Snowy Super Shuffle in Geneva draws dedicated runners

Blizzard, shmizzard.

The Geneva Park District plowed ahead with its Super Shuffle 5K race Sunday morning, despite blizzard conditions and inches of snow piling up on the course.

“We have had a lot worse,” said Traci Wicks, the park district's marketing and public relations director. “Last year we had a foot of snow on the ground already, and it was very cold.”

The race started shortly after 10 a.m. on the Geneva Middle Schools campus off Viking Drive, between Fabyan Parkway and Kaneville Road. Runners ran on Viking and on a bike/pedestrian path, through the school grounds and Peck Farm Park.

“It's definitely beautiful and scenic,” Wicks said.

More than 600 runners signed up in advance for the race, and more still were registering Sunday morning.

The road and the path were plowed by workers from the park district and the Geneva school district, Wicks said. Workers began preparing the area at 3 a.m.

Many of the runners used ice-grippers, such as Yak Trax, on their shoes, to get traction. Some ran in snow boots. Hardy souls ran barelegged in shorts, while others ran in parkas and snow pants. One woman ran in a fur jacket.

But Eric “Shirtless Man” Wedow of Geneva kept up his tradition of running local races without a top, giving the appearance of not being bothered by the cold and snow.

“Nobody ever said that. It's not showing that it bothers me,” Wedow said after the race.

The men's overall first-place runner came from Elmhurst, driving about 30 mph on I-88 to make the race. Nate McPherson said it was part of his plan to run a race every week of the year in which he turned 30.

“It was nice having a snowplow in front of us. That was very helpful,” he said.