Named one of the 7 Wonders of Illinois by the Illinois Bureau of Tourism, Robert Allerton Park offers 1,500 acres of beautiful, outdoor surroundings. This picturesque setting includes extensive formal gardens, more than 100 outdoor sculptures and garden ornaments, natural areas including the Sangamon River, floodplains, lowland and upland forests, a meadow and a 30-acre demonstration prairie, a century-old, Georgian-style mansion and, best of all, 14 miles of beautiful interpretive hiking/running trails!
For eleven years, however, the park and some of its most beautiful trails were separated by the closing of its historic bridge over the Sangamon. At last, state and university resources came together to construct a replacement bridge and roadway, newly opened in Fall 2012. The trails were joined, and the half-marathon was on!
Now entering its 28th year of fulfilling wishes of more than 10,000 children with life-threatening illness or medical conditions, Make-A-Wish Illinois continues to bring hope, strength and joy where it is needed most across the state. We are proud to be partnering with this amazing organization, which manages to allocate 80% or more of its annual funding directly to program-related expenses. It's our hope that you will see the proceeds from your race registration fee as a meaningful and impactful donation. We will do our best to reach out to race sponsors to help cover race expenses, maximizing the race's overall donation to Make-A-Wish!
