Heat, hills, and a heck of a good time.
It would not be the Sundowner 5k without these things.
There have been some slight changes to the race over the past 17 years, but the popular 5k put on by the Joliet Park District gets runners coming back year after year and new runners to proclaim that they will definitely be back.
There were some changes to the course this year. Mostly notably, there were several stretches of the street that were newly paved – finished just this past week, in fact – and the dreaded out-and-back section was eliminated. The second mile had been changed so that runners got to experience more of the forest area, meaning almost the entire course was now in the shade. Perfect for a day where temps were in the low 90s.
Having put on the event for 17 years, the race organizers know exactly what the runners want when the mercury goes up. There were two water stations on the course plus a light mister just after the two mile mark. At the finish line, runners were handed a water bottle and a much needed bag of ice. If anyone needed even more relief from the heat and humidity, the Joliet Fire Department also set up a giant, inflatable mister.
Then, of course, the well-known post-race picnic provided a dinner of burgers, chicken sandwiches, chips, cookies, beer, and other goodies. The most popular food item, however, was being given away at the TCBY truck. (Plenty of runners were seen spoiling their dinner by grabbing frozen yogurt first, a decision that was surely shunned by mothers everywhere.)
Despite some small changes over the years, the Sundowner 5k has never changed its reputation as a well-run, family event that is not to be missed.
