Naperville Women's Half Marathon and 5K
Naperville Women's Half Marathon and 5K
( 6 reviews )-
Naperville,
Illinois,
United States - April
- 3 miles/5K, 13.1 miles/Half Marathon
- Road Race
- Event Website
Katrina Mather
Rockford, Illinois, United StatesOverall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
I hadn't been planning on running a half a month before my already scheduled half, but when the opportunity came up for a $1 entry I jumped on it. Thankfully, I was one of the lucky ones who got the $1 half entry.
I live about a 1.5 hour drive from Naperville, so my group and I left just after 4am to ensure plenty of time for packet pickup (yay for race day pickup!).
Communication leading up to the race was a little sporadic, but much better than other races I have done recently. I wish they had sent a parking map in relation to the start but that's the only change I would have made. Having previously lived in Naperville, I at least had a good idea of where everything was and where to park.
Packet pickup was a breeze as was gear check. The atmosphere surrounding the start was fantastic, with the DJ amping everyone up and pacers chatting with everyone. I was a little startled by the SWAT teams present and snipers on the roof of the college, but hey... at least I felt totally safe! The police presence along the entire course was amazing and I felt safe from bad drivers every second of the way. They cheered for us right along with the volunteers and community. Which, by the way, the community support for this inaugural race was incredible.
The course was beautiful. One thing I always loved about Naperville was the gorgeous homes and amount of care everyone gave to their property. The whole course went by quickly as I admired my surroundings. The few hills (especially the one at mile 8) sucked, but the downhills afterward more than made up for them.
There were PLENTY of water stops and I hope they continue that next year. Plus the Clif Shots they handed out were COLD and tasted awesome! Just the boost that I needed at those points of the race.
At mile 11 they started posting a sign every tenth of a mile, but suddenly quit at like 11.7 and didn't show another one until the end. The last half mile-ish was a winding route from the trail to the college track, and really gave false hope a couple of times when I thought I was at the end only to see a bit more to go. The final loop around the track wasn't fun and I walked part of it out of frustration.
The medal was adorable and really stands out on my medal holder. I PR'd by 9 minutes and got my very first race photo that I LIKE... so much so that I actually paid for it.
Post-race food was easily accessible and had a great variety of choices. Bagels, pop, water, protein bars, etc.
I raved about this race to anyone who would listen for a couple of weeks, and was lucky again to get the 2017 race for $1. It's definitely a race you should try to participate in if you get a chance and I can't wait to see how it grows!