If you’ve never ventured to the Big 10 twin cities of Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, put the Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon Weekend on your 2018 radar. This Friday-Saturday, six-race event is celebrating its 10th anniversary April 26-28, 2018, and offers a beautiful, scenic tour of the University of Illinois campus, two unique downtowns, tree-lined residential neighborhoods, and an awesome paved park trail. The routes are flat and fast—15% of the 2017 marathon field qualified for Boston. Thousands of friendly, fun fans and volunteers line the course, exuding Midwest hospitality. You’ll find first-class race shirts, finisher medals, drawstring bags, food, and fanfare. Enjoy a spectacular finish at the 50-yard-line of the University’s historic Memorial Stadium and attend the rockin’ postrace street fests right outside the stadium on Friday night and Saturday. Live music, free beer, and amazing photo opps. Excellent expo on Thursday and Friday featuring marathon legend Dick Beardsley.
Take your pick of the marathon, marathon relay, half marathon, 10K, 5K, or youth run. Double your swag and medals by participating in one of four I-Challenge events (run the 5K on Friday, April 27, at 7:30 p.m. and then either the marathon, marathon relay, half marathon, or 10K on April 28 to receive a unique third medal—plus bragging rights). New in 2018: FREE digital photos for all finishers. Entrants will find a link to their personal photos on their results page.
Endurance Magazine readers: save 15% when you enter the code enduranceilmarathon toward the end of the registration process. The code is good through February 28 at www.illinoismarathon.com.
Every entrant has a “why” for running, and Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon team never tires of hearing those stories and celebrating them during the last weekend of April. What’s your “Why?” Join us April 26–28, 2018 to let us know.
