Abraham Lincoln Health Foundation gifts community certified 5K/10K courses at Madigan State Park

[July 14, 2015]  LINCOLN - A large group of community members gathered Wednesday morning south of Lincoln along Route 66/Lincoln Parkway at the Edward Madigan State Park. Some of those who came out on the rainy morning were from Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital, Abraham Lincoln Healthcare Foundation, Healthy Communities Partnership, Lincoln and Logan County governments, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Logan County Alliance and local citizens. The special occasion was an official ribbon cut for the area's first newly marked and certified 5K/10K race course.

Angela Stoltzenburg, ALMH and Healthy Communities Partnership pictured center

Despite the rain, excitement was high for what took about four years in the making. ALMH had been hosting races in the park and marking the course manually every time. Last year Todd Mourning, Director of Program Development Rehab for the hospital and his crew decided it was time to get the course marked permanently.

Department of Natural Resources personnel for the park were instrumental in getting the work done.

Mourning’s Rehab crew cut the ribbon, while Lincoln Mayor Scott Cooper and Logan County Board Chairman David Hepler unveiled the signage.

The marked trail represents Logan County's first race course certified by the USA Track and Field (USATF), the national governing body for track & field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. The 5 kilometer (3.1 miles) and the 10 kilometer (6.2 miles) courses were certified using the Road Running Technical Council (RRTC) of USATF measurement standards.

The start/finish line for the course is at the first parking lot just inside the park.

The park's beauty and well maintained roadways create an enticing environment that already attracts many visitors and the hope is that with the measured course many more will find incentive to practice regular fitness.

ALHF executive director Sarah Helm (pictured above third from right) said, “At ALMH our mission is to improve the health of the people and communities we serve. We support healthy lifestyles and choices. We take our responsibility to enrich our community’s quality of life seriously. Therefore we hope that having the course marked will provide encouragement for park visitors to walk or run the course while enjoying nature.”

[Karen Hargis, with contributions by Jan Youngquist]