CHAMPAIGN-URBANA, ILLINOIS

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MARATHON RELAY

7:33AM

SATURDAY APRIL 27 2024
ADDITIONAL NOTES:

The Marathon Relay? Yep….the marathon can be a team sport! Gather three of your friends, co-workers, etc. and take a chance on 26.2 miles divided by 4! A ton of fun, this is a great bonding experience with the potential for some good bragging rights!

We are using a wave start. Relay teams should be in the wave that corresponds to their expected total finishing time.

The course will be closed to traffic for participants who are averaging faster than 13:43 minutes per mile. Slower participants may continue after traffic is allowed onto the race course, but they do so at their own risk and must follow pedestrian statutes. Race volunteers, the finish line, and post-race festivities will remain active long enough to accommodate runners taking up to 6 hours.

Relay Team members should read the Relay Team Instructions.

THE COURSE

The race starts near the State Farm Center, runs through campus, loops
through Urbana, back through campus, out into Champaign, south to Savoy, and
finishes on the 50-yard line of Memorial Stadium.

Nuun is our on-course hydration sponsor. 

The course is USATF-certified. IL19001DT (valid until 12/31/2029).

VIEW MAP

ENTRY FEE

Registration opens on June 26.

REGISTER BY PRICE
07/15/23 $120 per team
08/31/23 $140 per team
10/31/23 $160 per team
01/15/24 $180 per team
02/29/24 $200 per team
03/31/24 $220 per team
04/01/24 through Expo $240 per team

REGISTER

PACKET PICK-UP

Pick up your race packet (race number, goody bag, and race shirt) at the Health & Fitness Expo at the Activities and Recreation Center (ARC). The expo is open Thursday April 25, 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and Friday April 26, 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The address of the ARC is 201 E. Peabody, Champaign, IL. (See Google’s map.) For parking, see our parking map.

Dynamic bib assigning: We use dynamic bib assigning, which speeds up our race number pickup process quite a bit. On Tuesday, April 23, we will email each entrant a unique QR code (excludes youth run entrants). Print and bring a copy of your QR code (or show it to us on your phone) to be assigned and receive your race number. If you don’t receive the QR code, we can also look you up by your first and last name.

If you plan to pick up a race packet for someone else, which is allowed, you must have a copy of that person’s QR code (paper copy or on your phone). Contact the race hotline (217-902-1538) if your travel plans prevent you from picking up your race packet (race number, goody bag, and race shirt).

LATE PACKET PICK UP ON APRIL 26, 2024

We are offering LATE packet pick-up at Body n’ Sole Sports, 1317 N Dunlap Ave (Rt 45), Savoy, IL from 7:45 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Friday, April 26, for those entrants who cannot get to the expo before it closes at 7:00 p.m. If you let us know by Thursday, April 25 at 11:59 pm that you will be coming to late packet pickup, we will have your race shirt available, in addition to your race number, and goody bag. Complete this form to give us this information. If you miss the deadline, we will have your race number and goody bag only. We’d be happy to mail your race shirt to you after race weekend, however. Please bring a check or money order for $5.00 (made payable to C-U Marathon, LLC) to late packet pick-up to cover the cost of postage.

EMERGENCY PACKET PICK-UP ON APRIL 27

We will also have emergency packet pickup in the Great West Hall of Memorial Stadium on Saturday, April 27, from 5:30 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. If you let us know by Thursday, April 25 at 11:59 pm that you will be coming to late packet pickup, we will have your race shirt available, in addition to your race number, and goody bag. Complete this form to give us this information.

Otherwise, we will have your race number and goody bag only, but we’re happy to mail your race shirt to you after race weekend. Please bring a check or money order for $5.00 (made payable to C-U Marathon, LLC) to late packet pickup to cover the cost of postage.

GOODIES

Relay entrants will receive a Bella + Canvas-brand short-sleeve unisex jersey tee and a drawstring backpack. Finishers get a great medal, food and drink after the race, and one beverage at the 27th-Mile Celebrate Victory Bash on Saturday April 27. (Entrants must display their race bib to receive the beverage.)

SHIRTS

Bella + Canvas-brand short-sleeve unisex jersey tee, made of airlume combed and ringspun cotton/polyester.  Your relay shirt will feel oh so soft!! The shirt comes in adult sizes XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL and XXXL and youth sizes S, M, and L. The shirt color is heather orange. See the sizing chart

DIVISIONS

There are four categories: male, female, mixed 2 & 2, mixed 3 & 1.

HOW THE MARATHON RELAY WORKS

At the Start Line

One member of the relay team starts the race at the start line on First Street, just south of the State Farm Center. There are three Exchange Zones:

  • Exchange Zone A (mile 6.7) is located on Amber Lane, just east of the Meijer store in Urbana, on the left (south) side of the street.
  • Exchange Zone B (mile 13.6) is located on Logan Street at the intersection of Market and Logan.
  • Exchange Zone C (mile 19.5) is located on at the south end of the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church parking lot on Prospect Avenue.

Detailed relay team instructions, including route and parking information, will be forthcoming.

How are exchanges made?

At bib pick-up, your team will receive 5 race bibs—one for each team member, and one that has a timing chip on it. The bib with the timing chip is attached to a race belt that is worn by each team member as he/she runs their leg of the relay. At the Exchange Zone, the arriving runner finds his/her teammate, takes off the race number belt, and gives it to the waiting teammate. That runner puts on the race number belt and begins his/her running leg to the next exchange station. All relay participants should determine an estimated time it will take to run their individual legs and then communicate that to their teammates. Another helpful hint is to know the color of your teammate’s running attire or to all wear the same running attire. Each exchange zone will have a huge sign, and the exchange area will be flagged. Please give yourself ample time to get to your exchange. Follow the explicit driving directions you will be given to get from one exchange zone to another exchange zone. The directions may appear to take you far out of your way, but they are designed to take you around areas affected by the race. Not doing so could result in your team getting stuck in traffic and missing the timely exchange with your runner.

What are the distances for the four different relay legs?

Leg 1 = 6.7; Leg 2 = 6.9; Leg 3 = 5.9; Leg 4 = 6.7

Can relay team members finish together in Memorial Stadium?

Yes! If you all want to cross the finish line together, that is allowed. Runner #1, #2, and #3 can wait for the last teammate on Irwin Drive and then all four team members can run into Memorial Stadium together and cross the finish line in unison.

AWARDS

There will be first, second, and third place awards given to each member of each team in the divisions listed above. Relay awards are based on chip time.