Colin Mickow is making a habit of breaking the Hidden Gem Half Marathon record. In the sixth annual race in Flossmoor on Saturday, Sept. 6, he set the men’s record for the third time.

Mickow, 35, of Naperville, crossed the finish line in 1:03:13, maintaining a 4-minute, 50-second pace, a full minute ahead of second-place finisher William Hague. That time topped the record he set in 2024 by 31 seconds. The 2024 record was four seconds faster than the record he set in 2021.

While Mickow has become a fixture atop the men’s class, the women’s class is more competitive. This year, first-time Hidden Gem runner Maria Lindberg, 42, of Elmhurst, came in first with a time of 1:15:13.

Like many runners, she registered for the Hidden Gem as part of her preparation for the Chicago Marathon, which will be run on Oct. 12 this year. Her time was a personal record.

“It was a super fast course. That was a PR for me, so I was happy,” she said.

The weather helped, too, she said.

“Could it be any better? No, I don’t think so,” she said. The temperature at race time was 47 degrees with a 5 mph breeze from the southwest under a clear sky. Runners like cool temperatures and little wind. “It’s a beautiful day.”

Her favorite part of the course was through the Homewood-Flossmoor High School campus, where cheer squads and the marching band give runners an energy boost.

“I actually had heard someone yell ‘Don’t get overly excited,’ because I think that was only like mile five or six, and I could see why I would get over excited,” she said. “It’s a lot of cheering, a lot of excitement.”

Other top finishers included Blake Buysse, 25, of Chicago, who came in third overall with a time of 1:04:34. Maggie Graham, 34, of Arlington Heights, came in second in the women’s class with a time of 1:15:36, and Kristin Dailey, 43, of Elmhurst, came in third with a time of 1:15:40.

Winners of age divisions:

• Women under 20: Lydia Casillas, 19, of Flossmoor, 1:43:23.
• Women 20 to 24: Ashley Heidenrich, 24, of Chicago, 1:16:29.
• Women 25 to 29: Caitlin McGauley, 27, of Chicago, 1:16:19.
• Women 30 to 34: Maggie Graham, 34, of Arlington Heights, 1:15:36.
• Women 35 to 39: Brittany Alvarez, 36, of Chicago, 1:16:32.
• Women 40 to 44: Maria Lindberg, 42, of Elmhurst, 1:15:13.
• Women 45 to 49: Megan Leahy, 48, of Wilmette, 1:28:28.
• Women 50 to 54: Irma Montes, no age or town listed, 1:38:12.
• Women 55 to 59: Julie Bruns, 55, of Elmhurst, 1:38:33.
• Women 60 to 64: Unsal Ozdogru,60, of Chicago, 1:39:12.
• Women 65 to 69: Eileen Dolan, 67, Oak Park, 1:55:26.
• Women 70 to 74: Grace Wasielewski, no age or town listed, 1:48:16.
• Women 75 to 79: Nancy Rollins, 78, of Evanston, 1:59:58.
• Women 80 to 84: Tamerra Buckhanan, 81, of Flossmoor, 2:45:52.

• Men under 20: Logan Nelson, 19, of Flossmoor, 1:41:08.
• Men 20 to 24: Anthony Farmer, 23, of Elgin, 1:04:36.
• Men 25 to 29: Blake Buysse, 25, of Chicago, 1:04:34.
• Men 30 to 34: William Hague, no age or town listed, 1:04:14.
• Men 35 to 39: Colin Mickow, 35, of Naperville, 1:03:13.
• Men 40 to 44: Ben Bocher, 44, of Naperville, 1:11:33.
• Men 45 to 49: Abe Mendoza, 48, Scottsdale, Arizona, 1:14:43.
• Men 50 to 54: Trent Fifield, 53, St. Charles, 1:14:47.
• Men 55 to 59: Volker Rose, 56, Downers Grove, 1:21:50.
• Men 60 to 64: Aaron Barnhart, 60, of Evanston, 1:25:20.
• Men 65 to 69: Michael Brosilow, 68, of Chicago, 1:31:29.
• Men 70 to 74: Robert Jungwirth, 71, of Downers Grove, 1:59:23.
• Men 75 to 79: Bob Richards, 76, of Villa Park, 2:28:57.
• Men 80 to 84: Lynne Hans, 83, of Lake Forest, 3:55:00.