Zach Sancken

I’d like to share a few changes to our route/schedule for 2025 that I am excited about and that I think you will like!  I wanted to shorten the route a little to get us to the Civic Center earlier without having to move up our start time.  In the process, I made several enhancements!

• I shortened the opening leg to 0.9 miles, making it the shortest leg of the day.
• We are going to run through the park in Eureka.
• I moved the last stop before lunch, shortening the final leg coming into Washington for lunch from 2.2 miles to 1.2 miles.
• Nathan’s Lemonade Stand  will be an official stop for us in the afternoon!  It will be at the conclusion of the afternoon fast leg and will be an extended stop of 10 minutes.
• The total distance will be 26.2 miles.  This is a reduction of 2.6 miles and eliminates two stops.  There will be 15 total legs.
• The new schedule has us arriving at the Civic Center at 3:30.  This is actually the same scheduled arrival time as last year.  The difference being we should to be able to stay on schedule now!
• Check it out – the play lists are set for this year too!

Here is an updated route sheet and schedule.  Here is a link to an interactive map of the updated route.  I am really excited about the changes and I hope it enhances the run day experience for all of us!!

2025 will be Reagan’s second year with the Eureka Run, though she has been an active supporter of St. Jude through the Fight for Life program at school for some time. “I run and raise money each year to help the kids at St. Jude. My family has known people who have benefited from St. Jude, and I would love to continue to give back. My mom is also a cancer survivor and seeing all the support that others have given us makes me want to give so much more to cancer patients and survivors.”

“My favorite memory is when our group ran into Washington and Peoria and all the people were supporting us and cheering as we ran!”

“I am excited to run again.  I come from an amazing community. I am excited to run for Eureka!”

Thank you, Reagan, for joining our run family. This really is an amazing community and there is no better example of that than to have young people like you with a heart for helping others and giving back. You and the other Fight for Life members are an inspiration, and we are thrilled you are a part of our run!

2025 will be Ryan’s second year with the Eureka Run, and his wife Adrienne will be joining us this year as well!!  They both previously ran with East Peoria in 2017.  They run “100% for the kids and knowing every dollar raised is going towards helping take care of costs related to treatment, travel, housing, food, etc.”

“My favorite thing about the run is how communities from all over the state come together to help support the cause.  It’s also been a pleasure getting to know additional families in the Eureka community.”

“My favorite part of run day is coming across the downtown bridge, seeing the thousands of people cheering, and giving all of the kids high fives as we finish.”

It was a pleasure getting to know you last year, Ryan, and it was awesome to see how quickly and how well you fit in with our group. Thank you for choosing to be a part of our run family, and for bringing Adrienne in this year as well. We appreciate all your hard work raising money for the kids of St. Jude!!

2025 will be Ellie’s third  year with the Eureka to Peoria St. Jude Run.   “I run for St Jude because of truly how great a cause it is. It is so impactful to see how hundreds of people from all over Illinois come together to support such a wonderful cause. It is so cool to see everyone running into the civic center from all different places.”

“My favorite memory was my first year running when it was pouring for most of the race. I personally thought this made the run a lot more enjoyable and it was nice to escape the heat!!”

“I got involved through Fight for Life in high school during my senior year. While this is how I started, I will keep coming back for many more years to come!! Run day is becoming one of the days I look forward to most during the year!!”

The people really are what make this such an awesome day, and it has been wonderful adding the Fight for Life members to our mix.  Thank you, Ellie, for helping to lead the way for that group and making our event better for all of us!!  And thank you for all you are doing to help the kids of St. Jude!!!

2025 will be Emily’s third year with the Eureka to Peoria St. Jude Run.   “I run for St. Jude because no one should have to experience attending a funeral for a child who has died of cancer, and because I am thankful for St. Jude’s mission and for the lives they have saved.  I run for the kids who can’t, with the hope that one day they will be running beside us.”

“My favorite thing about the run is the people–my teammates, the supporters who line the route, the other teams, and the families that welcome us into the Civic Center.  I’m proud and humbled to be a part of such an amazing group of people!”

“I love that this run, created to honor the life and memory of Luke Sancken, has turned sorrow into hope and loss into purpose.  What a beautiful legacy to be a part of!”

Thank you, Emily, for being a part of our Eureka St. Jude Run family!!  It’s been great getting to know you these past couple of years.  We appreciate all your hard work raising money for the kids of St. Jude and it is great having you out there with us!

Late-Breaking News

• We are going to make a detour on legs 7 & 8 due to construction.  Instead of taking Guth Road to Pleasant View to Old 24, we will take Guth Road to Dee Mack to Old 24.  This will only impact one stop.  Rather than stopping at the old school building on Guth we will stop at Prairie View Farm on Old 24.  The overall distance does not change, but leg 7 will now be 2.2 miles and leg 8 will be 1.8 miles (which is a flip-flop in distance between the two).
• Similar to last year, the buses will stop at the Bob Evans parking lot in the middle of leg 16 to pick up anyone who does not wish to finish that leg.  The run group will not stop there.  (this is for people who would like to run across the Fondulac bridge but don’t want to run Camp Street)
• Assuming both groups are generally on schedule, we are going to run leg 14 with the Washington group again.

Final Thoughts/Reminders

• If you are receiving any employer matching donations from anyone (such as Caterpillar’s matching program), please respond to this email and let me know.  I often don’t get notified of these until after the run when it’s too late to add the amount to our pledge.
• Please plan to arrive around 7am on run day.  Parking and restrooms are available one block west of the courthouse at the United Methodist Church.
• If you are bringing money with you to turn in on run day, please put it in an envelope with your name and a total amount written on it.  This will help our volunteers out a ton!  Thank you!
• Rember to bring your reflective vest!!!  We cannot run without them.  We will have a limited quantity available for purchase on run morning if needed.
• On run morning, we will post a link to Facebook for location tracking.  Your friends and family can use that link to see where we are in real time throughout the day.
• The energy of run day is contagious and extends beyond our run team.  It’s a great time to grab last minute donations from people.  Last-minute emails these last two days and social media posts throughout the run are strongly encouraged!
• Fundraising is hard and important work.  The run is the celebration at the end.  It’s the fun part.  We’ve earned it.  Let’s do this thing!!!!

• Details for Run Morning
  • Please arrive about 7am
    • Put your bags on a bus (no assigned bus/seating)
    • Check in at the table and submit any final cash or checks (please put in envelope with your name and amount written on it)
  • 7:30 – Sendoff begins on the courthouse steps with a group photo
  • 8:00 – We start running

• Details for after the run
  • We are scheduled to arrive at the Civic Center at 3:30.  Once we have crossed the finish line, we will need to walk over and get all our things off the busses. 
  • We need to be lined up next to our “Eureka” Flag along Monroe Street by 4:30 wearing our matching run shirts.
    • Showers are available at the RiverPlex and there will be a shower shuttle until 7pm.  (Shuttle picks up at corner of Madison & Fulton)
    • If you decide not to use the showers, we will have our drink trailer set up after the run as a women’s changing room in the parking lot.
  • Once we get inside the Civic Center, please stay together as a group and we will go over to the photo stage area for a group photo.
  • After the photo you are free to enjoy the evening!! 
    • Pasta party
    • Beer garden
    • St. Jude Store  (Cashless. Prepare accordingly)
    • Live Telethon
  • Family and friends are invited to join you for the party.  The free food and drinks are intended for runners and volunteers, though family members within reason will not be turned away.
  • Our televised group check presentation is scheduled for 7:00 PM.  All are invited to participate.
    • Set your machines to record channel 25 at 7pm!  Will also be streaming on WWW.WEEK.COM

• Run Route Details:
  • Here is a detailed description of our 2024 route, including color coding for difficulty (green = mostly flat, Yellow = some hills, Red = fast leg), as well as the music genre for each leg.
  • Here is an interactive map of our 2024 route.

• Things to bring on run day:
  • Please bring an extra towel to cover your bus seat.  Peoria Charter Coach gives us a massive discount for the run; let’s not thank them by sweating up their seats!
  • We recommend bringing a towel, a couple changes of running clothes, even an extra pair of running shoes. I like to towel off and put on a fresh shirt at lunch or if I take a break during the day. If it rains and your shoes get wet, a fresh, dry pair of running shoes may save you from some extra blisters. Speaking of blisters, I recommend bringing an anti-chaffing product such as Body Glide or 2Toms Sport Shield. We’ll be out in the sun and heat all day, so a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen are good ideas also.
  • Shower supplies and/or wipes, etc.
  • Your official run shirt to change into

• Run Shirts are ready! (A huge thank you to Kristi Wilson for sorting, bagging and labeling all the shirts for us!!!)
  • You have two options to pick them up.
    • They are on my front porch, alphabetized in bins.  321 E Harrison St., Eureka.  Two-story white house with a basketball hoop in the drive.
      • There is also a separate bin for those of you who ordered extra merchandise.
    • All shirts not picked up in advance will be available at the check-in table on run morning.
  • Remember to bring your shirts with you on run day.  We don’t run in them during the day.  We change into them at the end of the run so we have matching shirts for the runners parade, party, and check presentation.
  • New runners will receive a grey St. Jude Runs shirt also.  These are yours for becoming a St. Jude Runner.  They are not needed on run day.
  • Please note there are no wristbands required for anything this year.

• We will be collecting final fundraising checks and cash at the check-in table on run morning.  However, if you have a large amount on hand now, please make a deposit early this week if not inconvenient to do so.  This just helps to minimize the manual counting our volunteers have to do on run morning.  For checks, there is a mobile check deposit option, or you can take them to any Goodfield State Bank location.  If you take them to the bank just tell the teller they are for the St. Jude Run and ask them to jot your name on the deposit slip.  Cash can also be deposited at the bank in the same way.

• If you are new runner and you have not yet watched our informational pre-run video, please do so before run day (27 minutes).

In lieu of a pre-run meeting, I have recorded a video covering the run-day rules and information (27 minutes).  New runners, please ensure you watch this video and let me know what questions you have.  There are important rules and information here and we expect you to know them.  Experienced runners, some of the information contained in the video is specific to this year, so you may benefit from watching it also.  However, it is optional for you.  If you choose not to watch it, please review the critical rules below:

• Safety vests must be worn at all times
• If you cannot complete a leg, please use the chase van. You may be asked to get in if you are struggling. (We must keep to scheduled time) Stay in the chase vehicle until the next exchange point.
• No MP3 Players – music will be provided by the chase van
• No Alcohol – Includes on the buses or at Civic Center parking lot – complementary beer will be provided once we are inside the Civic Center
• Children are not allowed to participate in the runners parade
• Lead volunteer Randy Little will make final runner/volunteer safety decisions

Thank you!!

Zach

Sorry I am later than usual getting the final run route released.  I’ve been monitoring some construction projects.  Accordingly, the first leg of our route will be different this year due to the construction on Cruger and Hilldale.  Additionally, there is construction on Guth Road west of Dee Mack.  We usually take Guth road all the way to Pleasant View, stop at the old school building and take Pleasant View to Eureka Road (Old 24).  That construction project was scheduled to be completed in June but is delayed due to an equipment breakdown.  It is not clear at this time if it will be done before the run.  If it is not, we will need to take Dee Mack to Eureka Road instead, and decide on the best place to stop.  These are legs 7 & 8, and I have shaded them on the route sheet.  If we need to make that change, I’ll communicate that next week before run day. 

Here is an updated interactive map if the entire route, reflecting the change to our first leg.

Hello Eureka Run Team!! 

• Registration is open for the 2024 Eureka St. Jude Run!  Register early, and tell your friends! 

• 2024 is our 10^th anniversary year!!!  I’d like to start off the year with something fun to celebrate the milestone.  Please click here for a quick walk down memory lane, and then vote on your favorite run shirt(s).  Please vote for up to three favorites, in rank-order, by email: zsancken@hotmail.com

• I am working on playlists now!  Please send requests for playlists or songs, or let me know if you would like to create a playlist this year.

• I still have a rain jacket that was left on one of the buses last year.  Let me know if you are missing one. 

• I’ve set up a series of “Ask Me Anything” Zoom sessions between now and run day.  The first one is on March 19.  These are completely optional.  Anyone is welcome to join, though the intent is to provide new or potential participants a convenient forum to ask questions and get more information about the run.  Please share this information with interested individuals.  Dates and links can be found here.

That’s all for now.  Did I mention that Registration is open?   😊

Have a great weekend!!!

Zach

Thank you to everyone who participated or supported the 2023 Eureka St. Jude Run, and congratulations on raising a Eureka-record $173,000 for the kids of St. Jude!!  Considering the $63,000 raised by Fight For Life, the Eureka community raised a combined $233,000 for St. Jude this year.  Truly unbelievable. 

I very much appreciate your adaptability this year, going with the flow as we changed starting venues at the last minute and as we ran in the rain most of the day.  I had a sinking feeling while looking at the radar that morning that the day would be terrible and that it would not be an enjoyable experience.  However, throughout the day it didn’t seem to me that anyone allowed their spirits to be the least bit dampened by the rain (awful pun intended).  You are a remarkable group of people, and it is privilege to know you! 

Runner feedback and ideas over the years have been critical to making the run what it is today, and they will be key to making it better in the future.  As such, I would appreciate your feedback on the day, things we could do better or new ideas for future runs.  (Having a rain contingency plan for the sendoff ahead of time is already on my list)

Thank you again and I’ll see you on July 20, 2024!!!

• Details for Run Morning
  • Please arrive about 7am
    • Put your bags on a bus (no assigned bus/seating)
    • Check in at the table and submit any final cash or checks
  • 7:30 – Sendoff begins on the courthouse steps with a group photo
  • 8:00 – We start running

• Details for after the run
  • We are scheduled to arrive at the Civic Center at 3:30 (See Attached).  The busses will line up on Kumpf.  Once we have crossed the finish line, we will need to walk over and get all our things off the busses. 
  • We need to be lined up next to our “Eureka” Flag along Monroe Street by 4:30 wearing our official navy run shirts
    • Showers are available in the Civic Center.
  • Once we get inside the Civic Center, please stay together as a group and we will go over to the photo stage area for a group photo.
  • After the photo you are free to enjoy the evening!! 
    • Pasta party
    • Beer garden(s)
    • St. Jude Store
    • Live Telethon
  • Family and friends are invited to join you for the party.  The free food and drinks are intended for runners and volunteers.  We will have wristbands for you.  There will also be food trucks on site for additional food purchases.
  • Our televised group check presentation is scheduled for 9:09 PM.  All are invited to participate.

• Run Route Details:
  • Here is a detailed description of our 2023 route, including color coding for difficulty (green = mostly flat, Yellow = some hills, Red = fast leg), as well as the music genre for each leg.
  • Here is an interactive map of our 2023 route.

• Things to bring on run day:
  • Please bring an extra towel to cover your bus seat.  Peoria Charter Coach gives us a massive discount for the run; let’s not thank them by sweating up their seats!
  • We recommend bringing a towel, a couple changes of running clothes, even an extra pair of running shoes. I like to towel off and put on a fresh shirt at lunch or if I take a break during the day. If it rains and your shoes get wet, a fresh, dry pair of running shoes may save you from some extra blisters. Speaking of blisters, I recommend bringing an anti-chaffing product such as Body Glide or Two-Toms. We’ll be out in the sun and heat all day, so a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen are good ideas also.
  • Your official run shirt to change into

• Run Shirts are ready! (A huge thank you to Kristi Wilson for sorting, bagging, labeling, and binning all the shirts for us!!!)
  • You have two options to pick them up
    • They are on my front porch, alphabetized in bins.  321 E Harrison St., Eureka.  Two-story white house with a basketball hoop in the drive
    • All shirts not picked up in advance will be available at the check-in table on run morning
  • Remember to bring your shirts with you on run day.  We don’t run in them during the day.  We change into them at the end of the run so we have matching shirts for the runners parade, party, and check presentation
  • New runners will receive a grey St. Jude Runs shirt also.  These are yours for becoming a St. Jude Runner.  They are not needed on run day

• We will be accepting final fundraising checks and cash at the check-in table on run morning.  However, if you have a large amount on hand now, please make a deposit early this week if not inconvenient to do so.  This just helps to minimize the manual counting our volunteers have to do on run morning.  For checks, there is a mobile check deposit option, or you can take them to any Goodfield State Bank location.  If you take them to the bank just tell the teller they are for the St. Jude Run and ask them to jot your name on the deposit slip.  Cash can also be deposited at the bank in the same way.

• If you are new runner and you have not yet watched our informational pre-run video, please do so before run day (27 minutes).

• The post-run pasta party is back this year and will be indoors again.  Beer will be available indoors as well.  There will also be a beer garden and food trucks outside again.
• Showers will be available at the civic center this year.
• All runners are welcome to participate in the on-air check presentation this year (our presentation time is TBD)
• The bridge we cross over going into Peoria is under construction.  It appears they will have it open for us on run day for foot traffic only.  We’ll have to reroute our support vehicles to meet us in the parking lot, but we will still get to cross the bridge as usual. 
• July 7 is the last day to book a hotel at the group rate, if you are wanting to do that – Book your group rate for ST JUDE RUNS

The Eureka St. Jude Run is partnering with Fight For Life to put on a 5K race at Eureka Lake on July 22. See the link below for full details and registration.

https://runsignup.com/fightforlife5K

We have new Eureka St. Jude Run apparel available!  Stephanie Brown and Brenda Marvin worked with Willow & Pine Boutique to develop a fresh set of items you will love!  Prices are reasonable, and 10% of all sales will come back to our run.  Shop here:

https://willowandpineboutique.com/collections/eureka-st-jude-run   (Tanks and Tees are unisex)

Note that the matching team shirts for the runners parade at the conclusion of the run will be provided to all participants at no cost.  The items offered here are just for looking great and representing our run the other 364 days of the year!

Orders may be placed from now through July 23^rd.  Orders will go to the printer every Monday with a two-week turnaround time.  Enjoy!

New this year, individuals that raise $2,500 or more will earn a special “St. Jude Runs Champion” T-shirt, and individuals who raise $3,500 or more will receive a “St. Jude Runs Champion” sweatshirt. 

The run office is hosting a St. Jude Runs happy hour on April 27^th from 4-6 PM to mark 100 days until the run.  This is completely optional, but sounds like fun!

• Book your group rate for ST JUDE RUNS
  • Peoria Marriott Pere Marquette. August 5– 6, 2023
  • Last Day to Book: Friday, July 7, 2023

We do not anticipate any COVID restrictions for the run this year, which means the post-run party is heading back indoors.  Nothing is finalized yet, but the plan is to be indoors with the telethon, the store, and a pasta party, just like the good old (pre-pandemic) days!  We also plan to be able to present our check on TV as a full group again!  Showers are still a question mark, but the run office is talking to the civic center now and hoping they will be available for us.

We will be selling raffle tickets next Saturday, March 4^th at Eureka IGA from 8am to 4pm.  We will have a table set up just inside the door.  Sign up here to work a shift (or several).  Slots are first-come-first served.  Sign up for as many slots as you want.  All money raised that day will be credited to your individual fundraising total for those who work, divided evenly by shifts worked. 

Running for St. Jude is awesome, so it is natural for multiple members of the same household to want to participate together.  That’s a great thing, but we recognize it has the potential to represent a fundraising hardship, in that people of the same household likely have largely the same population of potential donors.  We want multiple members of the same immediate household to be able to participate together without facing an unreasonably high fundraising requirement collectively. 

This year, we are going to try a “family plan” approach.  While the first member of a household would still need to raise $1,000, additional family members in the same household can participate in the run with a $500 minimum fundraising requirement.  So, two people in the same household would have a combined minimum of $1,500.  For three people it would be $2,000.  Four would be $2,500, and so on. 

I am very interested in your feedback on this (positive or constructive).  We’ll try it this year and then reevaluate for next year.

If anyone would like stationary for fundraising letters, we have letterhead paper and envelopes on hand (no cost to you).  Just let me know what you need!

Also, we will have new merchandise/apparel available in the coming months.  In the meantime, we have a modest supply of yard signs, tumblers, license plate brackets, koozies, decals, and a head band in stock.  Shoot me a note if you’d like to purchase anything! 

Happy New Year!!!  

Want to cross something off your 2023 to-do list early?  Registration is officially open for the 2023 Eureka St. Jude Run!  With only 214 days left until run day now is the time to beat the rush and get signed up.  😊

Register Here

I would like to share a small revision to our route for 2023.  So that there is less of a time crunch when we get into Peoria, we have revised the Eureka portion of our route, shortening it by two miles and allowing us to arrive at the Civic Center a half hour earlier.  The Run Information Page (accessed above) has been updated to reflect the new route description (including music genres for 2023) and the new route map.

As a reminder, the run is on August 5^th.  Save the date!!!   We anticipate registration opening early next month.

Moving forward, important updates or Annoucements about the Eureka Run will be sent via email to those on our distribution list, will be posted here on this Announcements page, and will be posted to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages. Your thoughts or suggestions to this approach are welcomed. Thanks!

Welcome to the new website for the Eureka St Jude Run! Fortunately, I am a much better run coordinator than I am a webmaster, but please provide feedback and I will act upon it if I am capable of it. Thanks for visiting!