Running News Daily

2021 Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon will be cancelled for a second year in a row due to the pandemic

The Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon will be canceled for a second year in a row due to the pandemic, but stay tuned for a possible running event in September.

Committee members were notified Wednesday morning that the marathon event set to take place April 29-May 1 is off due to the current state of the pandemic.

“Nobody will be surprised by that,” said Co-Director Jan Seeley.

Up next is exploring what kind of event may be possible for Sept. 9-11, she said.

Seeley said the University of Illinois and Division of Intercollegiate Athletics calendars are clear for a new running event for those three days. The football team is scheduled to play at Virginia on Sept. 11, creating an opening at Memorial Stadium, which has served as the finish line for past marathons.

“Obviously, we couldn’t have any kind of running event in town if there is a football game going on,” she said.

Registration for the 2021 marathon had gotten underway in June, and by the time it was paused in September, 5,600 participants had already signed up, Seeley said.

What a possible September 2021 running event would look like isn’t clear at this point, Seeley said, but organizers are excited about the opportunity to expand race offerings.

“We are not saying that the Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon is going to happen Sept. 9, 10 and 11, but we have been given those dates to explore for doing some kind of event,” she said.

With COVID-19 vaccinations well underway and the potential for herd immunity in the community, Seeley said, “we would want to put on what is possible.”

The 2019 marathon event drew about 14,000 participants, Seeley said.

That was down from the former average 16,000 to 17,000 participants per marathon as the running boom has leveled off and more races have been added, “so all of the races have seen their numbers drop over the years,” Seeley said.

Illinois Marathon organizers plan to give another update for a 2021 event no later than April 1, she said.

What’s possible for a fall running event will continue to depend on the state of the pandemic and what the state permits for the 21-county Region 6, which includes Champaign, Douglas, Ford, Piatt and Vermilion counties.

The region has moved down from more restrictive Tier 3 COVID-19 mitigation restrictions to Tier 1 and could potentially move down another notch in restrictions, to Phase 4 reopening under the Restore Illinois plan, as soon as Friday.

Under Phase 4, 5K and 10K races would be permitted, but the 50-person gathering limit would apply along with required staggered start times and different locations for finish points.

The state and/or individual regions won’t be in full reopening mode until the final Phase 5.

2020 Illinois Marathon Race Weekend has been cancelled due to COVID-19

The 2020 Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon Race Weekend has been cancelled due to COVID-19.

Officials initially postponed the race on March 12 with plans to reschedule it during the second half of the year.

However, Illinois Marathon officials have chosen to cancel this year's event altogether.

Those who have registered for the 2020 race are advised to watch for an email, which will inform them of their options.

My Best Runs helped tell the world about the photo finish at the 2018 Illinois Marathon

The top two finishers at last year's Illinois Marathon were both clocked at 2:21:03.  The finish line judges gave the win to 22-year-old Tesfaalem Mehari and 39-year-old Wilson Chemweno second. 

My Best Runs helped tell the world about this exciting finish.  My Best Runs published the leader board results just as soon as they were official. 

Race director Jan Seeley had decided to have the Illinois Marathon featured and followed by My Best Runs (MBR) months before.  

"We only feature the best, most interesting and unique races," says MRB founder Bob Anderson, "the Illinois marathon is the type of race we want to share with our over 600,000 unique annual visitors." 

MBR is supported by races.  "Jan recently signed up for another year and we appreciate her support along with our many other race directors," says Manuel Juarez, MBR sales manager.  

MBR was started by lifetime runner Bob Anderson, the founder and publisher of Runner's World Magazine (from 1966 to 1984).  Bob, now 70, is still running 35 miles weekly and racing at sub 8 pace.  

"My Best Runs is for runners who love races," says Bob Anderson. "We are helping race directors publicize their race, and our website helps visitors find races from around the world without having to spend hours searching the Internet.  It is now in one place. This is much more than just a race listing," says Lisa Wall, MBR social media director. 

MBR features Photos, Videos, Course Maps, registration link, Leader Board Results, prize money, race write ups, background info, current race stats and promote discount codes if you do this. "Our editorial team will put this all together for you and post your results as soon as they are official, keeping your race updated every step of the way," says Michael Anderson, media director. 

As news becomes available, your race will also be featured in our column Running News Daily and in our weekly newsletter.  "We want to tell more people around the world about your race," says Bob.  Contact Manuel Juarez for more details at 650-209-7820 or write manuel@mybestruns.com 

"We appreciate your support. This is a win-win situation and we can have your race up within 24 hours at a reasonable cost," says Jamie Sanchez, MBR content manager.