DOWAGIAC — An event designed to please fitness junkies and nature lovers alike is soon coming back to Cass County.

Ron Gunn presented to the Dowagiac Rotary Club Thursday afternoon about the upcoming Sandhill Crane All Trail Half-Marathon. The run will take place on Oct. 13. The run will offer runs for most skill levels, starting with the half-marathon at 9 a.m. that day, a 10K run/walk at 9:30 a.m., a 5K run/walk at 10 a.m. and a 1K Kids Fun Run designed for children at 10:05 a.m. There is a $25 registration fee for each race, though the 1K Kids Fun Run is free.

Registration can be done online at cairnstoneadventuretours.com, by mail or in-person the day of the race. To receive a run T-shirt on the day of the race, participants must register by Sept. 30.

Money raised from the run will be used to support Cass County parks and the Dowagiac Rotary Club.

The run will take place at T.K. Lawless Park, beginning at the Monkey Run Road entrance in Vandalia. The location of run is one of its biggest appeals, according to Gun. He said that the sights and beauty of the trail are unparalleled. The nature of the trail is so important to the run that the awards for winners are made from wood and engraved with the sights of the park.

“I feel like T.K. Lawless Park is one of the hidden gems in Michigan,” Gunn said. “I have hiked every iconic trail in the state, both lower peninsula and upper peninsula, and this place is a real keeper. … Lawless Park is a wonderful destination, and we have it right here in Cass County.”

Though Gunn considers the nature of the trail to be the primary appeal of the Sandhill Crane All Trail Half-Marathon, he did warn that it is not for unexperienced runners.

“This isn’t a flat, paved run,” he said with a laugh. “If you are afraid of mud or roots or falling down a hill or into a creek, this isn’t for you. This is an all-trail, cross country run, so it’s much tougher. You have to be willing to get off your butt and run. … Ten miles [on the trail] feels like 15.”

Gun called the run a labor of love for him, and said that he hopes the community enjoys it as much as he does.

“I think it’s good for [Rotary Club] and the community,” Gunn said. “Let’s make this year great.”