Theodore Wirth – An inside look at the man, the park, and his legacy

Loppet Learning Series Free presentation series at the Theodore Wirth Trailhead Loppet Learning Series: Fall 2026 Theodore Wirth – An inside look at the man, the park, and his legacy Thursday, November 12th, 2026 | 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. | The Trailhead Presenters: Dana Wirth Sparks, Mark Raderstorf Building on the presentation by Mark Raderstorf from last April, this presentation will do a deeper dive into the life and legacy of Theodore Wirth, the Minneapolis Parks Superintendent from 1905 to 1935. One of Leonie and Theodore Wirth’s great-grandchildren, Dana Wirth Sparks, will join Mark and share her personal insights of this legendary figure in Minneapolis Parks history. She’ll share stories and bring a few family treasures … including Theodore’s ‘Alpine Flora’ book, gifted to him by his father in Switzerland , so he would never forget the flowers of his homeland. Mark will briefly review the history of Mr. WIrth and the Park named after him. Bring your questions and stories to share. Presenter Bios: Dana Wirth Sparks, great grand daughter of Theodore Wirth Mark Raderstorf, long time Loppet community member and Chief Fun Officer of You Betcha Tours RSVP HERE Past Loppet Learning Series Talks Going Ultra – Considerations for Ultra-Distance Athletes from 50k-100 Miles Monday, May 11th | 6: 00 – 7:30 p.m. | The Trailhead Thinking about your first ultra – or ready to level up from 50K to 100 miles? This one-hour workshop breaks down what actually changes when you step beyond the marathon distance: fueling strategies, training volume and periodization, gear selection, mental frameworks, and how to build a race-day plan that holds up when things get tough. Whether you’re eyeing a local 50K or dreaming of a hundred-miler, you’ll leave with a clearer picture of what it takes and a roadmap to get there. Presenter: Aaron Boike is the Owner and Head Coach at Performance Running Gym, a gym for runners and endurance athletes located in St. Louis Park, MN, and the Official Run Coaching Partner of The Loppet. He holds a B.S. in Kinesiology, is a Certified Personal Trainer through the American Council on Exercise, and holds a running and ultrarunning coach certification through UESCA. Contact him directly at [email protected], follow him on Instagram @trainerontherun, or learn more about Performance Running Gym at www.performancerungym.com. Theodore Wirth – A Visionary and Driving Force Behind the Minneapolis Parks System. Tuesday, April 28th | 6: 00 – 7:30 p.m. | The Trailhead Join us for a deep dive into the life of Theodore Wirth, an immigrant horticulturalist from Switzerland who served 30 years as Minneapolis Park Superintendent. Wirth is credited as the creator of the many Minneapolis parks we now enjoy, including the Lake Harriet Rose Garden, the Grand Rounds, and all those small city parks with playgrounds Presenter: Mark Raderstorf is longtime Loppet community member, having served on the Loppet Board, various committees and presently is a coach for the Loppet Adventures program. He is passionately proud of being a 40 year resident of Minneapolis. In addition to being an avid skier and biker, Mark can be seen giving walking and biking tours of Minneapolis through his tour company, https://www.youbetchatours.com/. All of the proceeds from his tours are donated to the Loppet Foundation. Exercise as Medicine: How Little is Too Little and How Much is Too Much? Monday, October 27 | 6-7:30 p.m. | The Trailhead Learn about Exercise as Medicine with Dr Kathryn Larson of the Mayo Sports Cardiology Clinic. BIO: Kathryn Farni Larson, M.D., is a board-certified non-invasive cardiologist with expertise in echocardiography, sports cardiology, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She is also an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. Dr. Larson completed her undergraduate degree at Harvard University and obtained her medical degree from Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine. She completed her residency in internal medicine at Mayo Clinic. She completed her subspecialty training in cardiovascular medicine and advanced echocardiography at Mayo Clinic where she served as Chief Fellow. Dr. Larson’s clinical practice focuses on the evaluation and treatment of cardiovascular conditions in athletes and highly active people. Training Technique: A Visual Guide to Improving Your Skiing Monday, November 3 | 6-7:30 p.m. | The Trailhead Through detailed video analysis, learn how to recognize and fix fundamental technique issues commonly found in junior and senior level skiers. Bio: Jake Stiele is the Head Coach for Team Birkie, the Minneapolis-based professional nordic ski team. Jake is from Prior Lake and is an LNR Alumnus. He raced at St Scholastica College and has coached with LNR Juniors and Adults, as well as being a certified Strength Coach. As Head Coach of Team Birkie, he works with both the World Cup athletes, and Regional athletes. Bound by Nat