EVENT DESCRIPTION
Distance Night in Palatine is a unique fusion of elite distance racing, music, and fun. Our event this year is on Saturday night, April 21 at 7:00 pm. Designed to bring the best high school runners together from throughout Illinois and the Midwest, the event also serves as a charity fundraiser for Special Olympics. Amid the racing at the 800, 1600, and 3200 meter distances, we are hosting a Special Olympics 800 meter race. This race allows us to celebrate the true meaning of competition - to run the race to the best of your ability.
In the 1600/3200, the top 16 entries in each race will gain entry into The Main Event. Those in the 17-32 range will race in The Undercard. In the 800, we will run three heats with the top 12 gaining entry into The Main Event and the next 24 racing in the two sections in The Undercard. We are also offering a freshmen boys 1600, an emerging girls 1600, and a distance medley relay for both genders as part of The Undercard.
LOCATION
The meet is run at Chic Anderson Stadium on the grounds of Palatine High School. Our school is located at 1111 N. Rohlwing Rd., Palatine, IL
ADMISSION
Admission for spectators is by donation of a used pair of running shoes or $5 to Special Olympics.
EVENT TIME SCHEDULE
The first session - dubbed "The Undercard" - leads in to the "Main Event" races at 9:00 pm. These later races will feature many of the finest runners in Illinois and the Midwest.
The Community Races will start at 6:30 pm with the following order of events:
- 6:30 pm Youth boys/girls 800 (6th grade and below)
- 6:40 pm Junior high boys/girls 1600 (7th and 8th grade)
- 6:50 pm Open 1600 men/women (post-high school)
The Undercard will start at 7:00 pm with the following order of events:
- 7:00 pm Emerging Girls 1600
- 7:08 pm Freshman boys 1600
- 7:15 pm Girls 3200 - Section 1
- 7:29 pm Boys 3200 - Section 1
- 7:40 pm Girls 800 - Section 1
- 7:45 pm Girls 800 - Section 2
- 7:50 pm Boys 800 - Section 1
- 7:54 pm Boys 800 - Section 2
- 7:58 pm Girls 1600 - Section 1
- 8:05 pm Girls 1600 - Section 2
- 8:12 pm Boys 1600 - Section 1
- 8:18 pm Boys 1600 - Section 2
- 8:24 pm Girls Distance Medley Relay
- 8:40 pm Boys Distance Medley Relay
- 8:54 pm National Anthem / Special Olympics 800
The Main Event will start at 9:00 pm with the following order of events:
- 9:00 pm Girls 800 - Section 3
- 9:07 pm Boys 800 - Section 3
- 9:14 pm Girls 3200 - Section 2
- 9:28 pm Boys 3200 - Section 2
- 9:41 pm Girls 1600 - Section 3 (Run in "The Gauntlet" with spectators on the track)
- 9:50 pm Boys 1600 - Section 3 (Run in "The Gauntlet" with spectators on the track)
- 10:00 pm Costume 4 x 400 relay
EVENT AND RACE CHECK-IN PROCEDURE
All athletes should check in upon arrival at the field building at the northwest corner of the stadium. This is the building right next to the admissions gate. They will receive their event T-shirt and their race bib. These bib numbers will be pinned to their race jersey.
All athletes should report to the check in tent at the north end of the track (the end near the tennis courts) fifteen minutes prior to their race.
LIVE STREAMING
The meet will be live steamed on il.milesplit.com. To sign up for online access click HERE. MileSplit Illinois will be providing live coverage of every race, archived videos, and more exclusive content from nationally recognized teams and athletes. How to watch:
- On TV: Available on Roku and Apple TV 4
- Streaming: Only on il.milesplit.com. Sign up HERE.
THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS 800
My brother, Chad Quick, competed in Special Olympics throughout his childhood. As a cerebral palsy kid, he competed in wheelchair races and many other events associated with track and field. It is because of him that I chose to make Special Olympics the primary beneficiary of our event. Our goal is to bring both financial support and awareness to Special Olympics. To that end, I have scheduled an open race near the end of our first session.
Right before the "Main Event" (around 8:50 pm), I would like to say a few words and then introduce our Special Olympics athletes. Each of them will receive an event T-shirt and will be introduced by name and affiliation prior to the race.
SPECIAL OLYMPICS ENTRY PROCEDURE
Entries for this race will not be processed via Athletic.net the same way they are for our high school athletes. Each entry should be communicated to me via e-mail at cquick@d211.org and include the participant's name, age, and affiliation (if any). If school affiliated, we would like the name and location of their school. If associated with an organization (such as NWSRA), I would like that information as well. Race entry for all Special Olympic athletes will be free.
For the Special Olympics race, parents and/or coaches are free to enter the check-in area if needed for assistance. The check-in time for this race will be 8:20 pm at the 50 yard line in the center of the football field.
CO-ED COSTUME 4 X 400 METER RELAY
Even though our contestants are elite athletes, we should also remember that they are high school kids and that fun should still be part of the program. To that end, we finish the meet with the Co-Ed Costume 4 x 400 meter relay. We will take the first twelve relay teams "first come, first serve" at the event sign-in at the Awards tent. We encourage the athletes to plan ahead, bring some fun costumes and meet their fellow competitors. The only rule? You must have a costume to compete.
AWARDS
Awards will be given to the top three finishers in each event in both The Main Event and The Undercard. We will also give an award for the relay team with the best costumes.
All award winners should report to the Awards tent in the middle of the field to get their awards and be announced to the crowd.
QUESTIONS AND INQUIRIES
Please direct all specific questions to meet manager Chris Quick at cquick@d211.org. Let me know any special accommodations you or your athlete may need in order to compete. We will do our best to meet those needs and can best do so if we know in advance. Thanks again for agreeing to participate and being part of this exciting event!
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