Fargo Mini Marathon 2026

The Illinois Marathon is a road race weekend held in Champaign, Urbana, and Savoy, Illinois, on the fourth weekend in April since 2009. It began as the first marathon in Champaign and now offers a marathon, half marathon, wheelchair half marathon, four-person marathon relay, 10K, 5K, youth races, a 1-mile run, and I-Challenges for participants competing in multiple events. The marathon course is a Boston qualifier with approximately 85 feet of elevation change, designed for consistent pacing. The route commences near the University of Illinois' State Farm Center, crosses a significant portion of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus, and concludes on the 50-yard line within Memorial Stadium. The event attracted over 8,000 runners in its inaugural year, later growing to between 14,000 and 15,000 participants from Midwest cities including Chicago, St. Louis, and Minneapolis. The initial race faced challenges due to a volunteer shortage, a detail relevant to the event's current reliance on extensive local support. Since 2016, participants have also been able to donate used shoes via an event shoe drive, with thousands of pairs distributed to local organizations and international communities.