From the Organizer
Ladies! Bring your mother, daughter, sister, other family member, colleague or friend and run or walk this beautiful two mile course through Washington Park. This race is for women and girls of all ages, whether you are a competitive runner or just plan to stroll through the park.
Strollers are welcome. Due to insurance liability restrictions, please note pets are NOT permitted in the live race.
Carrie Ward & Melissa Wiseman are back as your Women's Distance Festival race directors - we can't wait to see you out there!
IMPORTANT NOTES!
Race shirt guarantee deadline for all participants is June 17.
All participants in the 2-mile run/walk will start at 8AM!
Please note: There are no refunds. If the live race cannot be held as planned, all registrants will be converted to the Virtual Race option.
FINISHER AREA
There will be bottled water, bananas, and snacks in the finisher area.
RACE RESULTS & AWARDS
Participants who opted in during the registration process will receive a text message with their time shortly after crossing the finish line. Results will also stream live throughout the morning and be available at: http://www.ItsRaceTime.com
Award categories are Overall, Masters, 14 & under, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, and 80+.
Awards will be available following the race.
CURBSIDE PACKET PICKUP
Curbside packet pickup will be held on Friday (day before the race) at 3:00-6:00 pm at the Springfield Running Center, 2943 W. White Oaks Drive, Springfield, IL. Look for the SRRC signs & drive right up to pick up your packet; no need to exit your car. Feel free to arrive anytime during the pickup time, but please be patient if it is busy and you must wait a few minutes for your items.
If you registered by the t-shirt deadline, we will have a shirt for you! If you registered after the deadline but were still able to choose a shirt during online registration, we should have a shirt for you! Please note you will receive the size you selected during registration. If you registered after our shirt supply was exhausted, unfortunately, you will not receive a shirt. We can only guarantee shirts for those registered by the June 17 deadline. Any additional race swag/giveaways will be distributed with race packets on a first come, first served basis while supplies last.
Please do your best to attend the Friday evening packet pickup. You are welcome to have someone else pick up your packet for you if cannot make it.
RACE DAY PACKET PICKUP
Limited race day packet pickup will be available on race day morning in Washington Park at 7:00-7:45 a.m.
Packets for the live race that are not picked before the race starts will be forfeited. There is no packet shipping option.
NOTES FOR VIRTUAL RACE PARTICIPANTS
- Run or walk your two miles wherever you choose!
- Beginning on race day you will be able to submit your time on this page (click on this year's results):
https://runsignup.com/Race/WomensDistance/Page/RaceResults
- By your name, click EDIT TIME.
- You can submit results for one week after the race date. Virtual participants will appear in the race results but are not eligible for age group awards.
Race packets for virtual participants will be available for free curbside pickup. There is no shipping option.
KIDS' FUN RUN
The Kids' Fun Run will be held immediately following the live 2-mile race and will start at the top of the hill near the finish line. This is an untimed event for children ages 12 and under. All participants in the kids' fun run will receive a medal and treat bag at the finish line.
Events
Weather
It's too far out for a forecast, so here's what weather on this date is normally like in the area. A race day forecast will replace this as race week approaches.
Typical High
86°
Typical Low
66°
Chance of Rain
33%
Based on US Climate Normals data from Springfield #2, 3 mi from the venue.
Host City
Population
113,714
as of 2023
Elevation
590 ft
Nearest Airport
SPI
Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport · 6 mi
Major Hub
STL
St. Louis Lambert International Airport · 82 mi
Time Zone
Central Time
From Endurance Grid
A mid-size host city. Enough lodging and amenities to keep race weekend easy, without big-city sprawl.
Race Location
Your Next Start Line
Every finish line starts with a single decision. Claim your spot at Women's Distance Festival, put it on the calendar, and turn “someday” into a start date.
33
Days to train
Coming Up
Y NINJA
Less than a mile away
Donuts and Dogs 5K Fun Run/Walk
Less than a mile away
Little Miracles 5K
Less than a mile away
Freedom Run 2026
Less than a mile away
From Endurance Grid
Endurance Grid is here to help you understand the sport, decide if it's the right fit, and learn how to prepare. For course distances, logistics, and race-day specifics, always defer to the race organizer's event page.
With running, there's a distance for every fitness level, a community at every start line, and nothing beats the feeling of crossing a finish line you trained for.
Running is an endurance sport that rewards consistency, and showing up every week compounds in ways that will surprise you.
From 5K to marathon, running races are the most accessible entry point into endurance sport. There's a distance for every fitness level and a community at every start line.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Women's Distance Festival
Jul 11, 2026