We are rapidly approaching the Reagan Run 5K and the committee is excited about the 2026 event. The Dixon race is happening on the Fourth of July, which is also America’s 250th.
And it is a new route incorporating the recently completed pedestrian bridge over the Rock River.
Yes, the course is changing one more time as we adapt to our city’s growth and development. And this is an exciting year for such a change!
We initially started this event in 2000 when we were asked to help create an event that had four specific elements. It had to be a family fun event that was physically active, incorporated the downtown and the river, and highlighted Reagan’s connection to Dixon. The Reagan Run 5K was born.
A great team of people came together – Nancy Varga, Chuck Jones, myself, Dave Blackburn, and Candy Stapleton. Each person, all of whom are still active committee members, was assigned a task to make this event come to life.
I started working on the concept of a course, laying it out in my head and then running it. The first year we had 315 runners, and we felt it was a grand success. We had snaked a route through the town that was different, quite unique, and challenging. Its uniqueness came from alternating a mile on the streets, a mile in the woods, and a mile on the streets. People enjoyed it even though some complained about it being difficult. Yet they signed up again for the next year!
We did Years 2 and 3 with a similar course and similar participant numbers. The event was simple and did not take a lot of organizing and support.
Years 4 through 6 came along and we started to grow. The Petunia Festival started to expand to both sides of the river and it challenged our course.
The two groups worked together to make it work, intertwining the 5K into the festival area. And we continued seeing steady growth in participant numbers. Going into Years 9 and 10, we were pushing over 1,000 runners and lots more spectators.
Over the years, we saw road construction projects, bridge rebuilding, and Covid. We always adjusted the course to accommodate the runners, keeping their safety in mind, with the continued goal of running through our beautiful community.
We have a couple of constants on our course – the start line at the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home and the finish line at Haymarket Square. This will remain the same for the foreseeable future – although this is an exciting year with the addition of Petunia Crossing, which is the new pedestrian bridge.
This bridge was part of conversations over the years, starting back in the 1980s. And here we are adding to the RR5K course. What an exciting new piece of our route with a beautiful view.
The RR5K happens because of the total support of our community, and we thank you all! We hope to see you – runners and spectators – on Saturday, July 4, celebrating America’s 250th and the RR5K!
Jim Lillyman is a Reagan Run 5K committee member and course manager.