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☰
Illinois Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Illinois Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.5 
Organization 4.5 
Spectators 4.4
Number of comments: 172 [displaying comments 21 to 31]
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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. | |
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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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S. J. from Bolingbrook, IL
(5/14/2013)
 "Pretty Good Spring Option" (about: 2013)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Illinois Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I went into this race (9th marathon) with a training plan to BQ and PR. I did not make either, mostly it just wasn't my day but the course was a bit more challenging than I had expected. There are a few stretches that are really long subtle grade increases that you feel in your legs. The one notable hill that I recall came at mile 24 which was really tough. The area was gorgeous in that section of the course but it's a tough spot to dig deep. Aid was great and plentiful to include several gel stations. There was definitely congestion in the park area (8-9.5ish) as others have described - hard to maintain your pace. I was a bit disappointed in the finish. It seemed somewhat empty with not many fans present. I only found this odd because I finished in under 4 hours. It seemed like all the excitement was focused more on the half, which was done at that point. Overall this race is well-run. The Expo was nice, the shirt was, well, BRIGHT, the pacers were good, the finish food was nothing exciting (but I don't run races for that) and the medal was fine! One note - book your hotel WELL in advance. If you are looking for a nice spring marathon for a great price, this is it! | |
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T. M. from Davenport, IA
(5/9/2013)
 "My new favorite marathon!" (about: 2013)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Illinois Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I absolutely loved this race! It was incredibly well organized, had an interesting course (always something to look at), was a good size (not too crowded but you were never alone), and had amazing fan support! Every few blocks there would be volunteers or fans cheering for you. I ran the marathon in just under five hours and the fan support was still fabulous! From the moment I checked in at my hotel (workers were in marathon t-shirts) to the time I got into my car to come home, I felt very welcomed in Champaign. I will definitely run this one again. One last amazing thing: I handed my 'throw away' shirt to a volunteer at the two mile mark and it made it back to my gear check bag! | |
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A. D. from Chicago, IL
(5/9/2013)
 "Fast course, GREAT organization" (about: 2013)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Illinois Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 As others mentioned, this is a good-size race with terrific organization and course support. Parking right by the start/finish is non-issue. Long-sleeve shirt this year was in a highlight bright yellow. A bit too much. Would love to get one in U of I collors, but that's a small complain. The medal is nice. Food is sufficient. | |
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Ed Robins from Philadelphia, PA
(5/6/2013)
"Organized, flat marathon" (about: 2013)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Illinois Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This is a nice, well run marathon where a runner could certainly PR if the weather cooperates (it did in 2013). I usually avoid larger races like this one (1800 in full, 6200 in half and a 10k w/ a later start) but the logistics for this race made it feel easier like a smaller race. So you got the perks of a larger race like a bigger expo w/ race themed items; celebrities like Katherine Switzer, music on the course and good fan support. The race begins and ends on the U of Illinois campus (at the football stadium) and the expo is in their Rec center. All the parking lots used for a game makes parking super easy (and free). There were signs up directing runners to the lots. So the usual parking nightmares associated w/ a bigger race weren't an issue. The course as already stated is very flat but its not scenic. The route just weaves through a series of neighborhoods. Pleasant but monontonous. There were some rough roads while we were in the campus but otherwise the roads were fine. There is a 2 mile section from miles 8-10 where we run on a path through a park. Its pretty but the race is too big for such a small path. These miles were very congested especially with the Half marathon runners still in the pack. For a race this size there were not enough port-a-potties on the course. Even with 4 or more there were very long lines especially early in the race. There were plenty of water stops, they all had sports drink and quite a few had gel. My only critism here is the stops were disorganized and each one was different. Some times water was first, sometimes gatorade and the markings on the cup meant nothing. I know this sounds picky but late in a race when fatigue is an issue uniformity really helps. After the race I opted to use the showers at the Rec center. This was a nice perk! Also the race ends on the football field which is a fun ending! I liked the medal (of the stadium), the long sleeve tech shirt and we got a good quality gear bag. | |
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M. C. from Chicago
(5/1/2013)
"Flat, wind can be an issue, well organised" (about: 2013)
11-50 previous marathons
| 3 Illinois Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 At my pace, 3:20s, the field was crowded through Urbana until we split from the half. It then got lonesome for help cheating the wind heading back into Champaign. Thanks to all the great volunteers....I wasn't being rude just unable to speak ;) | |
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J. G. from St. Louis
(5/1/2013)
"Fast, flat course with good organization." (about: 2013)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Illinois Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 My 32nd marathon and enjoyed running this event. It's a fast course with really no challenging hills. A great deal of the course is on concrete roads though and my 55 year-old knees took a pounding. Good race support and organization and everyone in town was great. | |
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Adam Pratt from Chicago
(4/28/2013)
"flat, fast, well-organized" (about: 2013)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Illinois Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Not very scenic and the crowds are just average, but this was one of the best organized marathons I've ever participated in even with thousands of runners and multiple simultaneous events. The course is very flat and very fast. After running 50+ marathons I PRed by 8 minutes on this course. When I'm ready to attempt to qualify for Boston I'll come back here. Their 'challenge' races are also fun as I ran the 5k Friday night and the marathon Saturday morning for some nice medals. | |
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J. P. from Indiana
(4/28/2013)
"Love it!" (about: 2013)
50+ previous marathons
| 2 Illinois Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 My comments are for the half only. I've run it the past two years. Great volunteers and crowd support. Organization is fantastic. No problems with the packet pickup, pre-race bag drop, parking or the race itself. Excellent street control. The whole area is 'in-tune' with the race and very supportive. The course is moderately fast with only some gentle up and down grades. There is a section in the first part of the race where you run through a park/bike/walking area for maybe a couple miles. Basically it's a double wide concrete sidewalk. It's crowded during the race and they won't be able to grow this race without addressing this issue and altering the course. Don't tell anyone how wonderful this race is as I want to come back again and again! Huge thank you's to all the volunteers and support folks that make this race go. Fantastic job. |
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