Race participants have access to a variety of perks during race weekend.
Digital photos
Back by popular demand in 2025, all race finishers will have access to digital photos. These photos are taken by our photography partner, Greenfly, and will be available on your personal results page. The photos are yours to keep, share and print.
To support this race perk, $1.50 was added to the price of each paid 2025 registration. You’d pay $1.50 to have digital photos after the race at no cost, wouldn’t you? We thought so! Kudos to Illinois National Bank for sponsoring our race weekend photos!
Einstein Bros Bagels bite bar
Starting at 5:30 a.m. on race morning, Saturday April 26, in the start line staging area, Einstein Bros Bagels will host a free Bagel Bite Bar. They will serve 5,000 bagel halves and cream cheese to runners, spectators, and volunteers. Get the bagels while they last!
Columbia Street Roastery will be joining them, serving hot coffee and tea.
The staging area map (PDF) shows you the exact location of the Bagel Bite Bar on First Street, west of the State Farm Center. This map will also appear in the official participant guide that you’ll receive at packet pickup.
Post-race stretching zones with trainers and therapists
Need to stretch your tired and sore muscles after the race? Visit the postrace stretching zones in two convenient locations: in Memorial Stadium, northeast of the finish line, hosted by Athletico Physical Therapy; and at the 27th Mile Celebrate Victory Bash right outside Memorial Stadium, hosted by Christie Clinic, and allow a highly trained physical therapist or certified athletic trainer to stretch your tight muscles and assess possible injuries.
Special bibs
All entrants except youth runners will be issued a personalized race number.
All you have to do is fill out the Race Number Personalization question during the registration process (limited to 16 characters, including spaces).
In addition, all first-time marathoners and half marathoners will be issued a second race bib to be worn, if they desire, on the back of their shirt on race day, identifying themselves as a first-time marathoner or a first-time half marathoner.
Gear check & pick-up
If you are in the marathon or half marathon, your commemorative Illinois Race Weekend drawstring backpack is your drop bag (no luggage or paper bags).
Put inside your backpack any clothing that you want after the race. Use a safety pin to attach the gear bag check from the bottom of your race number to your bag and place it in the appropriately marked Two Men and a Truck truck on the west side of the State Farm Center, north of the starting line.
Gear check opens at 5:30 a.m. After your race, you can pick up your gear bag in the north end of the Great West Hall at Memorial Stadium, the same area where the postrace food is located.
Gear check/retrieval is not available for marathon relay, 10K, 5K, or Youth Run participants due to the short length of these events.
Golden ticket program
We are very excited to continue the “Golden Ticket” program at the 2025 Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend. We will be placing Golden Ticket “stars” on the race bibs of several hundred entrants (across all events), awarding the lucky participants who get one with a prize from one of our sponsors…just like the golden tickets found in Willy Wonka chocolate bars!
Entrants with a Golden star sticker on their race bib will be directed to the Golden Ticket prize redemption booth at the expo to redeem their prize.