This small, central Illinois town plays host to a half-marathon that’s become increasingly popular through the years, as the Mahomet Half Marathon & 5K draws several hundred runners and walkers each year, from all over the state as well as from Missouri, Ohio, Indiana and even as far away as Alabama.
Mostly flat and fast and run on a combination of town streets and paved country roads, the race takes runners on an out-and-back loop course through the rolling farmland just outside town, which is home to roughly 5,000 residents.
Mahomet’s Seymour High School becomes a hive of activity on the day of the race, as runners start and finish the race, which is organized by the Mahomet Area Youth Club and the Second Wind Runners Club.
From the starting line at the school, runners and walkers follow a course that takes them first westward and then northward, with a few gentle hills at the start of the race and as runners approach the finish between miles 11 and 12.
Runners in both the 5K and the half marathon finish at the high school’s track and field complex, as 5K participants split off from those running the full 13.1 miles between the first and second mile marker, and run the rest of their race through town and back to the school.
While you’re in town for the race, visit the Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve if you have time, as it lies just a few miles from Mahomet’s village center.
This 900-acre park along the town’s stretch of the Sangomon River has a botanical garden, two large lakes for fishing and boating, an 18-hole regulation golf course, and acres and acres of forests with hiking and walking trails throughout.
Note: A virtual option is available for this event. Registration details are included below.
