Oak Brook Half-Marathon Race Recap

I woke up early and a little anxious around 4:30 AM for a 7:00 AM start.  The ground was still a little damp from some overnight thunderstorms, but the sky was clear as was the forecast.   Checked some emails, put on my gear I laid out the night before, and was out the door.  It was still very early, about 5:30, so I went to go get a coffee.  I really didn’t plan on drinking it but since it is so apart of my morning routine I thought I could just take in the smell as I drove over to the race.

My pre-race dinner consisted of 5 pork tamales and a couple of big glasses of water around 6:00 PM.  When I woke up, I drank another 16 oz of water had some caffeine waiting for 20 minutes before the start.  The smell alone of Starbucks must have done the trick so I headed over to the ample port-o-lets near the start.  Met up with a couple of friends from work and before long they were singing the National Anthem.

There were 1050 runners spread across a wide street for the first ¾ of a mile so it was very relaxed and comfortable.  The opening 2 miles were primarily downhill so I was able to ease into the race ahead of my planned pace and felt great.  I did start to think at some point we would have to start climbing back uphill, so I tried to make the most of the descent.

The course winds around the outskirts of McDonald’s corporate headquarters and through some beautifully manicured Oak Brook parks and trails.  At about mile 7 there is a sharp ascent on Spring Road before ducking into Fullersburg Woods for some great crushed limestone trails.  At one point you climb a sharp hill, then dive back down and then climb that same hill again before leveling off.  My Midwest legs weren’t ready for these back to back climbs, but looking back it was pretty fun.  My wife and kids were waiting for me after mile 8.  Molly screamed “Irish Kenyan” and Danny(3) and Ellie(2) yelled “Go Daddy”.  The kids looked in awe as all the runners rushed by just a couple of feet away.  It was just what I needed as I headed into the home stretch.

Once out of the woods the temps had risen and the sun was at full strength with minimal shade.  I was still cruising near goal pace until I hit mile 11.  Thanks to the ample aid stations that seemed to be more frequent just when I needed them the most I was able to top off with some water and Gatorade before making a charge in the final mile.  Oh and a buddy of mine Dan Kozdron from the Western Cook Running Club gave me a nice surprise as a pacer for the final mile and a half.  It was good to see a familiar face and there was no way I was going to slow down now.

I charged into the final quarter mile and several spectators yelled out “Irish Kenyan” after reading my custom (iron-on) shirt.  This propelled me into a mad dash for the final stretch.  I had to reach back to grab a medal from the volunteers because I was still trying to slow down well after the line.  I finished with a new PR of 1:54:21.

Overall, the race is a must to add to your schedule.  Free parking is 500 feet from the start, there are ample aid stations, spectators can catch you at several points along the way, and the constant change in in terrain keeps it exciting.  The only thing lacking is a more eventful after party. A beer tent and a couple of vendors for the spectators could easily turn the post-race into a real party.