Half Marathon To Cause Traffic Delays In Cary

CARY, IL — The March Madness Half Marathon will take place this weekend in Cary with special COVID-19 protocols in place that could cause more traffic delays than normal for the race.

The half-marathon will start at 7:30 a.m. on March 14 in front of Cary-Grove High School, 2208 Three Oaks Road, and will finish this year in Cary Grove Park. In an effort to promote social distancing, only 50 runners will start the race at the same time with an additional 50 runners starting five minutes after that until the 500-runner limit is reached, village officials said during a village board meeting last week.

Cary Police Chief Patrick Finlon said residents should expect the race to cause prolonged traffic delays due to the changes. He also said drivers should keep an eye out for runners that day.

The route runs along Three Oaks Road, Pine Nut Grove Road, Rawson Bridge Road and Crystal Lake Road.

Proceeds from the race benefit high school runners in McHenry County. Last year, the race was cancelled as the COVID-19 pandemic was first taking hold in the Chicago area.

For more information, visit the Hillstriders March Madness Half Marathon Facebook page.