Top US running event announces annual theme celebrating reinstatement of the full marathon and the role it plays in gathering the community together
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. –— Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend, Champaign-Urbana’s signature running event and one of the top 100 largest races in the United States, has officially announced its 2024 theme: “REUNITED.” Organizers say the theme was inspired by both the return of the cornerstone full marathon distance and by the role that Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend plays in bringing family, friends and colleagues together every spring. Registration is open for all distances, including the marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K, mile, marathon relay, youth run, and all eight multi-event challenges.
For the past 10 years, the event has selected an annual theme to highlight areas of pride for the state of Illinois, happenings in the community, pop culture and more. The Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend team has been teasing the theme this last month across social media. “REUNITED” was carefully selected to celebrate the marathon’s return and all seven distances being offered once again on race weekend. It also recognizes the role that race weekend plays in providing a unique reunion opportunity for families, friends, colleagues and running buddies. The theme is captured in a poster, of which around 1000 will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis at the health and fitness expo.
“Ever since the possibility of bringing the marathon back came into view for our event, the word ‘reunion’ has been echoing in my mind. As we watched the community come together in April for our 2023 Race Weekend, I saw reunions everywhere,” said Jan Seeley, race director of Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend. “All of our distances will be back together for 2024, and our remarkable community of runners from across C-U, the state, the nation and the world will be too. We invite everyone to be part of this ultimate REUNION weekend!”
Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend is one of the 100 largest running events in the nation, with nearly 10,000 finishers in 2023. With the reintroduction of the marathon distance, participation is hoped to return to pre-pandemic levels of 15,000 or more. Since its inception, the Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend has donated $1.734 million to charities in the community and generated an estimated $6 million in economic impact annually. Registration for the 2024 Illinois Race Weekend is open. Those interested in participating can register online here.
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, Ill. It is one of the 100 largest races in the United States, drawing over 20,000 runners in past years. Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend is led by award-winning Race Director Jan Seeley. For 15 years, the event has remained committed to fostering a happy, healthy community in central Illinois. The 2024 edition will take place on April 25-27, 2024, and will feature a 1-mile, 5K, 10K, half marathon, marathon, 4-person marathon relay, youth run and eight different multi-event challenges. To learn more about the Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend, visit www.IllinoisMarathon.com.
