Northbrook’s annual Liberty Loop 5K Run/Walk and Liberty Lap Fun Run for kids welcomed participants on Saturday, July 1 at Techny Prairie Park and Fields in Northbrook.
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The tradition presented by the Northbrook Park District each year attracts early morning risers for an active way to celebrate Independence Day holiday festivity with friends and family.
“This is our 15th Liberty Loop 5K event and it is one of my all-time favorite events here at Northbrook Park District,” said Molly Hamer, executive director of the Northbrook Park District. “We also see runners going for their personal best race times and athletes competing for the awards in each age group. There is nervous excitement at the starting line and camaraderie at the finish line. It is a wonderful holiday tradition.”
The weather was overcast at 71 degrees. The 7:30 a.m. race began after Glenview and Northbrook veterans assembled with flag detail.
Singing the national anthem was Hannah Jacob, 18, a 2023 Glenbrook South High School graduate from Glenview.
Performing at the Liberty Loop, “Honestly, it means a lot,” Jacob said. “I’m really proud and grateful for this opportunity to be able to sing.”
Like many in attendance at various holiday celebrations throughout the northern suburbs, last year’s mass shooting during the Highland Park Fourth of July parade lingered in the minds of many, including Jacob.
“To be able to run here today, especially with all of the mass shootings, all of the different events that have been going on in the Glenbrook community… just being able to unite each other with this opportunity of singing is just really a great opportunity for me and I’m super grateful,” Jacob said.
Local veterans in attendance at the Liberty Loop race included Matt Jaeger of Northbrook, commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10236 of Northbrook; Tom Kittler, of Northbrook, who served for 33 years in the U.S. Air Force and is a retired brigadier general; Tom Coogan, of Northbrook, who served in the U.S. Navy during the Persian Gulf era and James Ossey of Glenview, who served in the U.S. Army for more than three decades.
“We volunteer to help out the community of Northbrook because they support us and we support them,” said Jaeger, who served two decades in the United States Marine Corps, including during Operation Desert Storm, and is a retired lieutenant colonel.
Reflecting on the Highland Park tragedy, Kittler emphasized the importance of continuing the community’s Fourth of July traditions.”
“The tragedy of Highland Park is just that, it was a tragedy but I think we can continue on, the community needs to press on and celebrate the Fourth, celebrate our history, so that’s what we’re helping do today,” he said.
Nearly 300 people registered for the 5K event with 47 children participating in the fun run event.
Meri Shea, athletics manager for the Northbrook Park District, acknowledged the five Park District lifeguards who worked the event that morning being out on the course and route.
“To take their time out of their Saturday to come help us for an event, even though they work a lot of hours at the pool, is huge,” Shea said.
“Some of them are managers, so they have a lot of years of experience,” Shea said, adding the lifeguard staff is, “very comfortable with people running and people getting the first aid that they need on the race route so it makes us feel a little bit more calm at the finish line.”
Registrants taking part in the event also came from communities outside of Northbrook, including Norzaini Zulkefli and Ikram Ismail of Northfield.
“We do this every year,” Zulkefli said. “We enjoy running.”
Nate and Tiffany Schmidt of Northbrook took a cellphone selfie in front of the step and repeat backdrop with their children Phoebe, 5, a rising first grader and Theo, 7, a rising third grader.
Nate Schmidt said the message instilled for the Schmidt children is, “family and fitness.”
Both parents said they spoke with Phoebe and Theo about Highland Park and what happened last year on the Fourth of July.
“We’re all thinking about them,” Tiffany Schmidt said, suddenly tearful with emotion for the Highland Park community.
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Lukasz Iwanowski, 19, of Des Plaines, was the first person to cross the finish line with a time of 16:27.9
Karie Angell Luc is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.