IMPORTANT (and sad) ANNOUNCEMENT
To Our CIJ Community,
Since 2014 we have been proud to put on our event every July. The Christmas in July Races have developed a loyal following and we thoroughly enjoyed putting on this festive event. However, we are saddened to announce that due to increased overhead and lower participation it is no longer economically feasible for us to continue with the event. This was not an easy decision to make. Rather than making changes that would affect the integrity of the race and significantly increase entry fees, we felt it was best to discontinue the event.
We thank all of our runners for your support over the years. We also want to thank our many volunteers who have worked tirelessly to help us create a first-class race with such an enjoyable family friendly atmosphere.
Please note that our other race, the Des Plaines River Trail Races, will continue to take place on October 14, 2023. We hope you will consider running with us in October.
Warmest regards,
Ed Kelly, Brian Gaines
Race Directors
8th Edition of the CiJ Races
Race Day Registration Available!
The Christmas in July 3/6/12/24-Hour Solo/Relay Endurance Runs will take place in the Lisle Community Park on July 23, 2022 (Currently pending permit approvals, but have never been denied). We have 6, 12, and 24-hour solo and relay races, as well as, new for 2022, a 3-hour solo fun run. We, of course, have a FREE Santa Claus Fun Run for the kids (10 and under) starting at 9am.
This race is a cup-less event (bring your own cup, hydration pack, water bottle, etc).
You will be able to set up a tent starting Friday afternoon, but no camping until Saturday is allowed.
The start times on Saturday for the races are as follows:
24 Hour - 7am
Santa Fun Run - 4pm
12 Hour - 5pm
6 Hour - 6pm
3 Hour - 9pm
Please visit our website at https://christmasinjulyraces.com for all the details; however, we can be reached by email at info@runners4wellness.com.
It will be festive with a lively atmosphere of Christmas decorations surrounding the course.
Let's get Loopy!
The '1 mile' loop is USATF certified and is 0.9732971994 miles (or 1.56637 KM). The course is paved walking path and mostly flat with about 19 feet of elevation change per loop in Lisle Community Park, Lisle IL. There is enough meandering that we will not be switching directions. The course is very well marked. You won't get lost, but do bring a headlamp for the night time.
Common Distances (in laps)
50K = 32 Laps
50 Miles = 52 Laps
100K = 64 Laps
100 Miles = 103 Laps
Get some friends together and run a relay
- One Nutcracker will be awarded to the team (by race time category: 24-hr, 12-hr, 6-hr) with the most laps regardless of the number of team members.
- In addition to the swag, each team member will receive a finisher's medal.
- Relay teams are not eligible for the belt buckle
- Relay teams will exchange a single ankle chip with the next runner.
For the relay events you may have the following:
- 6-Hour Relay: Up to 4 team members
- 12-Hour Relay: Up to 6 team members
- 24-Hour Relay: Up to 8 team members
Kids run with Santa
Santa Fun Run is FREE and is for children under 10. All kids will receive a bib, t-shirt and a medal. Register on race day, Saturday afternoon 7/23 between 3pm and 3:45pm. Fun run will start at 4pm.
Nutcrackers, Buckles, Finisher Medals
6/12/24-Hour Solo
- Nutcrackers awarded to Top 3 Male/Female Overall and Top 3 Male/Female Masters (40 and over)
- Master runners who win overall will not also win a Masters award. Overall division awards take precedence.
- 100 Mile belt buckles awarded to any individual who runs at least 100 miles (103 laps)
- Participants will receive a finisher's medal for the race category they registered for upon completion.
- Awards will not be mailed out. Please stick around if you podium. Awards ceremony 20 minutes or so after the end of the race.
6/12/24-Hour Relay
- Winning team in each relay regardless of team size will be awarded our world-renowned Nutcracker award.
- All team members will receive a finisher's medal upon completion.
- Relay teams do not qualify for the 100 Mile belt buckles.
3-Hour Fun Run
Runners will receive a finishers medal only, No Nutcrackers will be awarded.
T-Shirts Guaranteed if Registered by May 1st, 2022
Trying to forecast participant registration after our t-shirt lead time is slightly easier than predicting the weather, but only slightly. The result is many surplus shirts at the end of the year. We find that wasteful and frankly not very earth friendly.
Because of the lead time, cost and wastefulness we set a date (May 1st) that participants must register by in order to be guaranteed a shirt. But don't fret buckaroo, we will order extra shirts. Those shirts are available after the race on a first come first serve basis. Once they are gone, they are gone.
It's not the traditional model, but hey we aren't filling landfills with surplus running shirts.
Let's get some swag
Swag includes an event t-shirt (NOTE: Only if you register on or before May 1st - see T-Shirt section) and an additional item that is TBD.
On the 5th year of running our event, runners receive a loyalty gift.
No refunds, but there are alternatives!
No refunds, no exceptions! You can transfer or defer your entry anytime by July 15th (See the sections that discuss it)
Downright Deferrable! Just let us know!
If something prevents you from attending the event this year, then use UltraSignup to initiate a rollover to the next year on or before July 15th, 2022. You will be charged a 20% fee. For example, if you paid $100 for your race, you will receive an $80 credit for the next race.
NOTE: Relay teams -- You won't be able to initiate a rollover through UltraSignup. Please reach out to us directly to initiate a rollover if you need to. The same fee will apply, but we'll handle it manually. Send an email to info@runners4wellness.com.
Deferrals shall forfeit any race swag for the current year. We will not accept deferral requests after July 15th. NO EXCEPTIONS!
If you wish to defer then know this. Auto credits kick in when a user cancels their registration prior to an event. Participants can cancel registration via their registration history, or via the "Edit" link on their receipt. Make sure to do so before the deadline listed above.
Totally Transferrable
Up through July 15th, you will be allowed to transfer from one race to another or to transfer your registration to someone else. Login with your UltraSignup account to initiate the transfer.
Yep, you can register on Race Day
We will have race day registration available on a first-come, first-serve basis for all events until we reach our runner caps.
Pre-Race and Race Day Packet Pickup Options Available
We will make packet pickup available at Dick Pond in Lisle on Wednesday and Thursday (no packet pick-up on Friday) and one hour before your event at the Registration tent on Saturday.
You MAY pick-up a packet for another runner.
Dick Pond Website
One Aid Station for your Needs
Bring your own special nutritional needs. We will have sweet and salty items and plan on providing pizza to all runners at 7pm on Saturday. We will have plenty of water, Tailwind and ice at the aid station.
When you should check-in on Race Day
24-Hour - 6 am to 6:30 am
Fun Run - 3 pm to 3:45 pm
12-Hour - 4 pm to 4:30 pm
6-Hour - 5 pm to 5:30 pm
3-Hour - 8 pm to 8:30 pm
Event's current local time: 9:13 PM CT
