
Wednesday, July 27, 2011. Race Starts at 7 p.m.
Race Day Information
The event
will be held on July 27, 2011, a Wednesday
evening in late July this year, instead of Thursday. The race typically
draws between 150-200 runners.
Start and Finish
The race starts at Demmler Park and finishes at Owen Park in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The awards ceremony follows the conclusion of the 5K race at Owen Park.
Registration (download or register online today)
Early bird discount:
$15 if postmarked by July 23 or register online by July 25.


Day-of-Race Registration starts 6:00 p.m. NEW THIS YEAR: Race day registration will be held at Demmler Park, instead of the YMCA. Race Day registration is $20.
$5 discount to all ITC members
Parking
Parking is available on nearby streets across from Owen Park and in the lot across from the Owen Park tennis courts. There is limited parking on the streets near Demmler Park. Below you can find a map showing how to get from Owen to Demmler Park. The distance is 9/10ths of a mile.

Course Description
Starts from Demmler Park, the course follows scenic Putnam Drive into the woods and onto the gravel road. After going through the tunnel under State Street, it snakes between the university buildings and the bluff until the runners reach Garfield Avenue. The runners cross the bridge over the Chippewa River and circle on Water Street to reach the bike trail which they follow into Owen Park, passing the tennis courts and band shell to get to the finish line.
Course Map
Aid Stations
Water is available at the start and finish lines. Bathroom facilities are available at Owen Park. Showers are available at the Eau Claire YMCA.
Shirts
All pre-registered runners receive a short-sleeve cotton shirt.
Post Race Ceremonies
The awards ceremony follows the conclusion of the race. Sammy's Pizza, bread from Bohemian Ovens and ice cold beverages are available after the race.
Awards
The first 3 overall men's and women's finishers receive awards and the first 3 men's and women's age group finishers receive age group awards.
Race Director
Fred Hable, 715.835.5897
History
The race was created as a revival of the grade school Shawtown 4 mile race. Organized by Judy Payne and Kim Deprenger in 1989, who invited "all area school children, several area clowns, chipmunks, police officers, track teams and assorted other attractions", it started as a children's race, grades 1 through 8. It remained a children's race until 1999, when Fred Hable realizing his inner child, threw it open to children of all ages.
The 1999 race was memorable. Chad Johnson, the 2001 USA 25k champion, established the race record, but Fred Hable remembers at least 5 other runners who finished under or around 16 minutes that year. The next year, 2000, Rachel Evjen, who would go on to set school records at Northwestern University, set the women's course record. Finally, in 2011, on a hot, sweaty evening where the biting gnats far outnumbered the 220 runners, Brent Kann became the second man in the history of the race to break 15 minutes albeit on an altered course because of construction. And In the same year, Dani Fischer became the first woman to break 18 minutes, setting a new women's race record. The winners and their times are shown below:
| Year | Men | Women |
| 1999 | Chad Johnson (14:44) | Nicki Velleux (20:27) |
| 2000 | Cody See (16:14) | Rachel Evjen (18:17) |
| 2001 |
Corey Stelljes (16:31) |
DeAnna Pasch (20:06) |
| 2002 | Jim Parejko (16:40) | Wendy Bengtson (19:30) |
| 2003 | Adam Topper (16:04) | Wendy Bengtson (19:38) |
| 2004 |
Zach Vircks (16:02) |
Wendy Bengtson (19:40) |
| 2005 |
Cary Hayden (16:02) |
Ariella Gottfried (19:05) |
| 2006 | Jesse Merkel (15:51) | Karen Schoenrock (19:24) |
| 2007 | Wade Zweiner (17:36) | Kayla Dahl (20:26) |
| 2008 | Tyler Heinz (16:47) | Jari Edmonds (19:40) |
| 2009 | Brent Kann (15:29) | Molly Woodford (19:40) |
| 2010* | Mathew Chesang (16:26) | Haley Steig (20:37) |
| 2011* | Brent Kann (14:55) | Dani Fischer (17:45) |
*Construction forced change of course.
Race Records
| Tortoise and the Hare 5k | ||
| Male | Chad Johnson (1999) 14:44 | |
| Female | Dani Fischer (2011) 17:45 |
Results: 2011 • 2010 • 2009 • 2008 • 2007 • 2006 • 2005 • 2004 • 2003 • 2002 • 2001 • 2000
Last Updated 08/01/2011