Schaumburg Half Marathon & 5K Tureky Trot - 2018

It was a fun, festive and fast morning at the annual All Community Events sponsored Schaumburg Turkey Trot 5k and Half Marathon!  Lots of turkey socks, turkey hats, tutus, and even a cow costume spotted along the shared course.  Overnight rain stopped early and made way for slightly humid but very mild temps around 46 degrees throughout the morning.  A few spots of sun but otherwise cloud cover helped keep the runners cool.  Pretty ideal for late fall running weather!  Because this is a point-to-point course, runners enjoyed two options for parking; near the start or near the finish, with frequent shuttles between the two spots.   Port-o-potties were plentiful, lines were never very long, and as usual both packet pick up and gear check was very organized and quick.  Even race day registration, often not available at races of this size, was a breeze.

Both the half marathon and 5k races started on-time, with the 5k starting at 8:30 and the half following at 9:15.  The course split just before mile 2 and was very clearly marked with signs as well as friendly volunteers on hand to usher you in the right direction if you were confused.  The aid stations were well stocked and police assist made the course and runner/spectator crossing sections feel incredibly safe.  Both 5k and half marathoners got to experience the challenge of a few hills, with equal spots of quick downhills.  Energetic crowds along the course and at the finish made for a spectacular day.  Everyone was treated to delicious and hot chicken noodle soup along with snack foods, water and sports beverage at the finish line prior to photo ops at the All Community Events backdrop.   Last but certainly not least, a team of incredible pacers were on hand to help runners get to their goals!  First place over male for the 5k went to Matthew Jeromin with a time of 17:37, first place overall female for the 5k went to Ashley Espinosa with a time of 21:28.  The half marathon overall male in 1:05:16 was Tyler Jermann, and the overall female for the half marathon with a time of 1:20:20 was Jane Bareikis.  Full results can be found at http://results.itsracetime.com/results.aspx?CId=17095&RId=505

Long Grove Turkey Trot 5K & 8K

By Chris Dean

On Thanksgiving morning (Nov 22, 2018) crowds gathered in historic district of Long Grove (near the once covered bridge) to participate in an annual Turkey Tradition of getting a run in before the big meal. The weather was cold (32*F) and gray but thankfully dry and proved to be a good morning for this annual event hosted by All Community Events (https://allcommunityevents.com/ ) for the 11^th annual Long Grove Turkey Trot.

The mood was festive and fun as anxious runners stretched out, grouped up and found their friends and family near the starting line. There was a great mix of ages and abilities and you could see that many people use this event to catch up with friends and bring their families to kick off the Holidays. A number of runners dressed in turkey themed outfits, proving this was both a competitive run for some and a fun run for others.

Above, the Wall family from Mundelein

The 8K led off the event and wound through Long Grove’s historic downtown area and over the once covered bride and then across route 53 into the residential neighbored hood of Country Club Estates. The route is mostly on flat paved road, but does offer some slight hills and narrow paths in a few spots. The 5K race shares the majority of the route and 8K and 5K join back up towards the finish. The surge to the finish welcomed runners with hot cider and treats as well as a live band (Deja Vu http://www.dejavuband.com) that rocked out with well-known favorite songs which had a number of runners and spectators dancing past the finish.

Finally, to cap off the run and kick off the Holiday weekend, there was beer available as part of the race at the Long Grove Tavern. Runners (21+) huddled inside to get warm and share stories of their race experience and getting ready for football and turkey dinners ahead.

Top finishers of both distances in men and women’s divisions were as follows;

5k :

Women: Anna Gray was the 1^st woman to finish the 5k with a time of 18:23, 2^nd place Christine Pacewicz, 3^rd place Megan Janezic.

Men, Overall 5k Race winner was 17 year old Paddy Furlong with a time of 16:13. 2^nd Michael Connolly & 3^rd Patrick Hart.

8K

Woman: Theresa Peterson was the first woman to finish the 8k with a time of 34:13, 2^nd place was Meg Sullivan & third place was Victoria Dent.

Men: Sean Gill was the overall 8K race winner with a time of 26:30, 2^nd place Patrick Burke & 3^rd place was Brian Wakefield.

All race results can be found: https://allcommunityevents.com/longgroveturkeytrot