Featured Running Event of the Week - AshleyCan Pediatric Cancer Foundation-Steger Days Of Music 5k

Returning after a brief hiatus from working the various aspects of Steger Days of Music - here is the next featured running event.

The AshleyCan Pediatric Cancer Foundation - Steger Days of Music 5k.

This event is run on the Saturday morning of Steger Days of Music beginning a busy day of activities throughout the village.

The event has a summer-friendly early start of 8:00am.  This is a street 5k, but with some uniqueness in the course.  The route starts at the Fire Station and Fire Fighting Practice Complex and heads into a tree-lined neighborhood, after about 1 mile, the course enters the wide streets of a light industrial park, and passes by the start/finish line on its way to an relatively out-and-back segment of the course.  The route heads up an unexpectedly steep hill into a newer subdivision with smaller trees, and not as much shade, before turning towards an older neighborhood and large trees again.  It then begins the "back" portion at just about the 2 mile mark.  On the way back, after going down that surprisingly steep hill, it makes a quick turn into a serene retirement community and makes a loop.  Following that loop, it's all downhill from there, literally.  From the point on, the course begins a long gradual downhill all the way to the finish line - providing a nice finish line kick and a chance to gain some time towards a PR.  Aside from the one obvious hill, the course actually has several very gradual long uphills (which become downhills).  At first they aren't noticeable, until the runner has traversed 4 or 5 blocks and looks back, and realizes why that seemed harder than expected.

But it's not the course that makes the event special.  It's what is ON THE COURSE.  At the start/finish line is a DJ, who starts the race with the National Anthem, and then, upon the gun/horn - plays Eye Of The Tiger and other "motivational" rock songs.  Now, this is especially cool, because not only do runners hear the DJ at the start, and the finish, but also just after 1 mile, as they pass the start/finish line to head to the 2nd part of the course.  Three opportunities to enjoy the DJ stylings of Dave's Entertainment Karaoke & DJ.

But wait, there's more.  After leaving the start line, and before 1 mile is reached, runners encounter a student summer band program.  A complete band, with horns, and woodwinds, and percussion, and everything one would find in a high school band!  Also playing music to motivate the runners, all courtesy of the Steger Summer Rec Band.

But wait, there's more.  On the out-and-back portion of course, right near the water station, is a two-piece live acoustic band, playing everything from classic rock to surf music as runners go by.  What's cool about this is twofold.  One, because it's at the water station, many runners slow down and get to enjoy the music longer and two, because it's on the out-and-back portion, runners get to enjoy the live music of The Big Boppers duo two times.....two times.

But wait, yes, there's MORE.  And it's more music.  Just before (and after) the turn-around an EMA (volunteer Emergency Management Agency) vehicle is playing standard football game/motivational music through it's intercom.  But not just that - accompanying the music is the Steger Storm Cheerleaders - providing much appreciated inspiration and motivation to the runners.

And if that isn't enough, throughout the course various residents - and business owners/employees in the industrial park also cheer on the runners as they pass.

The finish line is awesome too, with grilled hot dogs and chips for everybody, plus the standard runner fare of bananas and granola and such.  And, in addition, for those 21+, a wine tasting tent!!!

And, it all goes for a great charity, the AshleyCan Pediatric Cancer Foundation, which raises money to help find a cure for childhood cancer, to provide treatment to those with childhood cancer, and to provide assistance to the families impacted.