Among the 11,000 participants, Benjamin Rosa and Mackenzie Barnett took marathon titles
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The 17th running of the Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend hosted 11,000 participants from April 23 to April 25. High demand led to the marathon, half marathon, 10K, and 5K distances all selling out. This year’s field included runners from 43 states and nine countries, continuing to attract both local and international runners to take on a variety of courses, which also featured a one-mile race, youth run, and eight different multi-event challenges throughout the weekend. Since its inception, the event has donated $1.958 million to charities in the local community and generates an estimated $5 million in economic impact annually. All results are now available online.
“The sport of running has exploded in popularity in recent years, and it shows in the high demand we’ve seen for our event at every distance level and from participants of all experience levels,” said Jan Seeley, race director of Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend. “Runners have many choices around the world, and the fact that tens of thousands choose to join us here in Champaign, Urbana and Savoy each year is something we take to heart. We’re dedicated to offering every single one of them a world-class experience with the hometown hospitality that makes our community so special.”
The courses took participants on a scenic tour of the University of Illinois campus, downtown streets, tree-lined residential neighborhoods, paved park trails and wrapped up at the unique finish line located at the 50-yard line of the University of Illinois’ historic Geis Memorial Stadium.
Benjamin Rosa, the men’s marathon champion and overall first-place finisher, completed the 26.2 miles in 2:18:25, followed by the men’s marathon second-place finisher, Eric Westog. Jaime Marcos, who won the race in 2024 and 2025, took the third-place spot. The women’s marathon course was led by Mackenzie Barnett, who finished with a time of 2:51:48. Second and third-place finishers for the women’s division were Katie Fedoronko and Ashley Bieniek. Piotr Fedczuk was the top finisher in the non-binary division, completing the course in 5:02:49.
The men’s half marathon was led by Nick Doud, who finished with a time of 1:05:30. In the women’s division, Payne Turney was the winner with a time of 1:14:11. Toby Beauchamp was the half marathon’s top non-binary with a time of 2:03.
Park Mitchell took home first place in the men’s 10K with a time of 33:41, and Halle Hill led the women’s division, finishing the 6.2-mile course in 38:25. The non-binary division was led by Crystal Endless, with a time of 1:08:37.
The 5K top finishers included Reis Desantis in the men’s division, Elizabeth Boyle in the women’s division and Ian MacDonald in the non-binary division. They ran times of 16:47, 18:16 and 16:47, respectively. In the Michael Hogue Team Mile, Champaign locals Anthony Morgan and Sofia Tziraki topped the podium for elite men and women with times of 4:44 and 5:26.
The Busey Illinois Youth Run featured a special acknowledgement for sponsor Busey Bank. Champaign Mayor Deborah Frank Feinen made a special proclamation, showcasing the locally founded organization for its long history of investing in the community. The Youth Run featured the second annual Welcome Wave, a dedicated heat specifically tailored for families and participants with disabilities of all ages.
Additional race programming includes working directly with Deaf athletes and PACE to ensure that needs are met in order for Deaf runners to experience Race Weekend to its full potential. The collaboration with Deaf athletes started in 2024, as did the creation and launch of the 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 race adopted the Start Without a Shot sound, joining a growing movement redefining how races begin. The Start Without a Shot non-profit and its founder, Kirkland Lynch, have spearheaded this initiative, which hopes to improve race day experiences for those dealing with PTSD or neurodivergence with a sensitivity to loud sounds. The sound itself was created by award-winning sound designers and neuro-experts associated with both Harvard Medical School and the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.
Perennial race “bandit” Chex crossed the finish line in Geis Memorial Stadium for a second consecutive year. Despite the race’s no-pet policy and new security measures put in place by his owners, Chex was determined to be the top dog again in 2026. The canine race crasher went viral last year for escaping his yard along the 10K course and crossing the finish line unexpectedly. Chex appeared to have broken through his collar, which his owner Ed brought along as proof of his escape when picking him up from the finish line.
This year, the Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend hosted another series of its Hands-Only CPR Training sessions leading up to race day with a total of nearly 500 participants throughout the sessions. The training was inspired by a real medical emergency that had a positive outcome thanks to hands-only CPR. During the 2024 Christie Clinic Half Marathon, 45-year-old Christie Clinic surgeon Rafael Ruggieri suffered a cardiac arrest while running in Meadowbrook Park. Rafael survived because of the exceptional care he received that day, which began with high-quality CPR by his son, Isaac, who was running with him that day, and three other runners, who also knew Hands-Only CPR.
For more information about Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend, visit
www.IllinoisMarathon.com and follow the event on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
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 largest races in the United States, drawing over 15,000 runners in past years, and is led by award-winning Race Director Jan Seeley. The 2026 edition will take place on April 23–25, and will feature a 1-mile, 5K, 10K, half marathon, full marathon, youth run and multi-event challenges. To learn more about the Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend, visit www.IllinoisMarathon.com.