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Apr 28, 2024

Illinois Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.5

Organization 4.5

Spectators 4.5

Number of comments: 167 [displaying comments 11 to 21]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 17 > ]

J. R. from Aurora, IL (4/27/2015) "Mostly Flat & Great Support/Volunteers" (about: 2015) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Illinois Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I've ran the 1/2 marathon a couple times but this was my first at the Illinois full. This year's weather was not great besides the temperature (50 degrees) due to heavy rain & 20mph winds. They actually had to 'cancel' the races at 10:15am which left a number of runners on the course. They still finished on their own (without traffic control because of storms) but still were allowed to finish and get their medals. The course is mostly flat with some rolling inclines/declines and the biggest hill is at 24 when it feels much worse than what it really is. Volunteers were great and every turn was marked off really well with someone there. I've never had a marathon (#7 for me) where every single cop holding traffic gave words of encouragement! You start the race with the 1/2 racers and you split off around 12 miles before running with/past the 10K races (which start 42 min after the full). So it was nice to have a boost of runners around you through 18. After that, you are pretty much on your own as it does spread out then. Overall: fast course, those that are on the course are very supportive and encouraging (hardly anyone did not say something),nice medals and post-race food (pizza, pasta, pretzels, Gatorade, water, bananas...). They also have a convenient medal engraving booth that costs only $12-15 to engrave your medal on the spot in 30-45 minutes. The weather wasn't optimal this year but if you like very encouraging and supportive crowds, greenery, want to run a PR and don't mind running solo a little bit then this is the marathon for you!
Robert Rayder from Memphis, Tennessee (4/26/2015) "A Fantastic Marathon Even with Cancellation" (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Illinois Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Let's start with the obvious. I know a lot will be made of canceling the race at the 4:00 mark. I was on the course at mile 21 when I heard the news. There was rain and thunder, and that alone would not have stopped the race. What I didn't know was the Storm Center based in Lincoln IL had warned the race directors DIRECTLY of a line of severe lightning that was heading straight for the race course. Had they left hundred of volunteers and thousands of runners unprotected against the elements, it may literally have resulted in people dying. No finish is worth that. Kudos to those who made the hard decision to cancel the race rather than risk the lives of the people left on the course. As to the race itself, few races enjoy more community support than the Illinois marathon. The whole town comes out to support this race. Further, every detail is considered. The expo and course literally overflow with signage and volunteers more than eager to help. The blooming trees and emerald green grass contrast dramatically with the well kept houses and make for a very scenic course. The finish on the 50 yard line of the UI campus (as I experienced it during the previous night's 5K) was super cool. A jumbotron projected images of every runner, and even a local TV station devoted hours of coverage to nothing but the marathon. The I-Challenge, which included a 5K Friday night, followed by a 10K, half, or full the next day gave out 3 awesome medals. Definitely a plus for medal chasers like me. The 5K is also VERY cool, and well worth arriving a day earlier to run. Really there is very little negative I have to say about this marathon, and I have run a lot of them. Well worth the couple hours drive from Chicago. Great job Illinois! I'll be back!
L. B. from Kansas City, MO (4/26/2015) "Well-run" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Illinois Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This race is run very, very well: seamless packet pickup; organized parking at the expo and race start; and very good course support. Another nice touch is that the finisher medal and race shirt have a matching design. I also like the fleece blanket given at the finish line. Support from the local and university community is outstanding and enthusiastic. This year the marathon was cancelled mid-race due to bad weather. The directors and local law enforcement did a fantastic job of spreading the word and giving instructions to the runners on the course. Locals offered their garages to runners wanting protection from the weather. Props to the local and race officials for making the difficult decision to cancel the race in the name of safety. It was the right choice.
J. P. from the midwest (4/26/2015) "Tough Weather" (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 4-5 Illinois Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Thank you to all the volunteers and staff for this race who worked tirelessly in some difficult conditions for the race. You are the race heroes!! This is my fourth year to run the half. It's a very well run event and while some will grumble about stopping the race because of a little lightning in the area, it was the right move. You would be the same people grumbling if someone would have gotten struck by lightning. Let's hope for better weather next year and we'll CU-there!
T. B. from Illinois (9/7/2014) "Best race in the midwest" (about: 2014) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Illinois Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I've run a few other courses, but none of them are as good as this one. Flat and fast is right. I've run the marathon once and the half marathon 3 times. I've made this a staple in my yearly training plan.
Joe Ely from Indiana, USA (5/24/2014) "Outstanding Marathon!!" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 Illinois Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is the 4th time I've run this marathon and I really have come to enjoy it a lot. It's very well organized and a very pleasant course. I'm puzzled by folks who say this course is not 'flat'...I suppose this is a measure of what you've run. The very minor grades on this course are actually a nice variation for the legs...but it's really flat. Further, I found the crowd support and interest over the whole course, second half included, to be terrific. Outside the Chicago Marathon, which is a huge event, this is the best support I've seen in a full marathon and this was #47 for me. The fact the course is in neighborhoods, not commercial/industrial areas, makes all the difference. I found these folks very encouraging and very plentiful. I too ran the Full I Challenge...the 5K on Friday night was a hoot. I've never run a 5K with 7,000 others!! It was fun to take a simple jog the night before a marathon. Hotels are full, indeed...I beat that by just taking my tent. There's a small campground in Mahomet, just 10 minutes from the race site and it worked wonderfully. One other fun fact...on race morning, they had a full 2 hours of radio broadcasts all about running. Hal Higdon was a major guest and it was so cool to drive in and wait in the parking lot listening to solid, well-considered discussion of running...that never happens on the radio but it does in this race!! Mega kudos to the organizers, this is an event that has grown wonderfully...it's been neat to be watch it grow.
R. P. from Illinois (4/30/2014) "A nice well organized race." (about: 2014) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Illinois Marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is a well run race with a great finish. My only complaints are: relay runners finishing together getting in the way of marathoners, and concrete running surfaces.
D. R. from Cincinnati, OH (4/27/2014) "Great race for Illinois!" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Illinois Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I recommend this race...great option for Illinois. Pros: 1) Great neighborhood support. 2) Great volunteers. 3) Beautiful course. 4) Well staffed and stocked aid stations. 5) Nice medal and shirts were nicer than I expected. 6) Easy, organized packet pickup. 7) Lots of food and muscle milk after the marathon. 8) Plenty of convenient parking for the expo and race. 9) $5.00 gets you into activity center so you can use the pool after the race and shower...I sat in the pool for 20 minutes in lieu of my usual ice bath and it was cool enough to do the trick. 10) Awesome finish in stadium. 11) It was a hot day and they had hoses and misters. Cons: 1) More aid stations in a few places would be good given how hot the day of the marathon was this year. Note to racers: Book your hotel room VERY EARLY. I had to stay in Danville because everything was booked so soon. Also, I did the Full I-Challenge (ran 5K night before full marathon) and can say that the 5K was about the best I have EVER run. Finishes in the stadium and includes a nice shirt and medal...great support...really fun!
A. B. from Chicago (4/26/2014) "A well-run race, but not flat and few spectators" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Illinois Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 PROS: This was a well-run race from start to finish and I have no complaints about the organization. Everything was easy to get to, there was plenty of parking, the race started on time, the medals were pretty cool and the results were posted fast. CONS: I have to disagree, though, with anyone who says this is a flat and fast course. I have run a lot of marathons and would not put this one in the flat category. Chicago is flat. There aren't any big hills, as noted below, but it is rolling pretty much throughout with a lot of subtle inclines that are sustained for long stretches. Some of the hiller segments come late in the race when you're going through these quite, little neighborhoods and that can be tough mentally. As was also noted below, there is little crowd support and the course can get a little lonely in the later miles. That said, many of the residents come out and go to great lengths to support the runners, which I really appreciated. Also, the volunteers were great.
D. P. from Des Moines, Iowa (6/11/2013) "Nice Smaller Race" (about: 2013) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Illinois Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The towns of Champaign & Urbana seem to be surrounded by farm fields on all sides, so it's a scenic if somewhat uneventful drive from any direction. If you're thinking of running this one, get your hotel early because options seem to be limited. I signed up several months in advance and still ended up staying a half-hour from town. The expo was nice & packet pick-up was well-organized, but I wish it could've been held in a location other than the university's athletic complex. Traffic was very congested, and we had to park a long way away from the expo site. To reach the expo, we had to pass through a rec center where lots of students were exercising; directions to the expo were somewhat unclear. The race is held at a good time of year; weather was still fairly cool. The course has the potential to be quite fast. It was mostly very flat. We were packed in a bit too tight at the start. The entire race is on city streets, and the first half is run with the half-marathoners. After the midway point things get VERY quiet. The entire course is closed to traffic and all spectators are told to go to the stadium at the finish, so there are very few fans on the second half when you need the encouragement most. In fact, as you're running through the last few miles of residential neighborhoods, people are taking out their trash, watering their lawns, totally oblivious to the race. The finish at the stadium is cool, and the medals are nice. However, as others have noted, it is a burden climbing the stadium steps and fighting through crowds to get something to eat and drink after running 26 miles. I would rather finish on the street and have immediate access to amenities. Finishing on the 50 yard line is not that big of deal. Overall a nice race but I think some logistical changes need to be made before it can become a great one.

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