The Illinois Marathon course is mostly flat and can be a great course for a PR if the weather is cooler than normal on race day.
The course starts near Assembly Hall, runs through the Illinois campus, loops through Urbana, back through campus, out into Champaign, and finishes on the 50-yard line of Memorial Stadium.
Rankings will be listed for 2024 at the end of the year.
Its Course Score of 99.08 ranks it as the 182nd fastest marathon course in the U.S. and the 7th fastest course in Illinois.
The typical race time temperature and humidity levels are the ideal range for optimal marathon performance. This, coupled with the Course Score, gives the Illinois Marathon a PR Score of 99.08. This PR Score ranks it as the 133rd fastest marathon in the U.S. and the 5th fastest in Illinois.
Learn more about PR Scores and Course Scores on the FAQ page.
Illinois Marathon Elevation Chart
Max Elevation: 793 feet (241m) Min Elevation: 707 feet (215m)
Hotel & VRBO Accommodations for the Illinois Marathon
View available accomodations around the Illinois Marathon Finish Line and Course. Book your Reservation now before the best places are sold out.
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Full disclosure, I've only participated in 4 half/full marathon events - Kansas City, St. Louis, Wichita, and now Champaign, but this was by far the best of any. I'm not really going to get into the expo or post-race events although both were high quality, but the most important aspect - the race - was such a good experience. The course was marked exceptionally well, including signs at every intersection and volunteers galore; there was zero chance of getting off course. The water/gatorade stations were well placed and there were plenty of them. Everyone was super helpful and friendly. The course difficulty as described on this site is accurate. It's not pancake flat but it is a great course to BQ on. Any hills are very subtle and never last long. Even the hill at mile 24 which is the only real hill in the entire race is over in a little over 1/4 mile and it followed by a nice downhill to finish off the race. All of the turns were reasonable; the only small quip I had was when you run through the park the trail weaves a bit making it a little more difficult but this is a very small complaint.
Race Tips
Don't worry at all about the mile 24 hill. I think I let it get in my head and held back a bit leading up to it, then had more energy for the last mile than expected. While that sounds great on the surface, I would rather have cut 10-15 seconds a mile during 23-25 and let 26 take care of itself with it being downhill.
Small but not so small race (1,000 people running the full, around 3,000 running the half). Good support in terms of volunteers and hydration, and completely flat.
The start was very easy and well organized, 6 different waves, lots of porta potties (but of course they still had long lines). No security hassles, and lots of parking around.
Sparse support from the crowd (Probably due to being a college town on a saturday at 7am), not enough fast pacers (Fastest was 3:15, 3:05 got injured).
Race Tips
Small hill around mile 24, not all hydration points are separated by the same distance so it might be something to consider. Even pace/effort seems to be the best bet.
Stayed at the Illini Union, close to the start/finish, and my family was able to easily spot me at miles 1.5, 12, and then they drove to 19. They then parked near the stadium and waited for me inside to see me finish.
LH's review of 2019 Illinois Marathon.
5 /
5 Stars
Review
I am NOT a runner, BUT I love this 5k! There are so many great runs that our whole family and friends find and event just right for them! Every detail is taken care of and they have the coolest metals!!! Love the bands and music along the way!
Great support and great course. Almost completely flat with just a few very minor hills. Friendly and supportive crew.
Race Tips
My strategy was to run with the 3:50 pacer so I could BQ but that turned out to be unwise for a couple reasons. I really needed to start slower and more conservatively so I would have energy at the end. If you read my Erie Marathon review you will see I changed strategy and went with the slower pacer and it made all the difference in the end.
Be sure to wait outside the corral until you are absolutely sure you have peed all you need to pee! I made the mistake of getting in too early and then having to stop at mile 6.
There are plenty of hotels just about 1/2 to 1/4 mile away off campus. It's an easy walk or warm up jog to the start line from the closest hotels. There did seem to be plenty of parking if you are too far to do that.
