Illinois

LINCOLN PRESIDENTIAL HALF MARATHON

Springfield, IL

A Penny For Your Thoughts: 2025, The Year We Lost Our Cents

Thursday, April 9, 2026

"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." — President Abraham Lincoln, The Gettysburg Address, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, November 19, 1863

Four score and 83 years after President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address — arguably the most historically significant speech in American history — America celebrates our nation turning 250 years old and the 100th anniversary of Route 66. I decided to commemorate these two occasions with a trip to Springfield, Illinois, for the Lincoln Presidential Half Marathon. This was my second half marathon in Illinois, and I wanted a different vibe from Chicago. While I do love Chicago, Springfield surpassed my expectations and turned out to be everything I imagined it would be: charming, historical, and adorable. Within the span of 5 months, I’d gone from Lincoln, Nebraska, for the Good Life Halfsy in 2025, to the Land of Lincoln in 2026.

I was gleefully soaking up the “Big Halfsy Energy” at the Good Life Halfsy on November 9th, 2025, blissfully unaware of the fact the United States Mint was not-so-quietly making preparations to officially stop producing new pennies for circulation the following week. The cost to produce each penny had risen to approximately 3.7 cents, making it fiscally untenable for production to continue. On November 10th, I returned home from my race, after running better than Congress, to learn I was furloughed for a second time in 2025 due to a lapse in government appropriations.

Two days later, the penny was officially discontinued on November 12, 2025. I returned to work later that week. The penny never returned… but I had the opportunity this year to collect the most coveted penny – the Lincoln Presidential Half Marathon medal, which famously has been a giant penny almost every year. President Lincoln was the first American president to be featured on a coin, beginning in 1909, therefore making the half marathon medal a meaningful tribute to the subject of this Abe-themed race.

April 9th, 2026 was a travel day, and that Thursday evening I flew into Decatur, Illinois, and took an Uber to my hotel, the President Abraham Lincoln Springfield DoubleTree. Initially I believed the iconic DoubleTree cookies were the stuff of legends, because although I am a very experienced traveler who has stayed at many a DoubleTree, I don’t recall ever receiving a warm chocolate chip cookie in the past. Nutella may have sealed its reputation as out of this world this year when a container of its famous hazelnut spread became an unintentional zero gravity indicator during the Artemis II mission, but in 2019, the DoubleTree cookie became the first food to be baked in space. To my surprise and excitement… it finally happened. I received a DoubleTree cookie at check-in, and my trip was already off to a great start.

As I finished checking in and walked away from the counter, I turned around and saw America's 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, standing in line waiting for his turn to check in at what was comically his namesake hotel. He was decked out in his signature long wool coat giving inaugural address vibes, crisp white shirt with a bowtie, and his iconic stovepipe hat. I laughed at the hilarious sight of Abe casually standing in line with his modern-day luggage from 165 years in the future, absent his Secret Service detail. The Secret Service did not begin the duty of protecting the President until 1901, 36 years after President Lincoln signed legislation authorizing the creation of the United States Secret Service. I was tempted to get a selfie with Abe in that moment, but decided he was probably in a hurry to get to the race expo, which I planned to visit the following morning.

Friday, April 10, 2026

Arrowroot Coffee, my breakfast pick for the day, was conveniently right around the corner from the entrance to the hotel. Not only do they roast their own beans on site, but the space offers a cozy little coffee lounge in the front where customers can enjoy people watching through the window that dominates the entire front of the café. What immediately stood out to me on the menu was that week’s special – the Campfire S’mores Latte, which caught the eye of every passing guest as soon as I brought it to my table. It was rimmed with chocolate syrup and graham crumbles, and topped with a toasted marshmallow. It definitely lived up to its name. I paired it with a rhubarb muffin for my breakfast, and also made sure to order a plain bagel with cream cheese to go so I would have a pre-race breakfast for the next day.

After Arrowroot, I began my walking tour of Springfield with the Lincoln Home National Historic Site. The historic site consists of Abraham Lincoln's home and his neighborhood, spanning four blocks and featuring 14 restored homes from the 1840's to 1860's. The neighborhood is an impeccably preserved and maintained snapshot of the pre-Civil War era and immerses guests into the lives and culture of the working class families who were neighbors to arguably the greatest president who ever lived. The Lincoln Home itself was the only home Abraham Lincoln ever owned, and it was where he lived for 17 years before he became president. The National Park Service does an incredible job maintaining the site and bringing the exhibits to life for visitors like myself, who travel from out of state to nerd out on history.

Free tickets for home tours conducted by the National Park Service Rangers are available at the Lincoln Home Visitors Center, which is open from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. The tours are conducted in groups, and after some debate, I opted to do a solo walking tour, however the downside was I did not get to actually go inside Lincoln's home. Visiting the Harriet Dean House across the street did not require access via a scheduled tour, and because it was open to the public, I took advantage of checking out the exhibit inside. Mrs. Harriet Dean, a school teacher for girls, was the Lincoln family's neighbor from 1849 to 1860, and the exhibit on the first floor of her historic home features the evolution of the Lincoln house and facts about the Lincoln family while they lived in Springfield.

I loved the tiny replicas of the Lincoln home in its various stages of development throughout the years, accompanied by placards that detail the significance of each addition to the home. After spending time in Lincoln’s neighborhood, I walked the few blocks to the Old State Capitol, where the race expo and packet pick-up were being held. The fence around the perimeter was decorated with teal ribbons all the way around, which was part of a community campaign led by the Prairie Center Against Sexual Assault to commemorate Sexual Assault Awareness Month for the month of April. Seeing the display filled me with happiness as someone who has spent over a decade professionally working with victims/survivors of sexual and domestic violence.

To access the race expo, we were instructed to enter through the north doors of the Capitol that face Washington Street due to construction. While it was pretty tight quarters on the bottom level where we all were moving through the expo and packet pick up line, the process was very organized and moved quickly. After collecting my packet and race swag, I explored the Capitol and got my expo selfie with Abe. The upper levels of the Capitol were rich with history, and it was pretty neat seeing the old Supreme Court and congressional chambers. To commemorate the 100^th anniversary of Route 66, participants got a really good quality light jacket along with the official race T-shirt.

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum was something I had fairly high expectations of, and it definitely is worth visiting while in Springfield, however my personal opinion is that it was a bit underwhelming. The most interesting artifact of course was the Gettysburg Address in Lincoln’s own handwriting, and the entire exhibit is on the first floor and takes less than 20 minutes to walk through. Once I finished breezing through the exhibit, it was time for lunch. In keeping with the theme of history appreciation, my mind was made up that I had to dine in a historical landmark.

Ten years before Confederate troops fired on Fort Sumter in South Carolina’s Charleston Harbor, sparking the Civil War, Obed Lewis married Cordelia Iles and they built their family home on the corner of 7^th and Jackson Street in Springfield, one block west of the Lincoln home. The Lewis children became fast friends with the Lincoln children, and the Lewis home was ultimately passed down through the generations until it was sold and converted into commercial office space in the 1930s. Weathering the test of time through the Civil War, the abolition of slavery, the Gilded Age, two World Wars, the Vietnam War, Korean War, and the Global War on Terrorism, the building was purchased in 2007 by Obed and Cordelia’s great-grandson, Court Conn, and his wife, Karen.

Court and Karen embarked on a mission to restore the property to its 19^th century splendor. Ultimately, in order to rescue the home from demolition, the structure was relocated to 7^th and Jackson Street, where it stands today. Obed & Isaac’s was a must for me – both for the historical aspect and the food – and mid-way through my walking tour of Springfield, I stopped in for lunch. I ordered the honey, date, bacon and goat cheese flatbread, which was their most popular dish according to the waitress. Describing it as phenomenal doesn’t do it justice – it was the perfect combination of sweet and savory.

The Illinois State Capitol was my last tourist activity for the day, and what stood out to me was the gorgeous Renaissance and Greek Revival architecture, paintings, murals, and… the bathrooms. The Illinois State Capitol has some of the most beautiful bathrooms I’ve ever been in, and apparently this is a well-known fact among Redditors across the Illinois tourism threads. Depending on what time of day you visit, you may have to sidestep around voluminous tour groups with hundreds of adults and school-aged children. Because it was later in the afternoon when I visited, the Capitol was definitely a happening place and super crowded. Directly outside the Secretary of State’s office is a small coffee shop counter, Elm City. Unfortunately at the time of my visit, it was closed, but I imagine it’s a coffee shop that makes a lot of legislators happy during the week.

In keeping with my tradition of heavy carbs for dinner before a race, La Piazza was my chosen dinner venue. I ordered the lasagna, but incidentally, I took ZERO pictures of my food because I was so focused on catching up with my friend Rachel, who was in my unit while we were on active duty in the Marine Corps. It was such an amazing visit – we talked for almost 4 hours and had about 14 years of catching up to do. Our visit was a perfect example of the notion that in the military you make lifelong friends, and although we hadn’t seen each other in over a decade, it felt like we were picking up exactly where we left off. Thank you, Rachel, for being one of my many sisters around the world!

Four Score and Seven Miles to Go

Race Day: Saturday, April 11, 2026

I stepped out of the hotel on race morning and welcomed the perfect race weather – 44° with a breeze that never exceeded 7 mph throughout the day. The humidity was at its peak at 92%, but quickly waned as the miles rolled by during the race, making for extremely comfortable conditions throughout. I walked the block from the hotel to the Old State Capitol, which was the official site of the start and finish, and where Lincoln gave his famous House Divided speech in 1858. Even though the weather was perfect for racing, it was a bit chilly before the start of the race, and thankfully runners were permitted to go inside the Capitol to stay warm before the race started. The other obvious benefit was clean bathrooms that weren't porta potties.

While inside the Capitol, we took advantage of a photo opportunity with Abe and Mary, who later joined us at the finish for post-race photos. Being that Abe was also a registered participant in the race, it was hilarious seeing Lincoln run where Lincoln walked, 165 years later. The gentleman cosplaying Abe did a fantastic job the entire weekend – he maintained his impeccably presidential bearing, even while running 13 miles. Mary was equally dignified in her character, and although she did not run the race, she was at the finish festival, congratulating finishers and cheering us on. At 7:15 A.M., we began to trickle out of the Capitol, and lined up in the general vicinity of our pacers.

Even though this was a smaller event compared to some of my previous races, I never felt alone on the course and there was always a group to join, no matter the pace. If you are a walker or back-of-the-packer, this race was extremely walker and back-of-the-pack friendly, with a generous 3 hour and 30-minute cut-off time. No participant went without a medal or snack at the finish. After the National Anthem, we kicked off the race at 7:30 A.M. We headed south on 6th Street, and passed the Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices – where Lincoln practiced law – within the first quarter of a mile. Before even completing the first mile, we hit our second historic landmark, Lincoln’s home, and passed through the cute historic neighborhood I’d explored the day before.

Mile 5 took us through Washington Park, where we looped around from Grand Avenue to Williams Boulevard. By this time, I’d assessed that the course was not entirely flat – there were some very tiny inclines throughout while running through the neighborhoods, and then some formidable hills later in the race, where volunteers cheerfully perched atop every single one shouting, “This is the last hill,” when, in fact, it was not the last hill. To add insult to proverbial injury, a photographer never failed to be positioned at the top of each hill, presumably in cahoots with the mischievous volunteers.

Overall, the course was hillier than I anticipated, but not death-defying, like the hills of Tulsa, Oklahoma, during the Route 66 Half Marathon. This was a much tamer experience traversing parts of historic Route 66. If you want the worst hills ever, and you hate your calves, quads, and hamstrings, sign up for Run The Bluegrass in Lexington, Kentucky, where if the hills don’t get you, the temperature and humidity will. And, because I can't go 2 seconds without mentioning some sort of Abe Lincoln trivia throughout this post, I'm obligated to remind you that the state of Kentucky is the birthplace of Lincoln.

Miles 6 to 8 took us through the Historic West Side, and once we reached Mile 9, we entered Oak Ridge Cemetery, home of President Lincoln’s final resting place. As we crested the hill and passed the monument that rests 10 feet above the Lincoln Tomb, we were treated to a spectacular view of a ceremony in progress. Many of us stopped mid-run to capture pictures of the ceremony. Seconds after we passed the monument, a race photographer dutifully got our best angles as we headed out of the cemetery. Typically, I am not a fan of how my race photos turn out, but Inzaption Photos did an exceptional job providing us with high-quality photos that were no extra cost to us and seemed to effortlessly capture every runner.

After exiting the cemetery, we passed through Lincoln Park during Mile 10, where plenty of race photographers were positioned along the path, and one of the pacers alerted us to smile when we reached them. The final block from the finish line featured the historic Union Train Station, adjacent to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

During the final stretch when the finish line arch became visible in the distance, I kicked it into high gear and sprinted the last quarter mile to the tune of hundreds of cheering spectators on either side. The race production was impressive and flawlessly executed, but the turnout from Springfield was even more impressive. Our race finish felt like a warm welcome, and soon after crossing the finish line, we were directed to move to the Old Capitol lawn for post-race snacks and drinks.

Finishers were presented with what is now one of my top favorite medals I’ve ever received – a double-sided gorgeous medal featuring a penny on one side, and Abe on the other in a cute little Corvette, commemorating the 100th anniversary of Route 66. The food at the finish festival included donuts from Mel-O-Cream Donuts, and if you didn’t already know, donuts are one of the best post-race treats you could possibly have after running 13.1 miles. After my snack, I headed to the 6 St Café for brunch. Described by a reviewer as "big on taste and low on cost," this sweet little café definitely delivered in both categories.

When I got there, I expected it to be packed, since the café was practically across the street from the Old Capitol. I asked my waitress where all the runners were, and she said she did get a few earlier, but many of them likely hadn’t gotten around to leaving the finish festival. I ordered a Belgian waffle and a coffee, and then I was off to capture Medal Monday photos for my socials: the penny side of the medal in front of Lincoln's house, and the Route 66 commemorative side at the Illinois State Fair Route 66 Experience.

I took advantage of the complete lack of tour groups at Lincoln's house and finally got some good photos of myself at his front door thanks to a kind passing stranger – a feat that was impossible the day prior with crowds of tourists going in and out of the house. From Lincoln’s neighborhood, I took an Uber to the Illinois State Fairgrounds. The Route 66 Experience consists of a walking tour and super cute photo opportunities that collectively bring 90+ communities and small businesses along Route 66 to life, and as guests walk through the different mini exhibits, you can experience “America’s highway culture” through the lens of the most famous road in the world. I gained a deeper appreciation for The Mother Road, having now traversed it in Illinois, and ran 13.1 miles of it in Tulsa during the Route 66 Half Marathon. The Route 66 Experience was my last stop before my final meal in Springfield.

Saputo’s was conveniently located a block behind the hotel, and undoubtedly seemed like the perfect post-race dinner option. I walked in as soon as the restaurant opened, and for the first 30 minutes enjoyed being the only guest in the old-world Italian-style dining room. My waitress was very friendly and immediately was interested in where I was from and my reason for visiting Springfield, and after a few minutes of conversation she was proudly telling all of the tables around me that I had “won the marathon,” joking, of course, and the other guests greeted me with light-hearted congratulations on my race finish. I started off with a side salad, followed by the baked rigatoni for my main dish, and couldn’t resist a bowl of spumoni for dessert.

I couldn’t think of a more appropriate goodbye to Springfield and closing to this entry than a final quote from our favorite president. On February 11, 1861, Abraham Lincoln wished his friends and neighbors of 24 years farewell before embarking on his presidential journey to lead a divided nation on the edge of civil war: "My friends, no one, not in my situation, can appreciate my feeling of sadness at this parting. To this place, and the kindness of these people, I owe everything."

LODGING RECOMMENDATION:

President Abraham Lincoln Springfield - a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel

701 E Adams St

Springfield, IL 62701

Happy running and safe travels,

Stefanie