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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 91 to 101]
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M. S. from MO, USA
(5/2/2010)
"Overall, pretty darn good" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Illinois Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 After running several hilly marathons in a row, I really liked this course... a good scenic tour of Champaign and Urbana, mostly flat except for a few short gentle inclines, and one long but gentle grade at mile 24 (but then you are immediately rewarded with a nice long downhill at mile 25 into the home stretch). I was genuinely impressed with the volunteers and crowd support for this race. Much of the course is along residential streets, which can be very hit-or-miss for spectators. But all along the route there were ordinary folks sitting at the end of their driveways cheering and running homemade aid stations. CU as a town seems to really be behind this marathon, and that's great to see. Big thumbs up all around. My two minor gripes are time-related. 1. This race should really be run earlier in the year. It looks like this race was held in early April in '09, so I'm not sure why it was moved a full three weeks later; it looks like it was the difference between a perfect morning in the 40s and a muggy, humid day in the 60s/70s. Any time you get to May in the Midwest, the weather is a roll of the dice. At least the thunderstorms moved off in time. 2. It's great to see a race that tries to incorporate all distances on the same day, but either start the 5K AFTER the full/half (instead of before) and have them come in the stadium from a different direction or have it a day earlier. It was at least cloudy at the start, but on a different day it would have been frustrating watching the sun climb in the sky on a warm morning while I stood around, waiting for a bunch of people who were going to be done with their race hours before me anyway. Also, the barricades separating the half and full at the end are very much appreciated, but I still just about plowed into the back of a bunch of walkers from the half who suddenly decided they needed to do the last 50 yards five abreast. Abrupt lateral movement 26.15 miles into a marathon is not one of my best skills! Not sure what could be done other than barricading them off all the way to the finish, but it would be nice if walkers would realize they're not the only ones out there. Might as well wish for a Ferrari while I'm at it. All in all, though, this is a great race that's doing a very solid job in only its second year. | |
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M. B. from Columbus, Ohio
(5/2/2010)
"Overall, a nice Midwest race." (about: 2010)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Illinois Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my third marathon. I have mostly positive things to say about my experience. I thought the spectator support was good. The traffic marshals did a great job at controlling traffic through some busy intersections. The stadium finish was nice touch! The aid stations were a little far apart, but I knew this coming into the race, so I carried a bottle of fluid with me. They did increase the number of aid stations at approximately the 20-mile mark, which was great. I thought they got some great speakers for the pasta dinner. I have never attended the pasta dinners before, but I couldn't resist getting the opportunity to hear Kathrine Switzer and Jean Driscoll speak. The course was a little crowded with all of the half marathoners - especially going into the park around mile 8 - but overall, this did not present much of a problem. I was pleasantly surprised at the number of marathoners that I got to run with after the half-marathoners split off around mile 12. I was worried that I would be running a lot by myself, but this was not the case. There were always other runners around me. My only real disappointment with the race was the actual racing surface. I had read the reviews from the previous year and did not hear any complaints, so I was surprised at the amount of concrete that the runners were required to run on. I would say that at least half of the course was concrete, even on residential streets. I guess I am spoiled as I do all of my long runs on a nice, paved, bike trail. If I do go out onto the neighborhood streets, they are all asphalt. I do very little running on concrete. I did not experience any blistering but my feet were just extremely tender from all of the impact on that type of running surface. Although the weather forecast for the week was calling for rain, the temperatures ended up being in the 70's with quite of bit of sun and humidity. There were several residents - as well as the local fire department - that were spraying runners with water. That was a blessing! The unexpected heat and humidity after training through a really cold winter here in Ohio made this a difficult race for me. Overall, though, I was very happy and would recommended this race to others. | |
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B. R. from Morton, IL
(5/2/2010)
"Even better than last year!!" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Illinois Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 My second year running this race. In 2009, there were a few minor things that needed improvement (race start and course layout). This year, the directors addressed both of those issues and made the race even better. If you are looking for a mid-major marathon in IL, this is the best race by far. Because of the thousands of half marathon runners, the race feels so much bigger and more fun than the numbers show it to be. Be sure you start ahead of the bazillion slow half marathon runners and you will have a clean, fast, and flat race to qualify for Boston. The fan support in this town is so-so... they are learning what supporting a marathon is about and in a few years more people will be outside cheering, i'm sure. The volunteers are all friendly, helpful and supportive. They are the heart of the race. The finish at the 50-yard line of the football stadium is really cool for the sports enthusiast. This year was very hot and the race medical team and the water stations handled the extra stress perfectly. Don't miss the full or half. You won't be disappointed. | |
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D. B. from C-U
(5/2/2010)
"No pares, sigue, sigue; no pares, sigue, sigue...." (about: 2010)
2 previous marathons
| 2 Illinois Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I want to say, "Well done" to the volunteers and to the community. I was not able to continue my route without their support. My frustation was the day before the marathon when my team and I went to pick up our stuff and saw a beautiful t-shirt and bag that the other people get; when we received our stuff in a plastic bag, we got a t-shirt without the official logo - and no mention of the 2010 Illinois Marathon. And the quality.... We felt like second-class citizens. The rest of it was great, and we are going to run the half marathon next year. | |
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Anthony Shannon from Chicago
(1/2/2010)
"My favorite race" (about: 2009)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Illinois Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon, and I am extremely happy that I picked this one. It was very well organized, and the finish was amazing. I have decided that I will be running this marathon every year, no matter what. | |
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b. b. from anchorage, alaska
(12/14/2009)
"I thought it was perfect." (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Illinois Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have done 30 or so marathons. This one was so fun. I personally thought it was very well organized. I have run some of the other majors, and I know I have seen the best. But what I liked most here were all the folks along the way. This darn thing, for the first year, is so well supported. The volunteers and the neighbors along the way were cheering you on. It was cold too. And they were out there still. Even older folks too were sitting in lawn chairs with comforters on to keep warm?! It was the best. Very different from many I have done. These two communities are amazing to jump in and support this. We runners have to remember how disruptive it is with all of the streets closed off. | |
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matt garza from Evansville, IN
(11/10/2009)
"Couldn't have been better" (about: 2009)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Illinois Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my second marathon, and I just finished my third. The Illinois Marathon was my favorite. It had fantastic fan support, a decent expo, and more than enough water, Gatorade, gels and restrooms. The finish I will never forget. With about 1.5 miles left, you can see the odd-shaped basketball arena and you know you're getting close. Going into the football stadium is amazing... finishing on the 50-yard line! What a fantastic marathon. | |
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D. B. from Urbana, IL
(8/31/2009)
"Well done" (about: 2009)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Illinois Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I go to school at UIUC, and the route was very good and well managed. A lot of good people cheered, and every intersection had a volunteer helping with traffic. I liked the downhill start for the first mile to get momentum for the rest of the race. Two small complaints: No/bad staggered start according to pace. That made for A LOT of passing. (Hopefully this is changed in 2010.) That last hairpin turn for the half-marathon, with 300 yards to go, was brutal. | |
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Jon Folsom from Champaign, IL, USA
(7/10/2009)
"Great course, good crowd." (about: 2009)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Illinois Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I have lived in Champaign for 38 years, so I knew that the course would be flat. The Gatorade/water stops were ample, and there were great crowds. The expo was weak compared to the others I've been to, as was the goody bag (if that's your thing). The finish line organization could've been a lot better. There wasn't enough room for what they had planned. But for an inaugural race, they did very well, in my opinion. I plan to run it in 2010. | |
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K. O. from Pacific Palisades, CA
(6/21/2009)
"Excellent first-time event." (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I've raced all over this country, and in about 12 foreign countries, so I have seen both the best and worst of events. I would rank the Illinois Marathon/Half-Marathon near the top for a first-time event. However, with even a good event, tweaking it here and there can make it a great event. My suggestions: 1) start the half and full marathons separately 2) change the course to eliminate the narrow path in the park - nice for running, but not for a crowded race 3) silence the "pie hole" on the obnoxiously loud announcer in the stadium I will return! Great job! |
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