Less distance, same enthusiasm at Naperville half marathon
Amber White is no novice when it comes to running - and winning - races in Naperville.
The 32-year-old was a record-breaking middle-distance runner at North Central College, where she was inducted this weekend into the Athletic Hall of Fame.
After graduation, White stayed in the area and started running long-distance races. She has participated in all but one Healthy Driven Naperville Half Marathon since the inaugural event in 2014 - and she's been the first woman to cross the finish line every time.
"The crowd support is amazing. It's local, I know the roads, (and) it's comfortable," White said Sunday after securing her fourth victory with a time of 1 hour and 21 minutes. "It's just a town favorite."
White was among the roughly 3,000 runners who completed the 13.1-mile course through the streets of Naperville on Sunday morning. Hillside resident Leighton Becher, 24, who used the race to train for an upcoming marathon, finished first with a time of 1 hour and 12 minutes.
About 600 runners participated in the event's first 5K, which replaced the full marathon held in years past, co-race Director Craig Bixler said. Rather than closing roads and using city resources for six hours or more, he said, organizers opted for a shorter race that would put less stress on the community.
The elimination of the 26.2-mile course meant fewer out-of-town participants this year, Bixler said, though the race still draws plenty of runners from other parts of the country.
"People have lived in Naperville and moved all over the country, and they're looking for a reason to come back," he said. "So they hear about (the race), and they say, 'I used to live there. Let's make a weekend out of it and reminisce a bit.'"
Winfield resident Nate Kennedy, who previously attended North Central College, said he watched the Naperville races in the past but had never participated. He won the inaugural 5K with a time of 18 minutes and 11 seconds.
"It's a great town for running, and I thought the course was great," said Kennedy, who also runs marathons. "I just like running in this area."
Naperville native Jenny Garrison was the first woman to finish the 5K, with a time of 19 minutes and 37 seconds.
With forecasts predicting rain and storms throughout the day, organizers and city officials closely monitored the weather leading up to and during the event, co-race Director Dave Sheble said. Aside from about five minutes of "cleansing" rainfall toward the end of the race, however, conditions remained favorable for the runners, he said.