Due to the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, the organizers of the Illinois Marathon have decided to pull the plug on the race this year.
In a letter to race participants Jan Seely and Mike Lindemann, co-directors of the race, stated that at this time there is no clear picture of the future months, and canceling the race was a necessary.
Participants have options to apply their registration and fee to the races in 2021 or 2022, or complete the marathon virtually.
Here’s the letter that was sent out to runners:
Greetings to all our 2020 race weekend participants,
On March 12 when we announced the postponement of the 2020 Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon Race Weekend, we had good reason to believe we would be able to reschedule our three-day event later in the year. As we move into our third month since the start of the pandemic and after speaking with numerous local government and health officials, it is clear that is no longer a viable option. Ensuring the safety and well-being of everyone involved in our race is always our top priority.
The size, scope, and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic finds communities like Champaign-Urbana in an ongoing state of uncertainty, with no clear picture of what the coming months will look like.
Given this uncertainty—and our keen awareness of how much the ongoing postponement status weighs on everyone who looked forward to achieving their race goals—with deep sadness we are announcing the CANCELLATION of our 2020 Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon Race Weekend.
We are all in this together and we all share in your disappointment. These past 11 years, the race weekend has come to mean so much to so many people, here in Champaign-Urbana as well as across the country.
The cancellation is extremely unfortunate but is the right decision considering the circumstances our world and community are in.
Some good news: three options offered to 2020 race entrants
This announcement does bring some good news along with the sad news, however. We’re happy to tell you that as one of our 2020 entrants who paid for a registration this year, you will have THREE options to choose from regarding your 2020 registration. You can pick the option that works best for you:
- Receive a 100% registration credit toward your registration in the 2021 race weekend (April 29–May 1, 2021).
- Receive a 100% registration credit toward your registration in the 2022 race weekend (April 28–April 30, 2022)
- Complete your 2020 event VIRTUALLY and report the results of your run or walk with an online tool. Complete your virtual race by June 30 and submit your results by July 15. You will receive your race goodies—drawstring bag, race shirt(s), and finisher medal(s)—sometime in August.
Next steps to take
To make your selection of the three items listed above, simply log onto your Race Roster account and choose which of the three options works best for you. (If you can’t figure out how to log onto your Race Roster account to make your choice, give us a call us on the race hotline—217/372-1444. We’re here to help you. So is the team at Race Roster, which can be reached at 855/969-5515).
Steps for making your selection
- Sign in to your Race Roster dashboard here: https://raceroster.com/dashboard/participants/18541
- Click the blue “Edit Registration” button
- Under the Registration Questions tab, make your selection from the three options listed
- Click “Save & Exit” to apply your choice
The deadline for making your choice is Sunday, May 31.
Those who choose the virtual option will receive additional instructions via email in the next week or so.
Those who choose the option to receive 100% registration credit for the 2021 race weekend will receive registration instructions in early June so they can register for our 2021 race weekend by June 30. If you choose your 100% registration credit for the 2022 race weekend, we’ll hold onto your information until June of 2022 and send you registration instructions then.
Still have questions?
We have prepared an FAQ document to answer over 30 questions you might have about the race cancellation. https://illinoismarathon.com/2020-race-cancellation/ Of course, if you don’t see your question addressed, please email us at director@illinoismarathon.com or call us at 217/372-1444.
We look forward to celebrating our 2021 race weekend (Lucky Year 13!) with all of you here in Champaign-Urbana. Until then, we hope you’ll continue to run, walk, and roll with patience, understanding, and kindness, as we endure these unprecedented times. We are stronger together.
Yours sincerely,
Jan Seeley & Mike Lindemann
Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon
Co-directors
