Doing something a bit different this week - just going to review some of the scenery I've encountered while participating in 5Ks. Participating (running, jogging, wogging, or walking - it all counts) isn't just about going fast or winning or winning and age group. It's not even just about being healthy and meeting new people. It's also about scenery. I try to mix my races up as much as possible - and in just two years - here is what I have seen - as part of the course.
The following places listed are actually part of the course :
- On the track - while horses warmed up - at Balmoral Park Horse Track
- Through Rosehill Cemetery - AT NIGHT (entire 5k in Cemetery)
- This coming October - through Mt. Greenwood Cemetery (day)
- This coming October - past Resurrection Cemetery and the famous Resurrection Mary Gates on the famous Resurrection Mary road!
- A corn maze - the entire 5k inside the corn - hundreds of turns
- Another corn maze, with part of the 5k on grassy paths - while carrying a pumpkin!!
- Inside the Wrigley Field Concourse
- Outside Miller Park (able to see into the field from the outfield platform)
- The Warning Track at Comiskey Park (I will never call it by any other name)
- The Warning Track and Home Plate at Kane County Cougars stadium
- Stream crossings
- All the adventures of hiking trails (mud, slippery spots, tree roots, low hanging limbs, fallen trees, etc etc)
- On the Autobahn Road Course in Illinois
- On Chicagoland Speedway
- On Daytona International Speedway - high banks AND infield track
- On O'Hare Airport runways and taxiways
- On Chicago-Rockford runways and taxiways
- On Midway Airport taxiways
- On Chicago Executive (Palwaukee) runways and taxiways
- INSIDE McCormick Place - 100% of the 5k indoors
- 3 distinct Lake Michigan lakefront paths - plus numerous variations
- Allerton Park - past the sculptures and through the paths - at night with only headlamps to guide the participants
- A race with people dressed in costumes
- Perry Farm Park and other Kankakee River front paths
- Several very very very cool neighborhoods with awesome residents cheering for the participants (too man too list)
- At least 5 or 6 races in snow (snow on the ground - snow in the air)
- A 5 level parking garage - course goes up and then down the garage
- Numerous parks and bike paths
- Past carnivals
- On at least 4 or 5 high school football field tracks, leading to the finish line
- A real life college cross-country official course
- A real life high school cross-country 3 mile course
- Brookfield Zoo - all 5k inside the park
- Lincoln Park Zoo - some of the 5k inside the park
- Very soon - the Maggie Daley "skating" Ribbon at Maggie Daley Park (1 mile)
- Later this year on the footprint of the Chicago World's Fair and University of Chicago
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