The Third Annual Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon will take place on Saturday, April 30, 2011. The announcement was made by Alan Gleghorn, Chief Executive Officer of Christie Clinic, and race organizers after they received a GO from all necessary governmental, public, and private entities.
"Our organization's commitment to good health and well being in East Central Illinois is well demonstrated by our ongoing sponsorship of this event. The Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon provides a wonderful platform for getting people motivated and moving, supporting local charities, and having an overall positive economic impact on our community. With the selection of our 2011 date, we can begin the work of making this event even more successful next year," said Gleghorn.
This year's event included nearly 15,000 runners and had an estimated $7.8-million dollar economic impact to the Champaign-Urbana community. Race organizers anticipate the numbers to only grow, expecting a field of 15,000 to 17,000 for the 2011 Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon.
"Our partnership with Christie Clinic has given Central Illinois a signature event that competes on the national stage. The support of Champaign, Urbana, the University of Illinois and all of the volunteers and community members has been invaluable in making this event a success," said executive director Mark Knutson. "The work has already begun to build on this year's success and improve next year's event. We will continue to keep the community informed of our progress as we move forward with our planning."
Pre-race events will get underway on Friday, April 29, with the Health Expo, Pasta Feed, and Race Packet Pick-Up. The running events will again include a marathon, half-marathon, marathon relay, 5K, and youth run. All events will be held on the campus of the University of Illinois, with all races finishing inside Memorial Stadium. Registration will open on July 1, 2010 at www.illinoismarathon.com
Race organizers are currently examining all events and routes to determine what changes should be made to minimize runner congestion and to ensure safety. The routes will incorporate city streets, parks, and sections of Urbana and Champaign.
Other title sponsors are Busey, Provena Covenant Medical Center, and the University of Illinois Alumni Association. Major sponsors include Biaggi's Ristorante Italiano, Body n' Sole Sports, Human Kinetics, Great Harvest Bread Company, Illini Radio Group, Jerry's IGA/Kirby Foods, Marathon & Beyond, Papa John's, Reynolds Towing, the University of Illinois DIA, and WCIA.