Schaumburg Half Marathon & 5K Turkey Trot

Saturday, November 30, 2024 • Schaumburg, IL • Course Map

Touted by race organizers as the last distance running event of the season in the Chicagoland area, the Schaumburg Half Marathon Turkey Trot takes runners on a largely flat, paved course through the Busse Forest Nature Preserve just east of the community of Schaumburg, Ill., which lies just a short drive northwest of Chicago’s downtown area.

More than 2,000 runners come out for the race on the Saturday after Thanksgiving each year, including more than 1,400 finishers in the 13.1-mile race alone. The course for the half marathon is USATF (USA Track & Field) certified, and runners in the half will have a 3 1/2-hour course time limit to complete their race.

The point-to-point course for the half marathon starts and just inside the west entrance of the preserve off Higgins Road near the North Pool, and unfolds along a winding route through the park’s paved pathways and trails.

This 440-acre preserve is part of the 3,700-acre Ned Brown Preserve, and is known for its unique flatwoods, forests, meadows and marshes, which support a wide variety of aquatic birds like ducks and geese as well as plenty of critters such as muskrat and mink, any of which runners may encounter along the course.

Runners will get to see a variety of scenery on their route through the preserve, from wide-open areas as they run along the shoreline of the 590-acre Busse Lake in the middle of the park to the forest trails that wind along its eastern edges, which pass by areas like the park’s elk pasture.

The first five miles of the race take runners through these areas out to the edge of the North Pool of the preserve, and then wind back along the route runners have just run toward Lake Cosman.

After the first 10 miles, runners then follow a quick out-and-back section that takes them to the edge of the highway (near Interstate 90) to the turnaround point at Wilke Road, and then the final couple of miles of the race wind their way along the paved pathways to the finish line in the parking lot at the northwest corner of the park, near the intersection of Golf and East Frontage Roads.

What the trails look like in Busse Forest Nature Preserve. (Photo by Charles Carper/flickr)

Race Weather & Climate

Located just over 30 miles northwest of downtown Chicago, the city of Schaumburg typically experiences moderately cool to often cold weather conditions around the Thanksgiving weekend, with occasional wet weather.

On the day of the race (Nov. 30), the average low is 25°F and the average high is 41°F, while precipitation amounts for the month average just over 2.9 inches for the month.

Past Results

Course Map

See the race route map for the Schaumburg Half Marathon here.

Starting Time

8:30 AM – 5K
9:15 AM – half marathon

Fees

$60 – $100 for the half marathon
$33 – $60 for the 5K
$33 – $50 for the virtual race

Registration

To reserve your spot in the 2024 running of the Schaumburg Half Marathon or Turkey Trot 5K, register online at RunSignUp.com here.

Official Race Website

www.allcommunityevents.com

Comments

Ever run in the Schaumburg Half Marathon or Turkey Trot? Share your impressions here, or post your review in the Comments below.

See more races in: November, Illinois

1 comment… add one

lynne hans November 11, 2019, 10:34 pm

Packet pick up info

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