Litchfield, Ill., is planning a half-marathon, a five-kilometer and a children’s race on Route 66 in November, reported The Journal-News.
Litchfield Tourism Advisory Committee member Shannon Simpson-Hall said the road races came about through the suggestion of residents.
The newspaper reported:
While plans for this year are still in the works, at least until final approval is determined on Tuesday, ideas for the event include a drive-in movie at Skyview Drive-In and a pasta dinner the night before for the racers. The possibility of live music and other attractions have also been discussed to make the race more of a weekend event. […]
Alderman Woodrow Street asked if the plan was to eventually make the event a full marathon. Simpson-Hall said that is the plan, but it will take more time to make the full course on Rt. 66. She added that Burke had received five emails about the project that day and that several large groups were interested in being involved with the race.
The organizers of the Triathlou, a triathlon at nearby Lake Lou Yeager, would run the Litchfield events, Simpson-Hall said.
There already are marathons or half-marathons on Route 66 in Tulsa and the Oklahoma-Kansas-Missouri tri-state area. But this would be the easternmost event.
(Image from the Route 66 quarter-marathon in Tulsa by Chris Barnes, via Flickr)