Runners hit the Race with your Heart route near Eureka Lake. This year’s June 14 event benefits Heartline and Heart House. (Photos courtesy of Brandi Gerber)

The 29th annual Race with your Heart, a fundraising event for Woodford County nonprofit Heartline and Heart House, will be held June 14 in areas around Eureka Lake.

Consisting of a 1.5-mile walk on a flat surface around the lake, and 5-kilometer and 10-kilometer competitions through the woods near the lake and nearby subdivisions, the event awards the top three male and female finishers (in the running division) in the following categories: age 13 and under; ages 14-19; 20-29; 30-39; 40-49; 50-59; 60-69; age 70 and up — and Clydesdale and Super Clydesdale (men’s weight classes); and Athena and Super Athena (women’s).

In addition, everyone in attendance — participants, spectators and volunteers alike — will be treated to a pancake, sausage and fruit cup breakfast during a post-race celebration at the Eureka Lake Pavilion, located near Lake Road and Eastview Circle. The celebration includes an awards ceremony and raffles.

The cost to participate is $35 per entrant (free for age 10 and under). Registration is available in advance at www.heartlineandhearthouse.com, and also from 6:15-7 a.m. at the pavilion on the day of the event. Packet pick-up will be available from 6:30-7:30 p.m. June 13 — and during same-day registration. The 5K and 10K runs will commence at 7:30 a.m., followed by the walk at 7:45 a.m..

Heartline and Heart House Executive Director Brandi Gerber said the event has grown over time, averaging 75-100 participants in the early years up to a count of 274 in 2024. She said proceeds that previously totaled about $15,000 have doubled in recent years.

A youngster gets a close view of the race route.

“We rely on fundraising efforts, so this is our biggest event,” Gerber said. “Being in a rural community, with a smaller population, we don’t have the numbers of people — like larger, neighboring counties — to qualify for grants. It doesn’t trickle down to Woodford County. So, being privately run, the donations are imperative to keep us going to continue helping the community.”

Eureka-based Heart House, a homeless shelter and safe haven for women and children who are victims of domestic abuse, provides emergency shelter, community and resource referrals, and essentials. Heartline offers short-term assistance with rent, utilities, food and other needs.

Gerber said proceeds from this year’s Race with your Heart will be used “wherever funds are needed the most. With Heartline, we’re helping people at home in a crisis. We can help with a one-time rent payment, for example. At Heart House, we can provide supplies to help people — paper products, food, etc. — provide for those needs.”

Raffle prizes at the event include gift cards to local shops, as well as art supply sets, pickleball equipment, and games for children and adults.

“It’s a fun event,” Gerber said. “After the race, we put on a full breakfast, and when the medals are being given out, people stay and clap … cheer each other on and support each other.”

Gerber said the organization is hoping to register at least 200 participants for this year’s event, down a bit from last year’s total. By coincidence, Race with your Heart is being held the same day as the Steamboat Classic in Peoria, a similar but much larger event.

Plenty of young runners participate in the annual event.

“We’ll still have a good turnout despite being up against a bigger run,” she said. “We have a beautiful course in a wooded area around Eureka Lake, so the scenery is pretty — more of a small-town feel. If you haven’t participated before, come on down and give it a try. It’s a great way to support people in need, and you can enjoy a pancake breakfast and being part of the community.”

For information, call 309-467-6101 or visit www.heartlineandhearthouse.org.