The Fit List

It’s almost mid-November and the forecast is for around 70 degrees on Saturday. Not too bad! Better get in a run in shorts while you still can.
Here’s the list of upcoming races:

Weekend of Nov. 10-11:
— Schumacher Shuffle
This is a 5K run/walk and a 1K kids fun run on Saturday in Philo. The race is organized by St. Thomas Catholic School and it is in honor of John Schumacher, a longtime coach and athletic director at the school. The proceeds benefit the school.
Click here [2] for the information on the school’s website (there’s a link for online registration), and here’s a link [3] to the race brochure.

— Jingle Bell Run
It’s that time of year. The first area Jingle Bell Run is Sunday at Heartland Community College in Normal.
There’s a 5K run/walk (you have the option of foregoing the chip timing and running or walking a non-competitive race), a 1-mile walk, a kids fun run and a Santa Sprint for kids 5 and under. There’s also a costume contest.
Here’s a link [4] for more information.

— MTZ Gettin’ on Track 5K
This is a 5K run/walk on Saturday at Mt. Zion High School. The race benefits the Mt. Zion track and cross country programs.
Here’s a link [5] for more information, and here’s a link [6] to the race brochure.

— Chicago’s Perfect 10
This event on Saturday includes a 10-mile run, a 10K and a 1/4-mile kids run. The races start and finish at Navy Pier and go south along the lakefront. There is race day registration.
For more information, go to www.chicagosperfect10.com [7].

— Girls on the Run of Central Illinois 5K
This is a non-competitive 5K run/walk on Saturday at Washington Park in Springfield. It is the culmination of a Girls on the Run program that teaches self-respect and healthy lifestyle choices to girls 8 to 13. The event is open to anyone.
Click here [8] for more information.

— Girls on the Run Fall 5K
Another Girls on the Run event, this one in Mattoon on Saturday. Same as with the event in Springfield, this is a non-competitive 5K run/walk to benefit the Girls on the Run East Central Illinois program. You can register on Saturday for the run/walk.
Here’s a link [9] to the website for more information.

Weekend of Nov. 17-18:
— Run for the Library
This 5K run is on Saturday, Nov. 17, at Lake of the Woods in Mahomet. It benefits Mahomet Public Library programs and a Mahomet Rotary Club project to put a shelter at the Buffalo Trace trails at Lake of the Woods (which are very nice running trails, by the way).
For more information or for a link to register, go to http://mahometpubliclibrary.org/Run2012 [10].

— Abe’s Trail Trek
This is an inaugural race on Saturday, Nov. 17, at the New Salem State Historic Site at Petersburg. It includes a 5K fun run/walk and 10K and 15K trail runs that the organizers say are some of the toughest in the area. I would definitely be doing the 15K if circumstances were different that weekend. Next year. The post-race soup, chili, hot drinks and bonfire sound very appealing!
The proceeds from the race will help maintain the historic site.
For more information, go to http://triharderpromotions.com/abe/ [11].

— Mattoon Santa Chase
This is a half marathon and a 5K run on Saturday, Nov. 17, in Mattoon. It is organized by the Mattoon Youth Wrestling Club.
Here’s a link [12] for more information. Click on the Santa Chase link under the Main Menu on the left side of the page.

— Turkey Trot
This trot includes a 5K run, a 10K run and a 5K recreational walk in Fairview Park in Decatur on Saturday, Nov. 17.
I’m not sure if this is the same race I ran in high school, but if so it was the first time I’d encountered hills, other than an interstate overpass, on a run. Not one of my more impressive performances. I did win a turkey though.
Here’s a link [13] for more information, and here’s the race brochure [14].

— Jingle Bell Run
Springfield’s Jingle Bell Run for the Arthritis Foundation is Saturday, Nov. 17, at Lincoln Land Community College. There’s the option of a competitive and non-competitive 5K.
Go to this website [15] for more details.

If you know of an event you’d like to see included in the Fit List, please e-mail me at jheckel@news-gazette.com [16].