The Good Life Race

Thank you for participating in this years's Good Life Race. If you need to pick up your race award medal, these should be available at Fleet Feet Oak Park by Wednesday, April 6th. We will also have some race day photos that will be available on this site, hopefully by Monday, April 11th. 

The Oak Park Runners Club hosts one of the most prestigious 5K race events in the Chicago area on Sunday, April 3, 2022.

The 39th Annual Good Life Race is a family-friendly event that draws from the greater Chicagoland area with both a 5K and separate 1 Mile Youth Race (kids ages 5-12). We are also the Illinois RRCA Championship 5K for 2022. While past Good Life Races have included an additional Fitness Walk and Junior Dash (5 & under), we will be postponing those events this year. Likewise, the 5K, which has traditionally involved separate men's and women's races, will only consist of one combined race. We hope to return to our traditional format in 2023 and appreciate your support and understanding as we navigate a number of constraints related to hosting an event as we navigate a post-pandemic return after a two-year hiatus.

SCHEDULE: (timing subject to change, we will communicate any changes made to the schedule)

• 8:45 AM     YOUTH MILE
• 9:10 AM     5K RACE
• 10:00 AM   AWARDS (Fieldhouse)

CARA RUNNERS' CHOICE CIRCUIT RACE: This race has received the Chicago Area Runners Association designation as a 2022 CARA Certified Race, and is a part of the 2022 CARA Runners Choice Circuit. This race has agreed to adhere to and uphold CARA’s Best Practices Guidelines. These Guidelines embody the highest standards for quality, safety and comfort for participants in a road race.  

ZERO WASTE EVENT: The Good Life Race is a green race and proud to be a Zero Waste Event!

CORRAL ASSIGNMENTS: We will have three (3) corral assignments, Corral A is time-restricted for men (under 17:45) and women (under 20:00), Corral B is for those finishing over those times, and Corral C for those who prefer a more social distanced start. Corral A & B will start at the gun, Corral C will remain open for five minutes after the start.

COURSE: The course is flat, fast and USATF certified (#IL-17002-JW). The course is entirely within Oak Park, and it features a slightly downward sloping straight-away at the finish. There is one water station on the course across from Taylor Park, after Ridgeland Avenue before mile 2. (15 min/mile pace cut off)

HEALTH/CVD PROTOCOLS: We follow all local and state policy mandates regarding COVID-19. We will communicate specific requirements as we near the race day in observing public health policies to ensure the safety of all participants and volunteers. Indoor facilities may require the proper wearing of a mask for entry.

PARKING/DIRECTIONS: There is a parking garage on the corner of Scoville and Lake with 300 parking spots. There is a nominal charge for parking in the garage. In addition there is plenty of free on-street parking south of Lake Street and west of the High School. Please look for no parking signs and DO NOT park along the race course.  The start and finish lines are at the Oak Park River Forest High School, 201 Scoville just north of Lake Street, Oak Park. Consider helping us reduce our carbon footprint by carpooling, using public transportation (CTA/Green Line, Oak Park or Ridgeland stops) or riding your bicycle to the event.

RACE WEATHER POLICY: The safety of our runners and our volunteers is our primary concern. We have created a set of weather policies that describe how the race will react to various anomalous weather conditions. Please note that any actions taken as described will be communicated via public announcements on-site, as well as postings on our social media facebook & twitter pages.

GENERAL EVENT POLICIES:

• No refunds are permitted. No deferrals of entry to future years are permitted.
• No transfer, sale or attempted sale of entries is permitted. Sorry, NO EXCEPTIONS.
• These include requests due to injury, pregnancy, surgery, personal circumstances or professional commitments.
• If the need for event cancellation arises, please be reminded that there will be no refunds of registration fees.
• Please note strollers, roller blades, and dogs are not allowed in the 5k or youth mile races.
• Your bib must be worn on the front of your body and visible at all times.
• Anyone being paced by a person not registered for that race will be disqualified.