Neighbors compete in Lake Barrington mower race

Residents of a Lake Barrington neighborhood raced their riding lawn mowers from one cul-de-sac to the next and back Saturday as part of an effort to cure boredom.

The race, organized last year to give neighbors living along Hawks Nest Circle and Coyote Trail something to do during the pandemic, has turned into an annual event. Participants weren't deterred by temperatures in the mid-90s.

There was no clear winner, as some competitors cut corners across lawns and gentle accusations of “cheating” were levied at the conclusion of the race.

“We did this last year, trying to combat cabin fever and total boredom, being stuck in the house during the quarantine,” event organizer Dan Boyle said. “We had a ton of fun last year, and we thought we would do it again and make it an annual event.”

Brandon Kohuch missed last year's race because he was in Wisconsin with his family. This year, he and his daughter Sophia, 4, were excited to compete.

Sophia sat in her dad's lap as they moved along at barely 10 mph. They completed just a potion of the course because their engine wasn't running when the green flag was waved at the start, but they still managed to have fun.

“It looks like it was a good time last year, so I wanted to make sure we got here this year,” Kohuch said.