Run For the Animals

I actually retired from this race in 2013 due to not being a Wheaton resident. Always a nice course. Hips, knees, joints, and ankles don’t lie after running on pavement.

I won’t be doing this race again. First, you don’t actually race at the zoo, it’s in downtown Wheaton. The course isn’t bad — it’s mostly flat and shaded. However, the 2012 race ended with me not receiving an official time. The woman from the timing company told me it’s not the company’s fault, some of the bibs had the chips installed horizontally instead of vertically.
If it’s not the timing company’s fault about faulty timing, who’s is it?
I really only race to find out if I can beat my previous times. Without an official time, I can run by myself outside. The timing company had a clipboard and asked for my bib number and my self-​reported time. Not very professional at all.

I’ve been participating in this run for many years and I continue to drive from Indianapolis to join in the fun. First, I love the excitement at the start of the race. They have upbeat music playing and there are always tons of people out cheering everyone on. They use Main St for the starting point which is large enough to accommodate the runners until the group starts to break up. I appreciate the timers they have at each mile marker… certainly not something every running event has. At the finish this year they worked hard on being green by not handing out bottles of water. As much as I would have liked cold water, I was thankful for anything wet. My one complaint was the route. I am very ready to be running through Northside Park again. I know why they haven’t been able to the last few years but I hope the park is ready for runners next year.

Umm… where were the animals?
There was a lot of unusual smells and grunting but they were all coming from the runners on this 75 degree morning (heat index 85) on the first Saturday of June.
Don’t be confused this is a run raising money for the zoo but you don’t actually don’t run through the zoo (unlike Lincoln Park Zoo Run which is tomorrow!) You have your choice between a 5K/​10K for $ 25. I thought it was a bit unusual that the giveaway shirt was a longsleeve cotton shirt-​too hot to wear in June! They did have a Dri-​Fit shirt available with an additional $ 30 donation to the zoo.
Still a fun neighborhood road race with an even ratio of downhill to slightly inclined routes. Loved being cheered on by people sitting in their front yards and greatly appreciated the random sprinklers they turned on to help cool us down.
Finish line was a bit narrow so I did feel like I was truly fighting to finish. Plenty of volunteers handing out lukewarm water in disposable cups rather than cold tall bottles of water (but I did end up finding a stand in the park giving away cold bottles of water).
The race also coincides with the Taste of Wheaton so no need to look elsewhere for food. Just bring cash and snack away on elephant ears (my favorite!), Jersey Mike subs, Chick-​fil-​A sandwiches, and Wok-​n-​Fire eggrolls! You deserve it!