In the Spring of 2006, the Chicago Cubs decided to pioneer a new fundraiser for their charitable programs. The Cubs Convention had just celebrated its 20th annual iteration, so the team decided to branch out a little bit. Suddenly, somebody brought up the idea of sponsoring a 5k run, and the Race to Wrigley was born. Participants would register, and their registration fee would both cover the costs of the race and go as a donation to the charity. Additionally, the runners would be invited to set up individual fundraising pages so as to enable their friends and family to easily donate monies to each specific runner's account. On top of that, there would also be prizes for the most committed fundraisers, varying from complimentary game tickets, to a race day breakfast in the bleachers, even the chance to take a victory lap along Wrigley's base paths.
But the heart of any race is the course that it's run on, and this one is no exception. The course winds through the heart of Wrigleyville, starting out at the corner of Clark and Addison before going straight down Addison for a while, then running parallel to some train tracks before going into another straightaway down Irving Park Road. Eventually the race runs through one of the most historic cemeteries in the city, Graceland Cemetary. After that, the course makes a turn onto Clark and speeds back into the heart of Wrigleyville for a grand finish. The runners turn onto Waveland quickly before running into Wrigley Field itself. After a quick run through the concourse, the runners emerge right under the iconic scoreboard before turning and making a furious dash for the finish line.
Once done, the runners decompress, recharge, and are presented with a wide variety of vendors giving out free samples of everything from Muscle Milk to kefir. The Race to Wrigley is as strong as ever, bringing together runners and the Chicago Cubs to achieve a common goal.
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