advertisement

Sign up for Great Western Half Marathon, help support Special Olympics of Illinois

The Great Western Half Marathon, hosted by the Fox River Trail Runners since 1997, will be held on Sunday, May 1.

The run will be raising money to benefit programs that serve more than 40,000 Special Olympic athletes in Illinois. The race, which is a United States America Track & Field certified, point-to-point course on the Great Western Trail, starts at the Sycamore Speedway in Sycamore and finishes in LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve in St. Charles.

Proceeds, after expenses, benefit Special Olympics sports training programs statewide.

"We are proud to host the Great Western Half for the 19th time," said Karen Willuweit, president of Fox River Trail Runners. "With every runners paid registration fee, a portion of the profits go to benefit the Special Olympics of Illinois athlete training program and help supports a noble cause."

Registration for the Great Western Half Marathon is almost full and for a limited time from April 8-24. Runners can get the best of both worlds when it comes to running and supporting the Special Olympics.

Visit Geneva Running Outfitters or Dick Pond Athletics and purchase at least $10 (tax included) worth of running gear or supplies and receive:

• A promotion code for $35 off the registration fee for the Great Western Half Marathon.

• If already registered for the Great Western Half Marathon, receive a promotion code for 50-percent off the registration fee to the Geneva Summer Sunset 5K race in July benefiting the Fox River Trail Runners Youth Scholarship Fund.

"We truly value our partnership with Geneva Running Outfitters and Dick Pond Athletics and are thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate on this race and special cause which will help to enhance the programs enjoyed by the talented athletes in our community," added Keith Wood, vice president of Fox River Trail Runners.

For more information, visit www.frtr.org/greatwestern or email greatwestern@frtr.org.

The Fox River Trail Runners was founded in 1995 to promote running in the Fox Valley (from Elgin to Aurora). It is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation, with more than 600 members, which hosts three races a year to benefit charitable causes and provide educational seminars, endurance training programs, and scholarship opportunities for local high school seniors.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.