Illinois Marathon
Encyclopedia
The Illinois Marathon is a marathon
which was held for the first time on April 11, 2009 in Champaign, Illinois
. This was to be the first marathon
ever held in Champaign. The course is very flat and it was expected to produce fast times, with only 85 feet (25.9 m) of elevation change. The event included five different races. Christie Clinic has been named the title sponsor of the Illinois Marathon for the next five years. The races offered were:
The race was expected to attract an estimated 10,000 runners in the first year and 15,000-20,000 runners by year five. The Illinois Marathon is a qualifying marathon for the Boston Marathon
.
and Urbana
. A large portion of the race is run on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
campus. The starting line is near the University of Illinois' Assembly Hall. The races finish at the 50-yard line of Zuppke Field in Memorial Stadium.
The 2009 Illinois Marathon Champaign was a central location in the Midwest, attracting runners from cities such as Minneapolis, Chicago and St. Louis.
Based on a report done by the Champaign Sports Commission, the total estimated economic gain from last year’s marathon was nearly $4.4 million.
Amongst one of the biggest changes made in the 2010 race will be the course route. Due to traffic issues at Meadowbrook Park in Urbana last year, where parts of the race were held, runners will now be heading into the park at mile marker 8 instead of 4.
Marathon Results
Male Participants
1. Jacob Kendagor 2:26:12
2. Lars Juhl 2:27:15
3. Ben Schneider 2:28:29
Female Participants
1. Meghan Kennihan 2:55:06
2. Krista Colberg 2:58:33
3. Tracy Wollschlager 3:01:52
2010 race will need nearly 3,000 volunteers to accommodate for an increasing entry of participants for the Illinois Marathon.
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
which was held for the first time on April 11, 2009 in Champaign, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. This was to be the first marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
ever held in Champaign. The course is very flat and it was expected to produce fast times, with only 85 feet (25.9 m) of elevation change. The event included five different races. Christie Clinic has been named the title sponsor of the Illinois Marathon for the next five years. The races offered were:
- marathonMarathonThe marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
(42.195 kilometres (26.2 mi)) - half marathonHalf marathonA half marathon is a road running event of . It is half the distance of a marathon and usually run on roads. Participation in half marathons has grown steadily recently. One of the main reasons for this is that it is a challenging distance, but does not require the same level of training that a...
(21.0975 kilometres (13.1 mi)) - four-person marathon relay
- 5K5K5K or 5-K may refer to:* Gnome-Rhône 5K, a radial aircraft engine* 5000 metres race* Hifly IATA airline designator* The Five Ks in Sikhism* 2010 debut album by Dutch DJ, Sander Kleinenberg...
fun run/walk and 1 miles (1.6 km) youth races
The race was expected to attract an estimated 10,000 runners in the first year and 15,000-20,000 runners by year five. The Illinois Marathon is a qualifying marathon for the Boston Marathon
Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...
.
Mission statement
The Illinois Marathon Mission Statement: Quality is a top priority for the marathon. "The Illinois Marathon is committed to being a responsible member of society, giving back to our community, the state, and charities." The Illinois Marathon also wants spectators and runners to find how important exercise is in leading a healthy lifestyle.Course information
The Illinois Marathon course exists throughout ChampaignChampaign, Illinois
Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of...
and Urbana
Urbana, Illinois
Urbana is the county seat of Champaign County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 41,250. Urbana is the tenth-most populous city in Illinois outside of the Chicago metropolitan area....
. A large portion of the race is run on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
campus. The starting line is near the University of Illinois' Assembly Hall. The races finish at the 50-yard line of Zuppke Field in Memorial Stadium.
Volunteers Rally
The inaugural Illinois Marathon was near cancellation due to the lack of volunteers as of March 16, 2009. The event had about 100 volunteers and needed about 100 to 150 more in order to hold the race safely. Local officials set an April 1, 2009 deadline for the event planners to have enough staff to keep the 7,600 runners safe at the 311 intersections crossed during the race. Lt. Jon Swenson of the Champaign Police Department said, "There's people coming from all over the continental United States and four foreign countries, and it's not something you can cancel on a moment's notice, we indicated our concerns to them about the urgency to get their volunteers secured so we know we're prepared to move forward with the event." After the information that the marathon might get canceled was made public, 350 people volunteered within four days.2009 Race Results
Over 9,000 individuals participated in the first annual Illinois Marathon.The 2009 Illinois Marathon Champaign was a central location in the Midwest, attracting runners from cities such as Minneapolis, Chicago and St. Louis.
Based on a report done by the Champaign Sports Commission, the total estimated economic gain from last year’s marathon was nearly $4.4 million.
Amongst one of the biggest changes made in the 2010 race will be the course route. Due to traffic issues at Meadowbrook Park in Urbana last year, where parts of the race were held, runners will now be heading into the park at mile marker 8 instead of 4.
Marathon Results
Male Participants
1. Jacob Kendagor 2:26:12
2. Lars Juhl 2:27:15
3. Ben Schneider 2:28:29
Female Participants
1. Meghan Kennihan 2:55:06
2. Krista Colberg 2:58:33
3. Tracy Wollschlager 3:01:52
2010 Illinois Marathon
The second annual Illinois Marathon will have over 13,000 participants.2010 race will need nearly 3,000 volunteers to accommodate for an increasing entry of participants for the Illinois Marathon.