ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — A half-marathon and 5K are coming back to the Quad Cities, despite disruptions from the river flooding.
The 36th Quad Cities Distance Classic will be on Mother's Day, May 14, organized by the Cornbelt Running Club.
To prepare, runners have done several training runs, including laps on Ericson Field at Augustana College.
"Runners are the best people that keep you motivated," Cornbelt Running Club president Paul Schmitt said. "If you have a day where you don't feel like it, but you have to meet somebody, you're accountable — and you're always glad that you showed up after getting started."
The annual races bring participants of all ages, such as 11-year-old Payton Pillers-Siech.
"I've been running for about two or three years now," Payton said. "I started to get into doing 5Ks and then I just increased the mileage more, and now I am where I am."
Runners like Payton have been training hard, and he's aiming for a good placement in his age bracket.
"I do track workouts, I've been doing long-distance running, and yeah, I think I'm ready," he said.
The event's route used to stay closer to Augustana, but as of last year begins at Bass Street Landing in Moline, with the half-marathon going along the riverside bike path down to Sunset Park in Rock Island.
"The only problem with moving it down there, we change the course of running on the bike path, which is now flooded," race director Dale Manley said.
However, planners aren't letting a little water get in the way of fun.
"We have an alternative course that we have been working on," Manley said. "We're hoping to continue building the momentum and getting your entries increasing."
For longtime runners like Paul Schmitt, it's all for fun, fitness and community.
"seeing the confidence that people build up from first getting started, and then suddenly they're way faster than you are is pretty cool," he said.
Registration and packet pickup for the race is Saturday, May 13 at Stoney Creek Inn, from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. More information is available here.
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