PROS: --Impressively organized, I found myself wanting for nothing --Plenty of space near the Start/Finish area for runners to set up chairs, coolers, etc. under the cover of canopies --With … MORE
PROS:
–Impressively organized, I found myself wanting for nothing
–Plenty of space near the Start/Finish area for runners to set up chairs, coolers, etc. under the cover of canopies
–With a USATF-certified loop length of juuuust under 1 mile, you’ll never be more than 1 mile away from aid; it’s easy to change out shoes/clothing on the run, and you don’t need to carry a bottle or aid if you don’t want to
–The 1-mile loop has enough variety that you won’t be losing your mind. There are left turns, right turns, ups, downs, and you run over a bridge at one point. During the night, the course is lit up with Christmas lights.
–Excellent selection/variety of food/drinks to choose from
–All races start in the evening, meaning the 6-hour and 12-hour runners won’t be exposed to the hot sun for too long (sorry, 24-hour runners, you’re pretty well screwed here)
–Very runner-friendly setup for anyone looking to try their first ultra….just start and stop as you’d like! Take your time, take a nap in the car, you’ll never be too far from where you started
–Really impressive SWAG — us 12-hour runners got a short-sleeve tech shirt, long-sleeve tech shirt, and a race-branded winter hat. Age group winners received some pretty great nutcracker trophies
CONS:
–It’s a 1-mile looped course that you run over and over and over….it’s not so bad when you’re running at night and everything looks the same, but when the sun comes up, it can drive you a little loopy (pun intended)
–The entire course is paved. That’s nice because you can wear road shoes for the entire race, but my legs were a lot more beat up than they are after a trail 50-miler
–With the race being held in July, don’t be surprised to see race temps climb into the 80s & 90s during the day.
–The 12-hour race starts at 11pm, which I liked (I slept for 6-7 hours during the day prior to the race), but I passed some runners who were VERY sleepy around 3-4am
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Immaculately-organized 1-mile loop Ultra
PROS: --Impressively organized, I found myself wanting for nothing --Plenty of space near the Start/Finish area for runners to set up chairs, coolers, etc. under the cover of canopies --With … MORE
PROS:
–Impressively organized, I found myself wanting for nothing
–Plenty of space near the Start/Finish area for runners to set up chairs, coolers, etc. under the cover of canopies
–With a USATF-certified loop length of juuuust under 1 mile, you’ll never be more than 1 mile away from aid; it’s easy to change out shoes/clothing on the run, and you don’t need to carry a bottle or aid if you don’t want to
–The 1-mile loop has enough variety that you won’t be losing your mind. There are left turns, right turns, ups, downs, and you run over a bridge at one point. During the night, the course is lit up with Christmas lights.
–Excellent selection/variety of food/drinks to choose from
–All races start in the evening, meaning the 6-hour and 12-hour runners won’t be exposed to the hot sun for too long (sorry, 24-hour runners, you’re pretty well screwed here)
–Very runner-friendly setup for anyone looking to try their first ultra….just start and stop as you’d like! Take your time, take a nap in the car, you’ll never be too far from where you started
–Really impressive SWAG — us 12-hour runners got a short-sleeve tech shirt, long-sleeve tech shirt, and a race-branded winter hat. Age group winners received some pretty great nutcracker trophies
CONS:
–It’s a 1-mile looped course that you run over and over and over….it’s not so bad when you’re running at night and everything looks the same, but when the sun comes up, it can drive you a little loopy (pun intended)
–The entire course is paved. That’s nice because you can wear road shoes for the entire race, but my legs were a lot more beat up than they are after a trail 50-miler
–With the race being held in July, don’t be surprised to see race temps climb into the 80s & 90s during the day.
–The 12-hour race starts at 11pm, which I liked (I slept for 6-7 hours during the day prior to the race), but I passed some runners who were VERY sleepy around 3-4am
Extremely well-run 1-mile looped course
Taking place in the middle of summer, this USATF-certified 0.9732971994-mile looped course starts in the evening to allow the 6-hr, 12-hr, and 24-hr runners the opportunity to run in cooler … MORE
Taking place in the middle of summer, this USATF-certified 0.9732971994-mile looped course starts in the evening to allow the 6-hr, 12-hr, and 24-hr runners the opportunity to run in cooler temps. The course winds up, down, and around the Lisle Park District, mixing in mild hills with long stretches of flatland. The 2014 course loop featured plenty of both left and right turns, and the course was illuminated by stretches of Christmas lights in addition to a staggering amount of luminaries to keep runners on the correct path. The 1-mile loop is about as varied as you could hope for, for a race that takes place in the middle of a suburban park. Giant inflatable Christmas decorations out on the course also added to the holiday flavor, and there was an aid station every mile at the Start/Finish area, which also included canopy tents and an area for runners to set up chairs & drop bags. There wasn’t much shade on the course, but as I “only” ran the 12-hour event, that only applied to about 3-4 hours of my race.
This may be the best-organized race that I’ve ever run, of any distance; this is a race for FOR ultrarunners, BY ultrarunners. The RDs for the 2014 CIJ race were all seasoned ultramarathoners, and their attention-to-detail showed. The 29-page digital course guide covered details both vague (An entire page was devoted to answering the question, “What is an ultramarathon?”) and specific (parking directions, road closures, aid station offerings, etc.). The aid station tables located at the Start/Finish area were well-stocked with all the usual ultra fare: PB&J sandwiches, M&Ms, pretzels, potatoes (and salt!), chips, granola bars, Skittles, Gatorade, water, flat Mountain Dew, flat Coke, flat ginger ale, and a bevy of other options. Hot pizza made an appearance a few hours before dawn, and the volunteers started cooking up bacon shortly after the sun came up.
Race Swag consisted of t-shirts and sweatshirts for the 6/12/24-hr runners, and there were t-shirts and hats for the 5/10K runners. Runners of all distances received a finisher’s medal (with the distance/event noted on the ribbon), and any runners who ran in excess of 100 miles received a belt buckle.
At the end of the day, I understand that this race isn’t for everyone: it’s a 1-mile looped course, taking place at night, in July. It’s not the most interesting or exciting course in the world, but since there aren’t all that many ultramarathons within a short drive of Chicago, this race fills a specific niche. There are bigger races out West, scenic races that transport runners to a different world and really capture the imagination, but this race is a 5-star event for what it tries to be.
Celebrate Christmas in July for 24 Hours
Though the course is a monotonous 1 mile loop through a municipal park, this fun 24 hour race offers a bevy of mental and physical challenges. Plenty of day-time heat, … MORE
Though the course is a monotonous 1 mile loop through a municipal park, this fun 24 hour race offers a bevy of mental and physical challenges. Plenty of day-time heat, no shade and a 10pm Friday night start make this race unique on its own, and the smorgasbord of aid station fixins’ and festive course decorations add even more charm. This is an ultra race put on by ultrarunners, so you can be sure that much thought has gone in to every single detail.