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Illinois > Hills and Hollows Half Marathon & 5K
Valmeyer, IL
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Date
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Event
Details
This is a race that certainly lives up to its name, as Valmeyer's Hills
and Hollows Half Marathon & 5K takes runners on a course that
varies between relatively flat straightaway stretches and some
seriously challenging uphill stretches, especially in the last few
miles of the race. From the starting line on the edge of town on Route
156, this out-and-back race follows a clockwise loop course through the
"hills and hollows" of the countryside just outside Valmeyer, and
features nearly 500 feet of elevation change over the course of the run.
Dedicated to the memory of local resident Melvin J. Fisher, a longtime
member of the Valmeyer Volunteer Fire Department who helped grow and
modernize the department for many years, the race starts at the corner
of Route 156 and South Valmeyer Avenue, at an elevation of about 846
feet above sea level. From there, the course takes runners southward
along Route C and Deer Hill Road, with a number of turns along the way.
When it reaches Madonnaville at KK Road, the course turns westward and
heads toward Monroe City.
After Monroe City, the course begins a long, steady descent toward its
lowest elevation as it runs along the Mississippi River bottoms areas
along the edge of the hills, turning northward off KK Road onto Bluff
Road. The next four miles are all northward along Bluff Road, toward
the turn at Mitchell & Main Street, where the course begins its
final -- and steepest -- hilly stretch over the last two miles to the
finish line.
You'll no doubt notice as you run the race, especially during its
second half, that much of the course takes runners through the
Mississippi River floodplain. What you're running through are nearly
totally rebuilt communities, as much of the area was wiped away 15
years ago when the river overflowed its banks in the great flood of
1993.
Ever since then, the town of Valmeyer has been rebuilt -- on a
site about two miles east of its original location, and 400 feet higher
in elevation. What you'll see when you visit Valmeyer for the race is a
town built totally anew, restored to life thanks to the help of a mix
of federal, state and local funding and assistance.
Race
Weather & Climate
Located in the southwestern corner of the state, in Illinois'
westernmost bend of the Mississippi River just across the border from
Missouri, the small town of Valmeyer typically sees mild to moderately
warm weather in early fall, with the occasional shower. In September,
temperatures average betweeen 80°F and 59°F, while
rainfall amounts average around 3.4 inches for the month.
Fees
$35 if registered by September 12, 2007
$45 after Sept. 12
Registration
Online registration for this year's running of the Hills and Hollows
races is not yet available. Please check this space later for updated
information on how to register.
Website
www.hillsandhollows.org
View race photos
from the 2006 Hills and Hollows races
Course Map
View
Larger Map
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Your Race Story
Ever run in Valmeyer's annual Hills and Hollows Half Marathon or 5K?
Share your
impressions and read fellow runners' stories and tips for the
event.
Discuss it in the HalfMarathons.Net
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