Friday's Featured 5k of the Week is - THE GLAD RUN

Fitting for Friday - a GLAD RUN.

No, it actually doesn't mean a "happy" run - it's actually part of the annual Momence Gladiolus Festival Weekend.  However, with any 5k, one is naturally glad - right?  right?

This event takes place on the Saturday of the festival, and is also a 10k.  The Glad Fest takes place in early August, so this tends to be a rather hot or humid or both race.  This article will focus on the 5k - the only part I actually know anything about.

The course is quite enjoyable and scenic and is basically flat the entire time.   I'd say that about half of the run is in the shade and other half in the morning sun.  5k and 10k runners start at the same time and for the first 1.5 miles run the course together.  When the 5k runners turn-around, the 10k runners continue.  Both finish in the same place.

The course starts on the street to the east of Momence High School, registration/packet pickup is near the football field to the west of the school.  The course starts to head towards the Kankakee River, but at the end of the school property - almost immediately, it heads west instead!  It continues west past the remainder of the high school property, then heads north past the junior high and elementary schools, then back east again for a while, and then back south - actually making a giant circle (err, square).  Now, maybe a giant circle sounds boring, but in addition to circling the school properties, the course goes right past the Glad Fest carnival, which adds to the fun of the run!  Runners go through the start line again and head towards the river.  This time, the runners actually go to the river.  The course then spends quite a while running on the road along side the river.  Cheering residents on one side, who sit in lawn chairs and cheer and ring cowbells - and the river on the other side.  This is a fun stretch - and 5k runners get to do it twice!   At some point, there is a turnaround for the 5k runners (10 k runners continue along the river).  So, now the river is part of the scenery going back - and so are the awesome cheering residents!  Runners then head back towards the school and then to the west side of the school, cut across a small section of grass - and onto the high school track!!!  The race finishes as runners circle most of the track and finish directly in front of the grandstands!  A perfect place for the "kickers" and those that love the big finishes!  A perfect finish location for a great race.  There is definitely something exciting and fun about finishing on the football field track!

Awards are also given out from the infield as finishers wait in the grandstands.

Another great rural 5k providing that awesome small-town America atmosphere!