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Community Corner

33rd Annual Alpine Races at Paulus Park Sunday

Runners and their families will gather again this year to compete in a half marathon, 5K or youth races at Paulus Park.

Put your running shoes on! The 33rd annual Alpine Races are coming to on Sept. 25.

The Lake Zurich running club, The , will be hosting the event, which features a half marathon and 5K for adults along a USA Track and Field-certified course. The 13.1-mile course goes in and around the streets of Lake Zurich and Hawthorn Woods.

“Our course route is visibly marked for the runners so they don’t get lost, and we have cooperation with both the Lake Zurich and Hawthorn Woods police departments to help with traffic and make sure the runners are safe,” said President Beth Onines.

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Paramedics also will be on site in case there is any need for immediate medical attention.

The half marathon starts at 7:30 a.m., with the 5K starting shortly after at 7:45 a.m. Runners will have three hours to run the course.

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“We will have water and Gatorade stops, and port-o-johns along the course for the runners,” said Onines.

The boys and girls cross country teams will be volunteering their time at the water stops.

“We help to support them during the year by letting them use our water stops on Saturday mornings, and they support us by volunteering at the Alpine Races and at the Chicago Marathon,” said Onines.

Both races are timed by DRKomputing and will be able to give the runners their results within five minutes of crossing the finish line. The first-place male and female winners overall will receive a $100 gift certificate to Running Unlimited in Palatine.

Every registered runner will receive: a medal; a hooded sweatshirt; a goody bag; a post-race meal donated by Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, consisting of a bagel, yogurt, banana and apple; free pre- and post-race stretching provided by AthletiCo of Palatine.

According to race director Brian Foss, about 450 people are expected to attend.

“Last year we had over 100 people sign up on race day,” he said.

Registration is open up until 7:15 a.m. on Sept. 25 in the barn at . It costs $45 for the half marathon and $30 for the 5K.

Kids can get in the on the fun as well. As part of the Alpine Races, a youth 1-mile race, which is timed and held later in the morning, as well as a half-mile, quarter-mile, and 100-yard race. All finishers get a medal or a ribbon.

“It’s a great way to get kids started into running and making it fun," said Onines.

The youth mile entry fee is $10 and the youth races are $5, which includes a T-shirt donated by Skopek Orthodontics.

Part of the proceeds from the Alpine Races will go towards paying for the band that the hires each year for the 4th of July celebration. Money also will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association.

For those that registered early, advance packet pickup will be available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 24 at the barn in . Packets also can be picked up as early as 6 a.m. on race day.

Parking is free for everyone and volunteers still are needed. For more information or to volunteer, contact Beth Onines at beth@illinoisruns.org or Brian Foss at brianfoss@comcast.net.

A post-race party will be held at , 84 N. Old Rand Road, Lake Zurich, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. For $10, anyone can enjoy food and two draft beers.

“It’s a great race and a great price,” said Foss. “We have people come from the city or all the way from Wisconsin. They enjoy running through our neighborhoods and know we always put on a topnotch race.”

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