Family gets behind MainStreet Libertyville's Twilight Shuffle
The 14th annual MainStreet Libertyville Twilight Shuffle 5K Run will be held at 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 5. The race offers professional chip-timing, and a course that winds through the historic downtown neighborhoods.
The race has not been held in person since 2018; in 2019 it was canceled, and in 2020 it was held virtually and participants recorded and reported their own race times.
This year's race is led by the Marchlewicz family.
Ben and Kit Marchlewicz, who have lived in Libertyville for 33 years, are planning the race with their daughter Lisa, who has recently relocated to back to Libertyville. Last year, three generations of the Marchlewicz family participated in the virtual race.
"I've done the race in the past, but I cannot run this year, so I wanted to give back and help get the race restarted this year. I hope the race continues for many, many years so families and friends can have a fun event and enjoy the scenic homes of northeast downtown Libertyville," Ben Marchlewicz said.
Lisa Marchlewicz echoes the sentiment.
"I've run the race in previous years. I thought it would be wonderful for Libertyville to have a fun, community-oriented event to bring us all together after such a challenging year," said Lisa Marchlewicz.
She also hopes the race will continue into the future.
"The Twilight Shuffle is an annual reminder of what a wonderful community Libertyville is. I hope the sense of camaraderie, neighborly support and positive energy bring us all together and buoy our spirits if we face challenging years in the future," Lisa said.
The Twilight Shuffle is a family event, welcoming racers ages 9 and older with several award categories for participants under age 18. Technical T-shirts, custom race bibs, chip-timing and awards for top finishers in each race group will be offered; race photos will be available to download for free.
Family participation is encouraged with several unique award categories. The Fit Family award is given to the family that registers the most participants. The Fast Family award is given to the family of three or more (one member must be under the age of 17) with the fastest average time.
Winning families will receive an award and will have their name engraved on a plaque on display in the MainStreet Libertyville office.
Registration fees are $40 for adults, $30 for ages 9-17. Register online at www.twilightshuffle.com or from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 4 at the packet pickup location, 847 Running Company, 406 N. Milwaukee, Libertyville. There will be no walk-up registrations at the race.
There will be no post-race party this year. Post-race snacks will be available for all participants after the race, and everyone is encouraged to patronize downtown Libertyville's selection of restaurants on race day.
For information, visit mainstreetlibertyville.org/twilight-shuffle-5k, or call the MainStreet office, at (847) 680-0336.
The Twilight Shuffle depends on capable volunteers who keep the race safe and organized. There are plenty of opportunities to help on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, especially on the racecourse itself.
To volunteer, sign up online at mainstreetlibertyville.org/volunteer, call: (847) 680-0336, or email: shuffle5k@mainstreetlibertyville.org.