By Mani Souphom – R & J Broadcasting | August 12, 2025
Warroad, MINN. — The Yellow Rose 5K and 10K races in Warroad, Minnesota, took place on Saturday, August 9, 2025. A virtual race was held for Fargo, North Dakota, on Friday, August 8, 2025.
Two hundred fifty-three participants finished this year’s Warroad race, marking the 21st year of the annual event hosted by local manufacturer Marvin Lumber and Cedar Company. Proceeds from registration for the Warroad Yellow Rose Race will be donated to the Warroad Childcare Center. In Fargo, proceeds from registration will benefit Youth Works across North Dakota.
According to Marvin’s Tour and Visitor Center team, the conception of the Yellow Rose Races can be traced back to Margaret “Peggy” Johnson, née Marvin, as early as 2002. Johnson reached out to the Road Runners Club of America to gather information on how to set up a 5K race or run, and the event was officially established in 2004 as part of Marvin’s Family Festival.
In the lead-up to the very first Yellow Rose 5K in 2004, Race Chairman Anthony Head urged the community to register, stating that if 100 people signed up, the 5K would become an annual event. The community responded enthusiastically, with over 1,500 attendees at the inaugural event, and Bill and Frank Marvin provided encouragement to participants at the water stand.
The Marvin “Family Festival” was held in 2004 to celebrate the centennial anniversary of George Marvin’s arrival in Warroad in 1904. The festival featured an all-employee picnic, games and food, the 5K race, and a fireworks display. While the festival was a one-time event, the 5K and all-employee picnic became annual traditions for the Marvin Company.
Proceeds from the very first Yellow Rose 5K were donated to the Warroad Food Shelf, with registrants receiving a commemorative T-shirt and small gifts provided by local businesses. The traditions of donating to charitable organizations and providing special souvenirs and tokens remain to this day.
Building on these strong community roots and decades of tradition, this year’s Yellow Rose races once again showcased impressive talent and spirit from runners across the region. Here are the 5K first-place results from the 2025 Warroad event by group:
Boys Age 7 and Under: Edison Harren
Boys Ages 8-12: Tanner Marcotte
Boys Ages 13-19: Tyson McKeever
Men’s Overall: Cameron Heppner
Girls Age 7 and Under: Emerson Harren
Girls Ages 8 -12: Brynn Knutson
Girls Ages 13-19: Audrey Hayden
Women’s Overall: Hannah Dumansky
The Yellow Rose Race continues to be a true family affair. This year, Cameron Heppner, grandson of Peggy Johnson, née Marvin, the race’s original visionary, took home the men’s overall title with an impressive 16:50.3 time. Meanwhile, brother and sister Emerson and Edison Harren claimed first place in the girls and boys 7-and-under divisions, respectively, showcasing the next generation of local talent. Their parents, Warroad native Gabriel Harren and his wife Katie Kalkman accompanied them throughout the race and to the finish line. With strong community ties and family legacies at its heart, the Yellow Rose Race remains a cherished tradition in Warroad and beyond.
To find the final race results, visit GSEtiming.com. We will continue to follow stories like this and bring updates from your community, here at your local homegrown radio station KQ92 at 92.5 FM and KRWB at 1410 AM and 102.9 FM.