And they're off to conquer ZOOMA Great Lakes.
ZOOMA race founder Brae Blackley couldn’t have ordered better conditions for the inaugural Great Lakes event in her series of five women’s races: It was a picture-perfect fall day with temperatures hovering around 40 degrees when 521 enthusiastic racers lined up near the marina of the Abbey Resort in Fontana, Wisconsin, to run the half-marathon and 5K. “This is exactly how I’d envisioned this day would dawn when we chose this gorgeous setting for the Midwestern ZOOMA,” says Blackley, who debuted this special boutique-atmosphere, girls-weekend race series in Annapolis, Maryland, in 2008.
Up, up and away.
Blackley designed the course to take full advantage of the stunning vistas of Lake Geneva, which also meant racers faced numerous hills on the course. “The course was really challenging,” said Beth Hamelink of Madison, Wisconsin, who ran the 5K. “But I love hills, and I’m so proud of myself for run-walking it.” Rachel Hockemeyer joked she thought of sitting down halfway up the third hill in the 3.1-mile race. “I thought it was going to reach Heaven because the hill reached so high.” Yet the Woodstock, Illinois, resident and her running partner, Maria Lyons, were already talking about tackling the half-marathon at next year’s ZOOMA.
Maria Sanborn of Grayslake, Illinois, said the 13.1-mile route was a “good course” for her second half-marathon, only two weeks after her first one. “Tackling the hills seriously made me feel like a badass.”
Kim Harrier chose to run ZOOMA Great Lakes 5K when she saw the race date was on her birthday. “I wanted my three friends to join me and make it a girlfriends-getaway to celebrate,” said the Algonquin, Illinois, resident. “It was a lot of fun to get away for a night.” Best running friends Kelli Habedank and Terri Larson of Rockford, Illinois, chose ZOOMA as their first half-marathon to give them something to work toward in their running routine. “It was very emotional when we crossed the finish line together. We ran the whole race together, and we did all but one of our training runs together.”
At the post race party on the sweeping lawn between the resort and the marina, women (and a few men, including Gene Fleming of Wausau, Wisconsin, who sported a plaid kilt for the occasion) sampled generous pours of red or white wine from Barefoot Wine & Bubbly, one of the race’s sponsors. Several already wore the lovely silver necklace designed by Satya Jewelry, given to every finisher. They perused the wares of various vendors including Fleet Feet Brookfield, Whoohagear, and Another Mother Runner. The close proximity to the resort meant racers could immediately shower—or take a rejuvenating ice bath—in their room before enjoying the festivities, if they were chilled.
Pretty in purple--and all smiles.
The spirited band Triple D played songs that ran the gamut from Neil Diamond and Jimmy Buffett to Lady Gaga and Katy Perry, prompting numerous racers to ask a little more of their legs and dance on the stone patio. It was all part of the amazing vibe that flowed throughout the race. “This was my first all-women’s race, and the support was amazing. There wasn’t one woman out on the course who wasn’t cheering for someone,” remarked Lori Hilmer of Eagle, Wisconsin. “Yes, the course was a challenge, but any level of runner could complete it thanks to the level of support that was out there. Any size, any shape. It was amazing. I’ll be back for sure.”
