Chicago's April Racing Events
The Shamrock Shuffle 8K, taking place on April 3, is promoted as the race that kicks off Chicago's spring running season. It sure does! As April progresses, each weekend brings an increasing number of events.
April has so many great runs with fun, interesting themes that I could easily say a little something about each one. I will, however, stick to a few that especially attracted my attention. The Chicago Lakefront 50K on April 9 is an excellent run if you have completed marathons in the past and are looking for a slightly longer run (31.1 miles compared to the marathon's 26.2 miles).
Another event that caught my eye is the Ravenswood Run on the 24th. For $10, runners and non-runners alike can enjoy a post-race pancake breakfast, with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting the Ravenswood Community Services Food Pantry. What is exciting is that each $10 pancake breakfast buys 100 pounds of food for the food pantry! Finally, if you don't want to walk or run in an event, the American Cancer Society Walk & Roll on April 23 offers 10K skate and 15K bike options. Fun!
Enjoy exploring this month's event and charity websites. I sure did!
Shamrock Shuffle 8K
Location: Grant Park, Chicago
Start Times: 8:30 a.m. (Wave 1) and 9 a.m. (Wave 2)
Event Beneficiaries: Charity Teams
Chicago Lakefront 50K George Cheung Memorial Race
Location: Jackson Park, Grove 19A, approximately 100 yards west of the 63rd Street Beach House, Chicago
Start Time: 7:30 a.m.
Event Beneficiary: No beneficiary listed
Chicago's Perfect 10
Location: DuSable Harbor, Chicago
Start Times: 7:30 a.m. (10K) and 7:40 a.m. (10 Mile)
Event Beneficiary: Gateway for Cancer Research
Chi Town Half Marathon & 10K
Location: Diversey Harbor, Chicago
Start Time: 8:15 a.m.
Event Beneficiary: Special Olympics Chicago
Be The Match Walk+Run
Location: Montrose Harbor, Grove 16, 601 West Montrose Avenue, Chicago
Start Times: 9:45 a.m. (Tot Trot), 10 a.m. (5K), and 10:05 a.m. (1K)
Event Beneficiary: Be The Match Foundation
Night Nation Run
Location: Soldier Field, 1410 Museum Campus Drive, Chicago
Start Time: 7:30 p.m.
Event Beneficiary: Stand Up to Cancer
DASH for Detection
Location: Soldier Field, 1410 Museum Campus Drive, Chicago
Start Times: 9 a.m. (Runners), walkers start a few minutes later, and 10 a.m. (Kids' DASH)
Event Beneficiaries: Rolfe Pancreatic Cancer Foundation and Lustgarten Foundation
Phi Delta Chi 5K Walk/Run
Location: Montrose Harbor, Grove 16, 601 West Montrose Avenue, Chicago
Start Time: 9:30 a.m.
Event Beneficiary: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Race to Wrigley
Location: Wrigley Field, Chicago
Start Time: 8 a.m.
Event Beneficiaries: Cubs Charities and Advocate Children's Hospital (Cubs Charities will donate proceeds from personal fundraising to Advocate Children's Hospital)
American Cancer Society Walk & Roll
Location: Soldier Field, 1410 Museum Campus Drive, Chicago
Start Times: 5K Run, 5K Walk, 10K Skate, and 15K Bike Start Times TBA
Event Beneficiary: American Cancer Society
Chicago Kilt Run
Location: Trinity Pub, 5943 North Northwest Highway, Chicago
Start Time: 10 a.m.
Event Beneficiary: Brotherhood for the Fallen
JROTC/ROTC 100th Anniversary Fun Run (Loyola University Chicago)
Location: Soccer Fields, 5200 North Lake Shore Drive, Chicago
Start Time: 10 a.m.
Event Beneficiary: The unit hosting the event receives $5 for each non-cadet registrant.
Viking Run for Valor
Location: North Park University, Holmgren Athletic Complex, West Foster Avenue and North Albany Avenue, Chicago
Start Time: 7:30 a.m.
Event Beneficiaries: Pradke Family (Major James Pradke, his wife, and two sons)
Ravenswood Run
Location: 4550 North Hermitage Avenue, Chicago
Start Times: 8 a.m. (5K) and 8:45 a.m. assembly, 9 a.m. start (Kids' Race)
Event Beneficiaries: Ravenswood Community Services Food Pantry at All Saints Episcopal Church and the Student Health Centers at Lake View High School and Amundsen High School
BT5K
Location: Soldier Field, 1410 Museum Campus Drive, Chicago
Start Time: 9:30 a.m.
Event Beneficiary: American Brain Tumor Association
Reverse Run
Location: Cricket Hill, 600 West Montrose Avenue, Chicago
Start Time: 10 a.m.
Event Beneficiary: Meredith's Miracles Colon Cancer Foundation
Run to Remember
Location: Gold Star Families Memorial and Park, located east of Soldier Field, 1410 Museum Campus Drive, Chicago
Start Times: 8 a.m. (5K Run/Walk) and 9:30 a.m. (Junior Jog)
Event Beneficiary: Chicago Police Memorial Foundation
PurpleStride Chicago
Location: Jackson Park, Groves 19A and 19B, 5700 East Hayes Drive, Chicago
Start Time: 9 a.m.
Event Beneficiary: Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
K.I.S.S. Kick In to Stop Sarcoidosis 5K Run/Walk
Location: Lincoln Park, Grove 3, 1627 North Stockton Drive, Chicago
Start Time: 10:30 a.m.
Event Beneficiary: Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research
Beer Run
Location: Goose Island Brewpub, 1800 North Clybourn Avenue, Chicago
Start Time: 11 a.m.
Event Beneficiary: Chicago Park District
April has so many great runs with fun, interesting themes that I could easily say a little something about each one. I will, however, stick to a few that especially attracted my attention. The Chicago Lakefront 50K on April 9 is an excellent run if you have completed marathons in the past and are looking for a slightly longer run (31.1 miles compared to the marathon's 26.2 miles).
Another event that caught my eye is the Ravenswood Run on the 24th. For $10, runners and non-runners alike can enjoy a post-race pancake breakfast, with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting the Ravenswood Community Services Food Pantry. What is exciting is that each $10 pancake breakfast buys 100 pounds of food for the food pantry! Finally, if you don't want to walk or run in an event, the American Cancer Society Walk & Roll on April 23 offers 10K skate and 15K bike options. Fun!
Enjoy exploring this month's event and charity websites. I sure did!
April 3, 2016
Shamrock Shuffle 8K
Location: Grant Park, Chicago
Start Times: 8:30 a.m. (Wave 1) and 9 a.m. (Wave 2)
Event Beneficiaries: Charity Teams
April 9, 2016
Chicago Lakefront 50K George Cheung Memorial Race
Location: Jackson Park, Grove 19A, approximately 100 yards west of the 63rd Street Beach House, Chicago
Start Time: 7:30 a.m.
Event Beneficiary: No beneficiary listed
Chicago's Perfect 10
Location: DuSable Harbor, Chicago
Start Times: 7:30 a.m. (10K) and 7:40 a.m. (10 Mile)
Event Beneficiary: Gateway for Cancer Research
Chi Town Half Marathon & 10K
Location: Diversey Harbor, Chicago
Start Time: 8:15 a.m.
Event Beneficiary: Special Olympics Chicago
April 16, 2016
Be The Match Walk+Run
Location: Montrose Harbor, Grove 16, 601 West Montrose Avenue, Chicago
Start Times: 9:45 a.m. (Tot Trot), 10 a.m. (5K), and 10:05 a.m. (1K)
Event Beneficiary: Be The Match Foundation
Night Nation Run
Location: Soldier Field, 1410 Museum Campus Drive, Chicago
Start Time: 7:30 p.m.
Event Beneficiary: Stand Up to Cancer
April 17, 2016
DASH for Detection
Location: Soldier Field, 1410 Museum Campus Drive, Chicago
Start Times: 9 a.m. (Runners), walkers start a few minutes later, and 10 a.m. (Kids' DASH)
Event Beneficiaries: Rolfe Pancreatic Cancer Foundation and Lustgarten Foundation
Phi Delta Chi 5K Walk/Run
Location: Montrose Harbor, Grove 16, 601 West Montrose Avenue, Chicago
Start Time: 9:30 a.m.
Event Beneficiary: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
April 23, 2016
Race to Wrigley
Location: Wrigley Field, Chicago
Start Time: 8 a.m.
Event Beneficiaries: Cubs Charities and Advocate Children's Hospital (Cubs Charities will donate proceeds from personal fundraising to Advocate Children's Hospital)
American Cancer Society Walk & Roll
Location: Soldier Field, 1410 Museum Campus Drive, Chicago
Start Times: 5K Run, 5K Walk, 10K Skate, and 15K Bike Start Times TBA
Event Beneficiary: American Cancer Society
Chicago Kilt Run
Location: Trinity Pub, 5943 North Northwest Highway, Chicago
Start Time: 10 a.m.
Event Beneficiary: Brotherhood for the Fallen
JROTC/ROTC 100th Anniversary Fun Run (Loyola University Chicago)
Location: Soccer Fields, 5200 North Lake Shore Drive, Chicago
Start Time: 10 a.m.
Event Beneficiary: The unit hosting the event receives $5 for each non-cadet registrant.
April 24, 2016
Viking Run for Valor
Location: North Park University, Holmgren Athletic Complex, West Foster Avenue and North Albany Avenue, Chicago
Start Time: 7:30 a.m.
Event Beneficiaries: Pradke Family (Major James Pradke, his wife, and two sons)
Ravenswood Run
Location: 4550 North Hermitage Avenue, Chicago
Start Times: 8 a.m. (5K) and 8:45 a.m. assembly, 9 a.m. start (Kids' Race)
Event Beneficiaries: Ravenswood Community Services Food Pantry at All Saints Episcopal Church and the Student Health Centers at Lake View High School and Amundsen High School
BT5K
Location: Soldier Field, 1410 Museum Campus Drive, Chicago
Start Time: 9:30 a.m.
Event Beneficiary: American Brain Tumor Association
Reverse Run
Location: Cricket Hill, 600 West Montrose Avenue, Chicago
Start Time: 10 a.m.
Event Beneficiary: Meredith's Miracles Colon Cancer Foundation
April 30, 2016
Run to Remember
Location: Gold Star Families Memorial and Park, located east of Soldier Field, 1410 Museum Campus Drive, Chicago
Start Times: 8 a.m. (5K Run/Walk) and 9:30 a.m. (Junior Jog)
Event Beneficiary: Chicago Police Memorial Foundation
PurpleStride Chicago
Location: Jackson Park, Groves 19A and 19B, 5700 East Hayes Drive, Chicago
Start Time: 9 a.m.
Event Beneficiary: Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
K.I.S.S. Kick In to Stop Sarcoidosis 5K Run/Walk
Location: Lincoln Park, Grove 3, 1627 North Stockton Drive, Chicago
Start Time: 10:30 a.m.
Event Beneficiary: Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research
Beer Run
Location: Goose Island Brewpub, 1800 North Clybourn Avenue, Chicago
Start Time: 11 a.m.
Event Beneficiary: Chicago Park District