Featured Running Event of the Week - Harvest Days 5k

GET YOUR KICKS ON ROUTE 66

The Harvest Days 5k takes place in the Route 66 town of Dwight, Illinois.  At some points of the course, the Historic Route 66, is only a block or so away - can almost be seen from the course at one point....almost.

The 5k is part of the larger Harvest Days celebration which consists of nearly 200 craft/food/products vendors, a small-town carnival with a focus on kids rides, a car show, and other expected small-town carnival events.  Normally, everything else takes place in the "downtown" of Dwight, with the 5k actually starting INSIDE the park an using some of the park paths before heading to the neighborhood streets.  However, thanks to the newly approved Amtrak High Speed Rail, there is just way too much construction it the downtown district, so the entire event moved to the park.

This caused a minor change to the route of the 5k, but the route was still a fun route to run.  Starting just outside the park, the run heads towards downtown crossing the "main" road twice while staying in a primarily heavily shaded neighborhood.  The route is essentially a circular pattern of almost all right turns (with a couple of lefts).  The route heads back towards the park for a few blocks as the carnival looms on the horizon for the runners, it then turns, heads next to some corn fields for a few blocks - which is ideal for a Route 66 town in Illinois, and then just before the end - actually completes a block on a 100% brick paved road.  The final stretch is back on a paved road.

With the park shaded with decades old trees, the brick road, the corn field, and the carnival - this is everything a 5k in a Route 66 town should be.  If one were to script a Route 66 Illinois course, this would certainly be it.

The on-course volunteers were plentiful and friendly, including the volunteers who had to assist people in finding parking, which was not easy for those not arriving early (due to the downtown construction).  A very well organized and well presented 5k.  Advertised as "flat and fast" - and the winning times will attest to the accuracy of the advertising.  A nice visit to a Route 66 town for a nice 5k.  Norman Rockwell - or Ray Bradbury - perfect.

By the way, the event shirts were clever too, poking some fun at the fact the route had changed due to the high speed rail construction.