For Some, Annual 5K is a Team Effort

It’s an annual event that’s getting a new twist this year.

The village's  race will kick off at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Romeoville Recreation Center, taking a new route through before finishing at  just in time for a Mexican-themed celebration.

A local group has been gearing up for the fun run and will hit the track as a team. The aptly named “The Will to Run the ’Ville” team includes Will County Board member Suzanne Hart and Romeoville resident Justin Kusreau.

“I think it’s going to be a great route,” Kusreau said. “Usually, we run through the neighborhood … [so] it should be a nice change of pace.”

The fact that the race take place after work — instead early on a weekend morning — is also a big draw, Hart said.

“Six-thirty [p.m.] is unheard of,” Hart said, adding she hopes the scheduling will allow more residents to take part.

But, she noted, it might make competing for the tops spots even tougher. A first-, second- and third-place winner will be chosen for several age groups for both men and women.

“Evening races are harder, because you’re fresher in the morning,” she said. What you eat throughout the day also plays a role, according to Hart.

Team members Shanel Smith and Karl Kusreau, Justin’s brother, are new to the race this year.

“I was there [last year] for moral support,” Karl said, laughing.

“I’m doing it for the camaraderie and to be part of the community,” he added. “I recognize the connection between physical health and mental health.”

For Smith, the event is a chance to get back into running.

“I used to run just for exercise,” she said, adding she planned to spend time at the gym this week to get ready. “I’m going to get back in there and train a little bit.”

In 2010, Hart’s first time running the Cinco de Mayo 5K, she placed third in her age group. Justin, who is running the race for the third year in a row, said he typically finishes in 27 minutes or less.

“If I get under 30, I’m good,” he said, noting that at age 27, he faces tough competition.

“My division is [age] 20 to 29, so I get all these 20-year-olds,” he said, laughing.

For Hart, the race is part of her preparation for an even larger event: The Oct. 9 Chicago Marathon.

“I make it part of my training,” she said. "5Ks are a very big component because it’s speed work.”

Although each team member strives to make good time, it’s not every man for him or herself, according to Hart. The group plans to run the course as a team.

“We stick together,” Hart said. “The big thing is just running together.”

Ready, set, run (or walk)

The festivities will begin with on-site registration at 5:30 p.m. Immediately after the 6:15 p.m. kids’ dash, the 5K race begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by the one-mile walk at 6:35 p.m.

A post-race party will include food, drinks, mariachi music and more. Registration is $25 for the 5K and $15 for the one-mile walk. For information on the route or to register, click HERE.

The Cinco de Mayo 5K is a Chicago Area Runners Association-certified race.