General Info
2023 Prices: $79-$105 for the half marathon and $45-$50 for the 5K (price depends on date of sign up and does not include a shirt)
Date I ran the 5K: 10/22/23
Date I ran the half-marathon: 10/22/17
Participants: 679 for the 5K and 1284 for the half-marathon (2023)
Weather: upper 40s and sunny (2023)
Overall Opinion:
This is probably the most exciting race in the Chicago suburbs. It has a large field of runners and a lot of crowd support. The start and finish are in downtown Naperville. In my opinion, it’s the best downtown area of any Chicago suburb. Most of the course is through nice neighborhoods. It’s convenient and well organized. I’ve completed six different half marathons, and overall this one is the best. It’s a perfect race. The 5K is nice as well, and it starts at the same time and place as the half marathon (they split at a certain point).
Pros
- An exciting atmosphere for a suburban race.
- It’s at the perfect time of the year and usually has good running weather.
- There are wide streets for most of the course. It isn’t overly crowded.
- There’s easy free parking. The Centennial Beach parking lot is massive and it’s a short walk to the start line.
- Downtown Naperville is great. You’re in a good spot to hang out afterwards. There’s also nice photo opportunities everywhere.
Cons
- It’s more expensive than other races in the suburbs.
- It can be really hard to get to the downtown area if you’re slightly late. A lot of the streets are closed off and that area can be a bit of a maze. It’s definitely not a race you want to be late for.
- There are a few small hills near the downtown area. It’s not a problem for the half marathon, but the 5K course isn’t quite as fast as others in the area.
