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Illinois > Great Western Half Marathon
St. Charles,
IL
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Date
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Event
Details
Now reaching its 11th anniversary -- but just its third annual running
as a 13.1-mile half marathon event -- the Great Western Half Marathon
takes runners on an out-and-back course along the local trail that
shares the same name, St. Charles's Great Western Trail. Mostly flat,
and with a mixture of paved surfaces and crushed limestone, the course
runs along what was once a railroad and features a panorama of views
along the way, from developed residential and commercial areas to wide
open fields, marshes and wetland areas.
Formerly a 30K road race, the Great Western was changed to a
half-marathon in 2005 by the local running club that organizes it each
year, the Fox River Trail Runners club. Its starting and finish line
areas lie at St. Charles's Leroy Oakes Forest Preserve, a 264-acre park
that was once a working farm and now is home to plentiful hiking,
biking and horseback riding trails among its acres and acres of woods,
wetlands and prairie lands.
After taking off from the starting line at 8:00 AM at Leroy Oakes FP,
runners
follow the winding park road to the Great Western Trail, which takes
them past West Side Park and parallels Illinois Route 64 for the next
couple of miles (as well as the race's last couple of miles).
Participants reach the turnaround point at about mile 6.55, where they
begin their return trip back to the forest preserve along the trail
route, no doubt passing many of their fellow race runners along the way.
The race, which is run in part to benefit the Special Olympics, is open
to a maximum of 800 entrants to ensure that the trail
doesn't get too crowded during the event and to allow every
participant, volunteer and spectator an enjoyable race experience. It's
also open to runners only, and they are expected to keep at least a
13-minute, 44-second pace in order to finish by the time the race
course closes at 11:00 AM.
Race
Weather & Climate
Nestled in the outer metro area suburbs almost due west of downtown
Chicago, the city of St. Charles enjoys early spring weather that tends
to be mild to moderately cool and sometimes quite chilly. In May,
monthly temperatures average between 69°F and 47°F,
while rainfall amounts average around 3.84 inches for the month.
Fees
N/A
Registration
Registration for the spring 2009 running of the Great Western
Half
Marathon is now closed, as the event has completed. Please check back
for updated information on how to sign up for the 2010 running of the
race.
Websites
www.foxrivertrailrunners.org
View race photos
from the 2007 Great Western race
Course Map
View
Larger Map
Share
Your Race Story
Ever run in St. Charles's Great Western Half Marathon? Share
yourimpressions and read fellow runners' stories and tips for the
event.
Post your comments in Runner Reviews for the Great Western Half
Marathon
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