Illinois Marathon

I want to thank Jan Seely & her thousands of volunteers & sponsors for a wonderful marathon. I know that she didn't do it by herself & many people were involved. She goes above and beyond to have a wonderful marathon. The town of Champaign & Urban & surrounding area can be very thankful for Jan for putting on an a-1 marathon. I should know because I have ran 131 of them. You are not going to find a better marathon anywhere. I want to thank my new friend Ed on the incumbent bike & he was with me at around mile 17 or before. I also want to thank the lady on the bike & the woman who was in the van & later walked with me. The best moment of the day was when I entered the stadium & the crowd cheered me on & at the finish line was Jan Seely. Here was this woman been up at 3:00 am or 4:00 am but was standing there to put the medal around my neck. It still brings tears to my eyes. A job well done. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

It was nice for a University of Illinois Class of 1981 graduate to return to the alma mater for the Illinois Marathon even though I just walked the half with both finishes in Memorial Stadium that will celebrate its 100th this year. The course is a good showcase of the University of Illinois campus & central IL.