Friday's Featured 5k of the Week - Operation Welcome You Home/Wounded Warrior 5k

The Operation Welcome You Home/Wounded Warrior 5k takes place at Settler's Park in Plainfield, IL.  As evidenced by the name, proceeds benefit the Operation Welcome You Home Foundation and the Wounded Warriors Project.  The race is always run on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, never on Memorial Day itself, as to reserve that day for honoring the fallen.

The run generally draws around 1000 participants plus a few hundred added spectators and supporters (and volunteers, of course).  This is a walker friendly event, which allows for strollers and dogs as well.  Runners start up front, walkers near the back.

In addition to the run itself, there are donation tents, silent auction items, and raffles.  The Opening Ceremony is one-of-a-kind and quite moving, consisting of a Color Guard presentation, the National Anthem performed live, a bagpiper, and a ribbon cutting ceremony.  In addition, many of the participants are either currently in the Armed Forces or had previously served.  It is a wonderful opportunity to meet those who protect our nation, and allow us the very freedoms to have such events and 5Ks.  Also, a wonderful chance to tell them "thank you".

The course itself is a mixture of paved bike paths and streets with just about half of the event on neighborhood streets.  For the most part it is a flat course that leaves the parking lot at Settlers Park, heads out past Richard Ira Jones school then back towards the park to a dead-end street turn around and then onto park paths for the remainder of the race, even crossing over a wooden foot bridge to finishing just before entering the outdoor amphitheater section.  About half of the park paths are tree-lined, which provides some much appreciated shade towards the end of the race.

Parking is actually located across the street from the event, and is clearly marked and also staffed with volunteers.

Official website - http://www.welcomeyouhome.org/wounded_warriors_5k_run.html