CHAMPAIGN-URBANA, ILLINOIS

March 31, 2021

Since our last update in January, we have been working on a plan for a return to in-person running events here in Champaign-Urbana. At that time, we were pleased to share the news that we had confirmed with the University of Illinois and the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics that a new running event could take place in the “window” of September 9–11, 2021.

The health, safety, and welfare of everyone involved with our event is always at the forefront of our planning. We view our community’s road back to a full-scale Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon Race Weekend as a pathway, with several stops along the way. Today’s update will share the latest steps on that route.

Updated Plans:

1. There will be NO Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon Race Weekend in 2021.
2. Everyone currently registered for the 2021 Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon Race Weekend, originally scheduled for April 29-May 1, 2021, will be automatically rolled over to our 2022 Race Weekend, which is April 28-30, 2022. No re-registration is required. 
3. Everyone who deferred their 2020 registration to our 2021 Race Weekend but did not register before we closed registration last September will receive a new comp code for a FREE entry into our 2022 race weekend. Registration for our 2022 Race Weekend will open this summer and we’ll give these participants the information and green light to get registered.
4. We are working with Champaign-Urbana Public Health and city officials to seek approval for a NEW, additional in-person event that would take place on Saturday, September 11. The event’s size and scope, and our COVID-mitigation plan, would be influenced by Champaign-Urbana’s progress on the state-wide Restore Illinois Plan. Our hope is that we will have our next update about this possible new event sometime in June.

Our goal is to stay connected with you, to encourage you to take steps to keep running life’s race to the fullest. Our 25-week Criss-Cross Virtual Challenge brought lots of joy and engagement to so many these past five months. And soon we’ll be launching our next virtual event—the Pace & Pedal Perimeter Challenge—which will run from April 22 (Earth Day) until the end of the year. These virtual events, along with our plan for a new, additional in-person race in September (and, possibly our Mile at the Pines event later in the year) are steps along a pathway to a fabulous race weekend in April 2022.

Be on the lookout for more info about the September event.
 
Here is our 2021-22 Tentative Race Schedule:

• Pace & Pedal Perimeter Challenge (virtual), launching April 22
• New, additional in-person event, TBD, September 11
• 2022 Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon Race Weekend, April 28-30, 2022

If you have any questions, please email director@illinoismarathon.com.

All the best,

Jan Seeley & Mike Lindemann

Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon Co-Directors

director@illinoismarathon.com

race hotline: 217/372-1444