About the Essex County Turtle Back Zoo Penguin Waddle
The course runs point to point, starting near a waterfront recreation complex and finishing inside the zoo itself. That finish, crossing the line among the animals, is the whole character of this one. The route offers a longer option or a shorter safari shortcut, and costumes are genuinely common. After you finish, the zoo is yours to wander.
Packet pickup runs the afternoon before at Fleet Feet Montclair, a local running store, with race-morning pickup available near the start at the South Mountain Recreation Complex waterfront. The start-area parking lot sits just across the road from the complex, and additional lots and garages are scattered throughout.
Free race emails
Get the Weekly RunSesh
In for this one or still deciding, keep race season near West Orange on your radar: a Monday look ahead and a Thursday rundown of the weekend's races.
Two helpful emails per week. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Distances & Start Times
3 Miles10/18/2026 08:30$40
3 Miles10/18/2026 08:30$25
Official Spectator Pass10/18/2026 08:30$10
Going for a Time?
Set a goal and get a pace band: every mile split on a card sized for your phone lock screen, so race morning needs no math.
Where to Stay
Traveling for this race? The map shows hotels and rentals in and around West Orange — pan or zoom to compare what's nearby.
The map is provided by Stay22. If you book through it, RunSesh may earn a commission at no extra cost to you — it never affects the races we list.
