Police officer Bill Webster leads the way in the “Run from the Cops” 5K Run/Walk in Itasca Saturday in an annual charitable event to
aid Salute Inc., an Arlington Heights-based nonprofit group that helps military families. Steve Ellenbecker, of Itasca, finishes in first place Saturday in the “Run from the Cops” 5K Run/Walk in Itasca. On the left is Itasca police officer Bill Webster. More than 150 people tried their best Saturday to flee from the Itasca police, but the crowd wasn’t exactly full of hardened criminals. They took part in the town’s third annual “Run from the Cops” 5K run/walk at Usher Park. Proceeds go to aid Salute Inc., an Arlington Heights-based charity that helps struggling military families. At 8 a.m., participants took off at Walnut and Grove streets and continued past Washington Park, through Songbird Slough, followed by a pass through the Spring Brook Nature Center, up Kimball Hill and back to near where they started. If Chief Scott Heher or Deputy Chief Bob O’Connor passed up a participant, they were forced to don a “captured” doughnut sticker. One man who was not left in their dust was Itasca resident Steve Ellenbecker, who came in first place.
Keeping with the event’s theme, some runners wore black-and-white striped shirts. One man ran in an orange prison jumpsuit. Several police officers, including those from other departments, joined in the fun.