Community Leaders Excited to Welcome 2026 Illinois Race Weekend Participants
The Cities of Champaign and Urbana, the Village of Savoy, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District, and many community partners are excited to welcome thousands of race participants and fans into our community for the 2026 Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend on April 23-25. These events bring community pride and boost the local economy. Visitors will stay in hotels, eat at restaurants, and support small businesses. Since the Race Weekend started, nearly $2 million has been donated to local charities. Residents are encouraged to get out and cheer on the runners or volunteer to help ensure a safe and fun experience for race participants.
Once again, Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend participants, their friends and families will join in the weekend’s events, bringing many out-of-town visitors! This will affect normal weekend routines for businesses and residents. Expect traffic changes due to road closures and bus route adjustments. Organizers have been working closely with local officials to minimize these disruptions while also ensuring the safety of guests, runners, volunteers, and fans. Organizers have prepared information to keep residents informed, including information on how to navigate around town to avoid race-related road closures. For all things related to Illinois Race Weekend, please visit IllinoisMarathon.com. There, you can review the weekend event schedule, race route maps, tips to help motorists traveling around the course, course impact times, and even opportunities for you to volunteer and get involved.
The full marathon is back again! Marathoners will run through Urbana, Champaign, and Savoy before racing back to the U. of I. campus to the finish line inside Gies Memorial Stadium. Residents and businesses along Prospect Avenue south of Armory Avenue, as well as neighborhoods in Savoy, are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the updated marathon route.
Additional information about the timing of road closures and bus reroutes will be shared by local agencies in advance of race weekend.
