sport

Aurora Parks, Breweries Host Running Hubs for Local Fitness Community

Mastodon Lake, Waubonsie Lake Park and several breweries host the venues and recurring meetings that support running and fitness activities across the city.

By Aurora Sport Desk · Published July 19, 2026

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This article was written by AI from the linked sources and was not reviewed by a journalist before publishing. The Daily Aurora is part of The Daily Network and follows our reasonable editorial care.

Aurora Parks, Breweries Host Running Hubs for Local Fitness Community — Photo by w_lemay / flickr (by-sa)

The first annual APRCC Coqui 5K Run/Walk begins today at 9:00 AM CDT at Mastodon Lake in Aurora. Onsite packet pickup opens at 7:30 AM with a pre-race warmup at 8:40 AM, and registration fees increase after July 15. The event is open to runners of all levels and to walkers.

Parks as Race Venues

Waubonsie Lake Park at 998 Kautz Rd hosted the Treat Trot Greater Chicago on July 5. Mastodon Lake now serves as the site for the Coqui 5K, showing how these public parks supply the physical space for timed events and group starts. The locations provide consistent access for participants without requiring new construction.

Breweries in the Running Series

The 2026 IL Brewery Running Series schedules a 5K fun run at Blind Corner Brewery on August 9 at 10:00 AM and another at Two Brothers Tap House on August 22 at 10:30 AM. Second Dawn Brewing Company functions as the weekly meeting point for Aurora Road Runners every Thursday at 6:00 PM. These brewery sites combine running routes with post-activity gathering space.

Regular Club Meeting Points

Aurora Run Club gathers every Sunday at 8:00 AM at 6554 S. Parker Rd. #107. The fixed schedule and address allow runners to plan weekly participation around the same starting location. Together the parks and brewery venues form the repeating infrastructure that keeps local running activity organized.

The Summer Sizzler-Greater Chicago remains scheduled for August 10 at one of the same park facilities used earlier in the season. Runners and walkers can locate current registration details through the event listings that reference these specific Aurora addresses and times.

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