An East Peoria woman got a last-minute opportunity to take part the 250th July Fourth celebration, running a leg of Relay for America's non-stop flag carry from San Francisco to Washington, D.C.
Nicole Roberts, an East Peoria native and Bradley University graduate, said she only learned about the relay a few weeks ago.
"I found out about Relay for America actually by my daughter when she was scrolling my Instagram account a few weeks ago," Roberts said.
When she realized the route would pass close to home, she didn't hesitate.
"We realized that they were going to be about 40 miles south of Peoria, and realized that I couldn't miss the opportunity to run and be a part of this amazing experience," she said.
The turnaround was fast, Roberts submitted her pace online and was approved within 20 minutes. By Sunday morning she'd picked out a patriotic outfit, recruited a friend to drive her to rural Logan County, and joined seven other runners for segment 178 — a roughly 12.7-mile stretch that ended in McLean County.
The run itself wasn't easy. "It was not flat. It was very hilly, like rolling hills up and down — and up and down — and we ran in the heat of the day on Sunday," she said. "It was 87, but felt like 98 with the humidity."
Along the way, she added, "we were running through all the cornfields of the Midwest."
Roberts, who is working toward completing a race in all 50 states and has already run 13 half marathons, two full marathons and a half Iron Man, said the community's response stood out most.
"It was so amazing to see people along the country roads in rural Illinois waving their American flags. Kids had signs," she said.
Even drivers stuck behind the runners on hills joined in.
"When they came around us, they were rolling their windows down and cheering for us, just the same."
The relay carries personal weight for Roberts.
"My brother is a U.S. Marine, and so he was recognized on the Honor Wall as well," she said, calling it "definitely an emotional journey" when veterans greeted the runners at the finish.
The flag's 3,000-plus-mile journey from San Francisco never stops moving, even at night. As of Wednesday, it had passed the 2,600-mile mark near Coshocton County, Ohio, running roughly 12 hours ahead of schedule and projected to reach Washington, D.C. just after midnight on July 4.
Roberts said she hopes the coverage reminds people what unites them.
"There's a narrative that we are divided," she said, "but I think if you saw what we experienced, you would know it's different — through all of this, we're together."
The public can follow the flag's live location at relayforamerica.org.
