5K Women's Race Unites Three Sisters

Sunday proved to be a hot, sticky day, but it was perfect for a gathering of sisters. New Balance put on its 12^th annual Fleet Feet 5k/10k Women’s Run at Chicago’s Montrose Harbor at 7:30 a.m. July 17, with more than 2,600 women participating.

As a Grayslake resident, I joined my daughter, Heather Schwartz, 13, and my sisters Juli Powers of Dallas, Texas, and Heather Richter, of Hinsdale, and her daughter Annie Richter, 14.

It was Juli Powers who had started the idea of the three sisters, and two nieces, getting together for this wonderful women’s run. An avid runner, Powers said, “I knew they could do it. I believed in them.”

She inspired the Richters to start running more than a year ago but had not been able to convince the Schwartz girls to really go for it. Powers felt this run was the perfect opportunity.

My daughter, Heather, and I were not so sure. Heather said, “I was nervous to run (in the race), since I had never run that far before. Plus it was really, really hot out. My aunt Juli is really into running and wanted us to all do it together, so I said I would.”

I said, “I don’t know if I’ll be able to make it that far!” Luckily it was a run/walk, so we were able to walk when we felt tired.

My daughter and I only had three weeks to train, and with the heat, and power outages from the bad storm last week, it only left us four times to actually practice running together! “I feel so proud of our accomplishment of not only finishing our first 5k race, but having a pretty respectable time (45 minutes exactly). We came in 45 out of 54 teams, which is better than I had hoped for. I just wanted to cross the finish line running … which we did!”

When asked what she thought of coming such a long way to join her two sisters and two nieces, Juli Powers said of the day, “When I went to wake everyone up, it was like Christmas morning! I was so excited to get them up for the day. Running along the lakeshore in the cool breeze, seeing such beautiful sights with my family all together was awesome. I had an injury so I couldn’t do the 10K, but it was fun anyway, since I got to do the 5k with my two sisters and two nieces.”

Two other sisters, Candice Flo of Grayslake and her sister Coral Berta of Joliet, got together for the run as well. The sisters both placed well in the race. Candice placed second in her age group with a time of 21:23, and sister Coral finished fourth in the same age group with a time of 22:48. Both women competed against 293 women in their age category. As a sister-team, they placed second among 42 teams.

Overall, the racers had similar stories of mothers and daughters, sisters, nieces, in-laws – you name it. If you want a reason to gather with your family, your next chance is at the Grayslake Library’s “Just Book It” first 5k Run/Walk on Saturday, Aug. 6. Call the library at 847-223-5313 for more details.