Featured Running Event of the Week - Moonlight Quarter Marathon

The Moonlight Marathon is one of 4 simultaneous events, all part of the Moonlight Marathon at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, IL.  Oak Ridge Cemetery is home of Lincoln's Tomb, and the route does go right past it.

The entire event (except for the first/last few yards) takes place inside the winding roads and sidewalks on the Oak Ridge Cemetery.  And it all takes place - in the dark!  And, it just so happens, it was also a Harvest Moon that evening!!!  The Harvest Moon definitely provided runners with some eerie shadows and some glowing headstones along the way!

One "loop", though with all the winding, not sure if it can be called a "loop" is 6.55 miles - or a Quarter Marathon.  2 Loops equated to the Half Marathon, and of course 4 Loops equated to the Full Marathon - all 3 events were running at the same time, though with staggered start times.  Also included was a 5k, which utilized about 1/2 of the 6.55 mile route.  The Full Marathon started at 6:00pm, then the Half, then the 5k, then the Quarter - all separated by 30 minutes.  This added to the fun of the race, as participants didn't know if the runner who just caught up to them is fresh, or on their 4th loop - or if the runner they just caught was for a position change, or in an entirely different race.  It also kept the course populated the entire time, as there was seldom more than 20 yards of path in solitude.

The race starts/ends in the nearby Lincoln Park, near the lagoon, which is looped to finish/start a lap.  Runners enter the cemetery through the very entrance that Lincoln entered the cemetery to his resting place.  This entrance is no longer open for vehicular traffic.  There were several water stations located throughout the course, and the course was marked with blue road reflectors.  Headlamps were a must, and I believe some sort of illumination was required.  Runners also adorned glow necklaces.

The surprise for a first-timer at this event was the fact - this is a VERY hilly cemetery.  For those that picture cemeteries to be flat - think again.  Long uphills, some steep uphills, winding uphills - and of course just as many downhills.  The elevation changes added to challenge as they are hard to judge in the dark - and sometimes cause the distant path to disappear from site, leaving runners with a sense of dread.  Of course, the winding paths also led runners to feel they might be in some elaborate labyrinth with no escape.  Of course, isn't that the entire point of running in a cemetery.....in the dark....in the autumn???

Post race refreshments included the usual fare, as well as pizza, and a keg of beer!!!  All consumed on the ancient stone pavilion just above the start/finish line.