate a community from within itself. Founder Allie Thut-Connely comments on the process of hosting this fun run.

“I personally like this time of year. As an outdoorsy person, there’s so much to appreciate all around us, and maple syrup in particular is a great product that’s all around us in the Midwest. I wanted to find a way to celebrate that.” she said.

Although typically associated with Canada, Wisconsin remains the third largest producer of Maple Syrup in the United States according to the Wisconsin Historical Society. Thut-Connelly highlights how maple syrup seems to seep into her life.

“My husband was involved with Bear Paw Scout Camp. They have this whole maple syrup operation, where they educate scouts on the process while making maple syrup,” Thut-Connely added.

While most people, if not everyone, would enjoy a good stack of pancakes and maple syrup to start their morning, Thut-Connelly’s inspiration for the event was also drawn from other family members.

“I have a dog named Maple and she’s a big part of my life. Part of this event was obviously celebrating maple syrup, but it’s also a dedication to her, which is where the inspiration and the name for the Mini-Maple Fun Run came from,” she said.

Partnered alongside Brown County Parks Department, the Maple Syrup 5K & Mini Maple Fun Run will be held at Brown County’s Reforestation Camp in Suamico, with the 5K beginning at 9 a.m. and the fun run at 10 a.m.

As people trek along the trails, runners will come across various facts about maple syrup and its production process.

As people finish the race, they will be rewarded with a 1.7mL of Anderson’s Maple Syrup.

The fun run will reward participants with a maple chocolate chip cookie from the Maple Buzz Cafe, however participants in both runs will also receive a commemorative beanie.

“For the race, we have a massive parking lot so people won’t have to fret about finding spots to park. The trail systems are also very wide and when paired with the ski trails, there’ll be ample space for runners to be safe,” Thut-Connely said.

After the 5K and fun run, everyone is welcome to join together in the Reforestation Camp Ski Lodge for a pancake breakfast presented by Anderson’s Maple Syrup.

“We’re also working alongside Freedom Foods for the pancake breakfast. They’re a local food vendor that helped us with a lot of local events in the past. Alongside Anderson’s Maple Syrup, they’ll be able to handle the capacity of people and help us prepare so all people have to do is grab, go and enjoy!” Thut-Connely said.

For Thut-Connelly, planning events like this exemplifies the strength our community has to offer when united.

“Our last event Run Run Rudolph ended up having stupidly cold temperatures in the negatives, but people still bundled up and came out. There were all these smiles on everyone’s faces, even in spite of the cold. It really warmed my heart to see that shared experience,” she said.

Thut-Connelly leads Golden Made Events as a sole business owner. In every event she plans, she also carries it out on every front.

From scheduling to marketing to finding sponsors, Thut-Connelly is dedicated to our community.

“I used to work for different companies where I would help put on these community events, but nowadays I’m leading these events for our community. It’s a different level of enjoyment and involvement, I don’t have a team to market and solicit sponsorship, it’s just me doing all of these things. To be able to produce an event and see the adrenaline and excitement as people cross the finish line. It’s truly rewarding to know I had a hand in that enjoyment,” she added.

The maple syrup theme doesn’t function just to promote the event, but to also get people active. Thut-Connelly hopes that the 5K and fun run allows people to enjoy a Saturday morning while learning about both the outdoors and the health benefits of maple syrup.

“Maple syrup isn’t just for pancakes but it’s also a natural sweetener that can be used in a variety of ways like in homemade oatmeal, baking, coffee, etc. I’m very excited that we’re able to partner with BayCare Clinic and Brown County to educate people on maple syrup.” she said.

The Maple Syrup 5K & Mini Maple Fun Run will be held at Brown County Reforestation Camp located at 4418 Reforestation Rd., Suamico. Tickets are $37 for the 5K, $12 for the fun run, and $7 for the pancake breakfast.

Register for the event online at runsignup.com/Race/Info/WI/Suamico/MapleSyrup5K#directions.