Cantigny 5K races to help homeless veterans

Cantigny Park invites runners and walkers of all ages to enter the 12th annual Cantigny 5K Run/Walk to help the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans in Wheaton.

Held annually in connection with Veterans Day, Nov. 11, the race begins at 9 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, at Cantigny, 1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton. Net proceeds go to the Midwest Shelter, which provides transitional living facilities to assist U.S. veterans in need. The 2014 Cantigny 5K raised $11,500 for the shelter.

Race registration is limited to the first 1,000 entries. A full field has been achieved every year since the first Cantigny 5K in 2004.

The event's popularity begins with the scenic course, which highlights key features of the 500-acre Cantigny estate. Runners and walkers start and finish at the park's Visitor Center. Along the route they pass the First Division Museum, Robert R. McCormick Museum and formal gardens. A portion of the route covers rolling hills on Cantigny's 27-hole golf course. Race participants and their families are invited to explore and enjoy Cantigny's attractions throughout the day.

The Cantigny 5K is chip timed and conducted on a blacktop surface. Results will include finish time, pace, overall finish position, age and division place. The entry fee is $25 and includes a running shirt.

A one-mile, chip-timed Youth Run is offered for ages 6 to 10, and a quarter-mile Tot Run is open to children ages 1 to 5. Registration for the youth and tot divisions is $10. Kids also receive a shirt and a medal.

Race registration is available online at signmeup.com/107470. Registration will be available until the limit is reached or 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, whichever comes first. There is no race day registration.

On race day, American Legion Cantigny Post 556 will host a fundraising Pancake Breakfast from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. inside the Cantigny Visitors Center. Runners, walkers and spectators are invited. The cost is $7 per person, $3 for ages 4 and younger. Parking is free.

Cantigny 5K details are online at cantigny.org. Questions about the event may be directed to Brian Gray at bgray@cantigny.org or (630) 260-8167.