Next week’s Seabrook Lucky Trails weekend of trail running offers a St. Patrick’s Day sundown run to kick off a series of races ranging from 1 kilometer to marathon distance.

Saturday, the Tor Store presents the Everybody’s Essential 5K and 1K Fun Run Fest to raise money for and awareness of their mission.

The inaugural Because One is Too Many 5K, scheduled for Sunday, takes place at Hometown Heroes Park in League City.

It’s not just Mardi Gras season on the Gulf Coast; it’s also marathon season, with two coastal marathons in our area over the next two weekends.

Whether fast or slow, runners and walkers will find the Alvin ISD Education Foundation Turtle Race 5K to be a good reason to come out of their shell and participate.

The race honors the memory and the legacy of educator Joshua Paul Schwarz, which included helping young men without role models learn to tie a necktie.

Most dogs enjoy running, as long as they are introduced to the opportunity carefully.

The new dog park, and the Barks and Rec event, are located at Hometown Heroes Park. The fun run features a 5K and 1K, and is open to people and leashed dogs.

The excitement is contagious at the Houston Marathon, as enthusiastic crowds gather throughout Houston to cheer on nearly 50,000 competitors, including more than a thousand from Galveston County.

It’s Time Texas is a collaborative effort of people, organizations and institutions working together — and sometimes competing against each other — to help Texans get healthier and build healthy habits and communities.

The programs are called “First Day” not only because they take place on the first day of the year, but because organizers hope that Jan. 1 will be the first of many days this year for participants to hike, run on the beach or enjoy water sports.

The Miles for a Million campaign hit its goal of raising a million dollars, all of it distributed to nonprofits that work to meet the community’s most pressing needs.

Participants can wear wetsuits or skinsuits to mitigate the effects of the cold water, which is estimated to be in the upper 40 degrees or low 50 degrees.

“Born to Run 2” covers almost every imaginable aspect of the sport, including nutrition, recovery from injuries, running with dogs, route planning and calibrating pace. That sounds like an overwhelming amount of information, but it’s laid out in short, breezy chapters.

Many entrants in the Chevron Houston Marathon run the Santa Hustle half-marathon as a shake-down, since it is held a month before the marathon, while others treat the race as a good way to have fun with friends and family.

Stretching is an essential part of a runner’s time, because it increases range of motion, reduces muscle soreness and may help to prevent injuries. Garnering those benefits while catching up with someone you haven’t seen lately is a double benefit.

The Galveston Island Turkey Trot fills a gap that has existed for many years, as runners and walkers in the southern part of Galveston County have had to travel north or west to find a Thanksgiving Day race.

While the Turkey Trot officially ends when the last person walks, rolls or runs across the finish line, the health fair continues until 1 p.m.. The event gets under way at 9:30 a.m., with on-site registration and pre-race warm-up exercises. Advance online registration is also available at gchd.org.

Participants don’t necessarily have to be speedy to go home with a prize; there is also a raffle drawing for items donated by the Run for Health sponsors. Participants also receive a race shirt.