The event includes 5K and 10K runs as well as a noncompetitive one-mile Fun Walk.  Runners in the 5K and 10K events will start at the Zoo’s Ten Mile Road entrance and wind through the scenic streets of Huntington Woods surrounding the Zoo.  Walkers will follow a course past award-winning animal habitats as they stroll through Zoo grounds. 

The LaSalle Bank Run Wild for the Detroit Zoo begins at 8 a.m. with the 5K run, followed by the 10K run at 8:45 a.m. and the untimed Fun Walk at 9 a.m.  Online registration is available at www.runwilddetroitzoo.com until September 11, and registration will also be available at the Zoo on September 14, 15 and 16. 

Medals will be presented to the top male and female runners in various age groups.  All participants will receive commemorative tee shirts as well as free admission to the Zoo on race day.  A Post-Race Party will follow the Run Wild event with live music, family entertainment, and complimentary food and beverages.  Regular Zoo admission applies for non-race participants. 

“Every year, we look forward to supporting this terrific event that draws families, casual runners and world-class athletes alike,” said LaSalle Bank (Michigan) CEO Mark Hoppe.  “LaSalle Bank is proud to serve as the title sponsor of the race, which reinforces our ongoing commitment to the communities in which we live, work and play.”

In addition to sponsoring the Zoo run, LaSalle Bank owns and operates two of the world’s largest road races, The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon and The LaSalle Bank Shamrock Shuffle 8K.  

The LaSalle Bank Run Wild for the Detroit Zoo is also supported by New Balance, Gatorade and Pepsi.

The Zoo is looking for 200 volunteers to assist during the event.  For information on volunteer opportunities, visit the Run Wild website at www.runwilddetroitzoo.com, or contact Linda Denomme at (248) 541-5715 x.3806 or ldenomme@dzs.org.

LaSalle Bank Midwest N.A., headquartered in Troy, Mich., has $49.7 billion in assets and $25.4 billion in deposits.  The largest bank in Michigan ranked by deposit market share, LaSalle Bank serves individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies and institutions through 261 branches and 1,000 ATMs in Michigan and Indiana.  Parent company LaSalle Bank Corporation is the largest bank holding company headquartered in Chicago, with more than $124 billion in assets. 

The Detroit Zoological Society is a non-profit organization that operates the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Zoo.  Situated on 125 acres of naturalistic exhibits, the Detroit Zoo is located at the intersection of Ten Mile Road and Woodward Avenue, just off I-696, in Royal Oak.  The Detroit Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April through October – with extended hours until 8 p.m. Wednesdays during July and August – and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November through March.  Admission is $11.00 for adults 13 to 61, $9.00 for senior citizens 62 and older, and $7.00 for children ages 2 to 12; children under 2 are free.  For more information, call (248) 541-5717 or visit www.detroitzoo.org.  The Belle Isle Nature Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April through October and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November through March, and provides educational programming with interpretive staff support from the Huron-Clinton Metroparks.  For more information, call (313) 852-4056. 
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