The AMITA St. Paddy’s Day Half Marathon brought out runners looking to complete a half marathon, support the Bolingbrook Hospital Foundation and continue celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. Many runners and spectators participated in this event wearing festive and colorful costumes ranging from green skirts, green tutus, green vests, green shamrocks, green lederhosen to big, green leprechaun hats. Yes, the color G-R-E-E-N and high-spirits were in abundance today.
The race is a fast and scenic course that winds through quiet residential streets and along paved bike/walking paths. Most of the course is flat except for a quarter-mile stretch on Delaware Circle approaching mile six. This stretch has a steep downhill that is welcomed at this point but really makes you have to hit the brakes or you can pick up some momentum quickly and lose your footing. A sharp left turn at the bottom of this hill takes runners onto the DuPage River Greenway Trail which provides for a scenic tour of Whalon Lake and the DuPage River.
One thing that struck me as curious was the amount of encouragement and support that residents at one particular block on Hartford Lane just past the 10 mile mark were offering. I counted no less than seven homes on this block that were offering bottles of water, cups of water, juice and even fresh brewed coffee. Some residents stood curbside handing out the refreshments while other had set-up folding tables with refreshments placed on the tables for runners to grab as they passed by. I didn’t see this abundant level of support anywhere else along the course; residents of Hartford Lane should be given their own special award for community involvement! Kudos!
The race winds down with most of the last two miles on two long stretches of public streets until the very end where a quick jaunt through a parking lot and a trot across a wooden bridge bring runners to the finish line. Live music performed by The Chicago Irish Band can be heard in the distance as the finish line nears telling runners it’s time to pick up the pace and put all their energy into that final race surge.
Race finishers were greeted with a finishers medal and a commemorative pint glass. This year’s race was won by Arturs Bareikis of Crestwood, Ill. with a time of 1:12:25. Jillian Blondell of Woodridge, Ill. won the woman’s division with a time of 1:22:17. Overall, 524 runners completed this year’s race making this St. Patrick’s Day weekend a memorable one.
