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Naperville hosting new women's half marathon

A half marathon for women is coming to Naperville in April, and some runners will get in for only $1.

Race Director Bill Burke said a unique pricing structure is part of the fun of the first Naperville Women's Half Marathon and 5K planned for Sunday, April 24.

Online registration opens at 10 a.m. Tuesday at napervillewomenshalf.com, and for a few of those with the fastest clicks, the race will cost $1.

Burke said his company, Louisiana-based Premier Event Management, is making a few half marathon slots available for $1 and $5. Those likely will sell out within seconds. But other runners can get in to the 13.1-mile race for prices at each $5 increment up to $100. 5K slots for a 3.1-mile run also will start at $1 and $5, then continue in $5 increments up to $35.

"Anytime you've got an opportunity to jump in and run a promotion like this, it's huge for the local running community," Burke said.

The reaction to posts about the new race on Naperville Running Company's social media pages has been great, with women tagging their friends to invite them to join in, store owner Kris Hartner said.

Hartner has seen the success of women-only races hosted by other running store owners.

So when he heard Burke wanted to do another event in town besides the Naperville Sprint Triathlon his company hosts each summer, Hartner pitched the idea of a women's half marathon.

"We decided a women-only run would be a hit here in Naperville," Burke said.

The races will start and finish at North Central College, with the half marathon beginning at 7 a.m. and the 5K at 7:20 a.m.

After finishing in Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium, runners can stick around for the North Central College Women's Elite Cup, a 5K featuring superfast runners putting on a show.

"That gives the female athletes that just finished their events and spectators an opportunity to see 20 women running at a really high-level pace," Burke said. "Naperville has probably never seen anything like this."

After registration, Naperville Running Company will begin an eight-week training program with an informational meeting and 3-mile run at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, at Fredenhagen Park.

The store also will provide pacers on race day to complete the half marathon at designated times. As the only men in the race, Hartner said the pacers will wear tuxedo T-shirts and "have some fun."

This new race is the second half marathon to get started in Naperville in the 2010s, after the Healthy Driven Naperville Marathon and Half Marathon began in 2013.

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