Featured Running Event of the Week - Route 66 10k, Edwardsville

Reader warning - this is one of our longer posts - but the volunteers deserve the recognition.

As part of my running "bucket list", my goal is to run as many races in Route 66 towns or ON Route 66 (even better) in Illinois, Missouri, and Kansas, within reason.  We've already featured several of them on this blog over the past few years.  This week it is the Route 66 10k in Edwardsville, IL.

What drew me to the race was that it was part of the annual Route 66 Festival, which consists of a car show, vendors, live music, and Route 66 memorabilia.  What makes it one of my favorite races turned out to be not where it was located (Route 66), but what went on as part of the race.  So let's walk through it (or run).

The race itself starts at the Route 66 Festival at 8:00am, right about when most vendors are arriving and begin setting up.  Most "open" at 10:00am officially, but by the time I completed the race and got situated, many of them were already open for business.  The race also ends at the Route 66 Festival.

The course spends about 50% on city streets and 50% on wooded bike/walking paths.  Runners leave the Route 66 Festival and head through some side streets then across Route 66 itself, and then begin a winding process through the business and residential sidestreets of Edwardsville.  The course spends very little time on the larger streets, which makes sense as it would be difficult to close main streets, especially Route 66 during a Route 66 Festival. 

As part of the neighborhood portion of the course, there are quite a few blocks of red brick road (sorry, not yellow brick), but very reminiscent of older parts of Route 66 and just older neighborhoods in general.  These brick streets are well maintained, and although it does lead to a more cautious step, there were no ankle-twisters that I spotted.  Many don't care for brick roads during a race (as I have overheard some say here and in Dwight), but, personally I like the ever changing terrain.  Not only does it change things up, it adds to the historic atmosphere of a Route 66 race.

The course then exits the neighborhoods for a relatively steep and winding downhill consisting of almost the entire elevation loss of the entire race.  As it winds, it builds speed, adding another challenge to runners to successfully pace themselves and change their strides accordingly.  At the foot of the hill and after a few turns is a Nature Center and the first water stop - and the second spirit station. 

Wait - time for a break here - the second spirit station.  The first one was back around mile 1 if I am not mistaken and consisted of adults, teens, and children holding up signs, ringing bells, and cheering for complete strangers (and for friends they knew in the race).  And that marks the first of seven stations (I hope I counted that right), and those are what made this event so memorable for me - the spirit stations.  Each one was themed differently, and I hope I don't leave any out.  (This is what I referenced in the intro).

Back to the race, the next spirit station was also many kids, teens, and adults with all sorts of funny signs and bells and cheers and high-fives encouraging the runners, just before we headed of into the wooded path area.

The next 3 miles-ish is spent on a very gradual, but constant, uphill, making up for that giant steep downhill earlier.  All of the elevation loss is made up during the wooded path area, it is very very gradual, but it is constant.  Trees are on both sides of the path and provides a very scenic tour through nature.   The next spirit station was themed as a Pool Party - they even wrote on the path "Pool Party Ahead" in multi-colored chalk!  Once runners arrived there, they were greeted with volunteers in pool attire, and a decorated area with pool inflatables, beach items, beach umbrellas, and the like.  An oasis at in the woods. 

The race continued in the wooded area for another mile or so, when the next spirit station arrived and runners could hear it as they approached - the infamous sound of dueling banjos playing loud and proud.  Upon arriving at the spirit station, just past the underpass, runners were greeted with over-the-top "hillbillies" and water guns!  And those water guns were a welcome respite from the heat, as volunteers would water-down willing participants as they ran (or walked past) - front AND back!!!

Later, still in the woods came the next spirit station, which also acted as a guide or a directional sign, preventing runners from continuing straight on the path and massively increasing their total distance.  The volunteers lined up for high-fives, essentially blocking the wrong path and forcing runners to make the right turn (a left turn, actually).  At least a dozen young ladies cheering and high-fiving the runners as they passed.

Shortly after that, the course emerges from the wooded path and runs along side one of the main roads on a VERY wide concrete path.  The cars honking as they drove by - or waving - provided that necessary inspiration to complete the final mile of the race.  The drivers provided that extra adrenaline kick needed for the finish.  The course then turned back onto residential streets for the final 1/4 mile or so and a couple of turns - then a long finish line stretch of a few blocks which included the final spirit station, with mostly teens and adults cheering and high-fiving and yelling words of encouragement to the runners with .1 miles to go.  They also provided a nice hose to run under!!

And then it finished - with the Route 66 Festival straight ahead and live music already rocking the area!!

I remember so much detail of this race BECAUSE of the spirit stations - when racing, especially on longer distances, it becomes a mental challenge as well, not just physical, and those spirit stations really helped keep the spirits up!!!  By the way, I'm pretty sure I forgot one of them, as I thought there were 7, but can only remember 6.  I'm sure the one I'm forgetting was just as good, and my sincere apologizing for not remembering it.  When/if I do, I'll edit this post.  Even though I don't remember it now, I'm positive I appreciated it then!

AUTHOR'S EDIT : As promised, I'd edit them in, thank you to Erica who replied on our Facebook page,  jogging (pun intended) my memory.  The other spirit station was handing out giant soaking wet sponges!!!  Fortunately, it wasn't miserably hot outside, but I tell you those sponges sure did come in handy - and were much appreciated!!!  Not sure how in the world I could have forgotten them!!!!

One final note before concluding, this race takes place in June near St. Louis - it can be hot and humid, but between the mature neighborhoods and the wooded path, much of the race is spent in the shade - like almost 90% of it, if not more!