It was in the late '90s when Bob Bailey first started running in the Buffalo Grove Stampede.
“I used to come out here with my Cub Scout pack,” he said. “I would run the race and they would have the water stop at the half way mark.
“Usually it would be a hot day and they’d dump water on me,” he said, laughing.
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While most of his Scouts are grown up by now, Bailey is still running in the Stampede; he showed up again Sunday, one of more than 1,000 runners who turned out for the race, which began and ended near the at Mike Rlyko Community Park.
Sponsored by the ’s Friends of the Park, this year’s race was for the first time certified by the Chicago Area Runner’s Association, giving it instant credibility and a potentially wider audience among the metro area’s running community.
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Race Director Chuck Burgess said CARA certification is “a good reflection on the quality of our race.”
With race-time temperatures in the high 60s and a light wind, conditions were perfect as runners waited for the staggered starts of the 5K and 10K races.
Dan Whipple said he came all the way from Oswego, where he coaches the high school boys cross-country team, for the race.
“I was looking for a 10K and this one was out there,” he said.
Courtney Risinger, Sabrina Illeseas and Quinne Welter, all 15, came from Grayslake.
“I just want to get there and get to the finish line,” Welter said prior to the race.
Kyle Legge, 13, appeared more serious about the race, his fourth.
“I’m really excited about it,” the Buffalo Grove resident said as his mother pinned a number to his shirt. “I hope to do well.”
His mom, Jeannette, said he trained in the early mornings.
“He got up in the morning and ran before school,” she said.
Complete results of the Buffalo Grove Stampede are available at www.mychicagoathlete.com.
