You start at 7:33 am beside the State Farm Center, a quirky time the race keeps every year, and head straight into the University of Illinois campus while students are still waking up. The course is a big flat loop through Urbana and Champaign's tree-lined residential streets, then south toward Savoy, where the wind off the open prairie can be the only real obstacle. Spectators sit on porches with coffee; you will smell bacon more than once. The payoff is the finish: you turn into Memorial Stadium, the crowd noise bounces off the stands, and you cross the line on the 50-yard line with your name on the video board. With a six-hour limit and a course that barely rolls, this is a good first marathon or a solid spring attempt at a Boston time.
Starts near the State Farm Center, loops through the University of Illinois campus, Urbana, Champaign and Savoy, and finishes on the 50-yard line of Gies Memorial Stadium; the organizers describe it as flat and fast.
Registration is open on RaceRoster. Marathon pricing: $130 by Jul 9, 2026; $135 by Aug 31; $140 by Oct 31; $145 by Jan 15, 2027; $155 by Feb 28; $165 by Mar 31; $175 Apr 1 through the expo. Half marathon $90-$140 on the same schedule. Register ↗
Checked 2026-10-13. Always confirm on the official site before booking travel.