As runners came around the corner onto Flossmoor Hills Road, volunteers wasted no time cheering and holding signs saying, “Run with your heart!” and “You got this!” Volunteers from The South Suburban Vineyard Church came out around 6 a.m. preparing cups of water and Gatorade to hand to the runners. [Read More…]
Tag: Hidden Gem 2025
Hidden Gem 2025: Flossmoor runner, 81, looks forward to Chicago Marathon
Tamerra Buckhanan begins her days with a run. “Living in Flossmoor is one of the things that’s kept me running because it’s so beautiful and peaceful and it’s easy to get up in the morning and run around the neighborhood,” she said. She and her husband, Raymond, moved to Flossmoor[Read More…]
Hidden Gem 2025: New route through Heather Hill gives Polly Lane residents a chance to shine
The 2025 Gem race took a new route through Heather Hill this year, bringing out residents who saw the race pass by their homes for the first time. In the weeks and days leading up to the Gem, residents of Polly Lane in Flossmoor gathered to create signs and discuss[Read More…]
Hidden Gem 2025: Volunteers shower Gem runners with rainbows of cheer in Flossmoor Park
The residents of Flossmoor Park proved you don’t need rain to generate rainbows and the joy that they bring. And the rainbow decorations that lined the street amplified that enthusiasm. Dozens of volunteers lined the streets of the neighborhood to generate a torrent of cheering and support for the runners[Read More…]
Hidden Gem 2025: Ballantrae neighborhood makes runners feel like family
The Hidden Gem Half Marathon returned Saturday, Sept. 6 for its sixth year, once again turning Flossmoor’s neighborhoods into a stage for runners and a celebration of community. Named Best Race in 2022 and 2023 by the Chicago Area Runners Association, the event is known not only for its scenic[Read More…]
Hidden Gem 2025: Men’s record falls again; new champ for women’s class
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[Read More…]
Hidden Gem 2025: Gatorade, water and Broadway at Mile 9
The Mile 9 stop on the Hidden Gem Half Marathon offered Gatorade, water, bananas, and show tunes that blared from the speaker at the watering stop in the Braeburn/Brassie neighborhood. And, plenty of encouragement from the volunteers who cheered, clapped and rang cow bells as the more than 1,200 runners[Read More…]
09.06.2025 | What You Need To Know Today
Hidden Gem Half Marathon. The sixth annual race through Flossmoor’s neighborhoods starts at 7:30 a.m. in front of Infant Jesus of Prague School and is expected to end around 11:30 a.m. with the finish line on Sterling Avenue. Kegs & Eggs. The Village of Flossmoor will host a post-Hidden Gem celebration for the second[Read More…]
09.05.2025 | What You Need To Know This Weekend
Friday, Sept. 5 Homewood Disposal Holiday Schedule. Friday pick up will be on Saturday, with the exception of Flossmoor. Flossmoor pick ups will remain on Friday, Sept. 5, because of road closures during the Hidden Gem Half Marathon. Flossmoor residents’ whose collection is normally on Friday should put their trash out[Read More…]
Organizers increase runner numbers for 6th Hidden Gem
Anticipation is building as the Flossmoor community prepares for the sixth annual Hidden Gem Half Marathon on Saturday, Sept. 6. The race starts at 7:30 a.m. in front of Infant Jesus of Prague School and is expected to end around 11:30 a.m. with the finish line on Sterling Avenue. Tom[Read More…]


