Illinois Marathon
The marathon is part of the Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend. Completing this race may qualify runners for other top marathons around the country.
Date and time
Saturday, April 25, 2026
7:33am
Details
There is a 6-hour time limit for the marathon.
We are using a wave start.
The time limit for completing the marathon course is 6:00 hours after the start of the last wave. A 6:00-hour marathon is an average of 13:43 minutes per mile. If you find that you cannot finish the marathon within the 6:00-hour time limit, our bike marshals will help you connect with one of our sag wagons for a ride back to Memorial Stadium. Plan ahead. If you know you cannot complete the marathon distance in 6:00 hours or less, you should register for one of the shorter distance events we offer on race weekend (half marathon, 10K, 5K).
Entry fees
Your entry fee entitles all in-person entrants to race photos.
Visit the registration page to see fee details based on chosen race and registration date.
Packet pickup
You will need to pickup your packet prior to your race. Please see the packet pickup page for more details on when and how to do this.
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). Our 2026 USATF sanction # is TBD.
Goodies & Shirts
Marathon entrants will receive a gender-specific shirt and a drawstring backpack. Finishers get a great medal, a fleece blanket, commemorative heatsheet, food and drink after the race, and one beverage at the 27th-Mile Celebrate Victory Bash on Saturday April 26. (Entrants must display their race bib to receive the beverage).
The marathon shirt is TBD
Awards
Prize money will be given out to the top three female and male participants. Prize money will also be awarded for the top three female and male masters participants (full marathon only). Prize money winners are not eligible for individual awards. A masters runner placing in the top three overall is awarded the place and prize money in the overall race and not the masters race.
Prize money awards are based on gun time.
| Place | Male overall | Female overall | Male masters | Female masters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | $2,000 | $2,000 | $300 | $300 |
| 2nd | $1,000 | $1,000 | $200 | $200 |
| 3rd | $500 | $500 | $100 | $100 |
Age group awards
In addition to the prize money, there will be first, second, and third place awards for each of the age groups. Age group awards are based on chip time. Please note that marathon participants must be at least 17 years old on race day.
- 17-19
- 20-24
- 25-29
- 30-34
- 35-39
- 40-44
- 45-49
- 50-54
- 55-59
- 60-64
- 65-69
- 70-74
- 75-79
- 80+
Illinois resident bonus
Back for 2026! We will award $250 each to the first male and first female finisher who resides in Illinois. This is bonus prize money. If an overall winner also resides in Illinois, he/she will collect an extra $250 in prize money.
Course record
The men’s marathon course record is 2:18:11 (Wilson Chemweno, 2019) and the women’s is 2:36:51 (Margaret Njuguma, 2019). A bonus of $200 will be awarded to the athlete who breaks the course record AND wins the race.