Central Illinois Runners Show Up and Show Out at Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend

April 29, 2024

Locals top podium in the marathon distance, which returned for the first time since 2019

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – After five years of laying dormant, the Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend reintroduced its full marathon distance on Saturday. Central Illinois residents took the top spots in the 26.2-mile race. Alexis Dorsey of Champaign, Ill. was first in the women’s marathon with a time of 2:57:58. Jaime Marcos of Charleston, Ill. was victorious in the men’s marathon, clocking in at 2:29:46. In addition to the marathon, Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend also featured a 1-mile, 10K, half marathon, 4-person relay, youth run and eight multi-event challenges. Full results are now available online.

Thousand of participants took part in the 15th annual event, with over 10,000 registered for the originally scheduled races. The courses offered a scenic tour of the University of Illinois campus, downtown streets, tree-lined residential neighborhoods, and a paved park trail. Thousands of enthusiastic fans and volunteers from Champaign, Urbana and the Village of Savoy lined the course to cheer on and support participants. Participants wrapped up their races at the unique finish line located at the 50-yard line of the University of Illinois’ historic Memorial Stadium.

Due to a situation on campus, local law enforcement resources were diverted and this resulted in the cancellation of the 5K on Friday. This left race organizers unclear if the Saturday morning running events would continue as planned. Late Friday night, the Cities of Champaign and Urbana received notification that they would be receiving additional support from Governor J. B. Pritzker and the Illinois State Police. Organizers were able to pull together the law enforcement staff needed to hold a safe and successful event.

“This year’s theme, ‘Reunited,’ resonates even more after the uncertainty we experienced yesterday evening. It was already going to be a meaningful event with the reinstatement of our marathon distance,” said Jan Seeley, race director of the Illinois Race Weekend. “Knowing that we came so close to being unable to run today, we are immensely grateful that our very special reunion could take place out on the course today after all.”

The men’s marathon second-place finisher was Dan Froeschle. Johnathan Fernandez took the third-place spot for the division. Second and third-place finishers for the women’s marathon were Brisa McGrath and Rebecca Nussbaum. The top non-binary division marathon finisher, Kamden Romano, clocked a time of 3:51:53, followed by Mikey Davis with a time of 4:18:10.

The wheelchair half marathon race featured some of the top athletes in the nation. Susannah Scaroni took first place overall with a time of 50:08. In the men’s division, Noah Eckelberg won the top spot with a time of 1:00:07.

The men’s half marathon division was led by Devin Allbaugh, who finished with a time of 1:08:49, while Jane Bareikis led the women’s division with a time of 1:17:29. Holley Colclasure took first for the non-binary division, finishing in 1:51:55. Other top finishes included Brian Bundren in the men’s 10K, Trish Black in women’s 10K and Kelsie Green in the non-binary 10K. In the Green Street Mile, Easton Rosen topped the podium for elite men. Laura Krasa was the top miler in the women’s elite division.

This year, the race implemented additional inclusive race features that made the event more accessible to Deaf athletes. By working directly with Deaf athletes, race organizers were able to ensure that needs were met in order for Deaf runners to experience Race Weekend to its full potential. Some of these features include ASL interpreters, volunteer training of basic ASL signing and working with PACE, a local organization dedicated to ensuring the full participation of people with disabilities in all spheres of society.

Other notable additions to this year’s race included the creation and launch of a new non-profit, Kicks for CU Kids, built in partnership with local running store, Body n’ Sole Sports. The organization aims to provide free running shoes and socks to youth in need who participate in the 5K or Busey Bank Illinois Youth Run, allowing them to reach their goals confidently during race weekend. This year, the organization raised close to $20,000, which included a generous donation of $10,000 from the Village of Savoy.

The Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend continues to assist in fundraising efforts for the local community. Since its inception, it has donated $1.734 million to charities in the community and generated an estimated $6 million in economic impact annually.

For more information about Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend, visit

www.IllinoisMarathon.com and follow the event on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and

Twitter.

About Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend

The Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend is an annual running event that takes participants through the scenic streets of Champaign-Urbana & Savoy, Ill. It is one of the 100 largest races in the United States, drawing over 15,000 runners in past years. Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend is led by award-winning Race Director Jan Seeley. The event made a triumphant post-pandemic return and remains committed to fostering a happy, healthy community in central Illinois. The 2025 edition will take place on April 24-26, 2025, and will feature a 1-mile, 5K, 10K, half marathon, full marathon, 4-person relay, youth run and multi-event challenges. To learn more about the Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend, visit www.IllinoisMarathon.com.

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