Fall Color 5K returns to Morton Arboretum

Drinking a glass of ale may not seem like the most obvious way to cap a foot race through the forest.

But organizers say it's the way a lot of runners choose to celebrate crossing the finish line at the Fall Color 5K Run and Walk at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle.

“You'd be surprised,” said Jenelle Hardtke, special events manager at the arboretum, where the 25th annual race is set for 8 a.m. Sunday. “There's always quite the line to get the beer.”

Servers will be pouring Arbor Oak Amber Ale, a beverage brewed with oak chips from the arboretum, on the house.

The race will take athletes over a paved, USATF-certified course winding through the park's east side, Hardtke said.

Though the name implies the event coincides with the annual autumn color show that typically accents the wooded terrain, Hardtke said it's difficult to predict how much leafy color change will be on display.

Nature and seasonal weather patterns are the biggest factors determining when and how colors are at their peak at the Lisle tree museum, she said.

“What matters the most is what causes the most color,” she said.

Timing also influences the color spectacle.

“Our race is a little bit earlier this year. It's usually the first Sunday of October. It's just how the calendar shakes out with other things going on at the arboretum,” Hardtke said.

Moving the arboretum race to Sept. 30 allows runners who also want to participate in the Chicago Marathon, slated for Oct. 7, to run both races.

Joggers pushing baby strollers are allowed in the race but must start near the back of the pack for safety reasons.

“A lot of races are banning them,” she said. “It's just kind of a perk of our event.”

The event is a fundraiser that helps support the arboretum's programs and attracts a healthy-sized crowd.

“Typically, we see over 2,000 runners or walkers,” Hardtke said.

That's just the older athletes. There's also an abbreviated version of the race for kids ages 2 to 10 called the Kids Dash. It starts at 9:30 a.m. and is raced in heats, divided by age categories, covering distances ranging from 50 yards to a half-mile.

“They get a participation ribbon. They also get a T-shirt,” Hardtke said. “We just love that it gets them running around our grounds.”

Those who can't make it to the event but would like to support the race and the arboretum financially can be a “virtual runner” for a $25 fee that includes a mailed T-shirt.

Hardtke said the post-race party will feature cool-down stretches, massages and live music. And, of course, amber ale.

“A lot of families come out. We've got cow bells and noisemakers and cheering signs,” she said. “It really is a truly amazing event.”

25th annual Fall Color 5K Run and Walk

When: Sunday, Sept. 30; 5K at 8 a.m., Kids Dash at 9:30 a.m.; race-day registration from 6:30 to 7:45 a.m.

Where: Morton Arboretum, 4100 Route 53, Lisle