Illinois Races by City

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Illinois Races

The Prairie State offers a wide array of inspiring cityscapes and breath-taking landscapes. And, there's a large community and competitive opportunities for runners and cyclists.

Illinois Marathons

• Rend Lake Marathon – Run along Rend Lake to enjoy the beautiful countryside in March. You can choose to run the marathon, half marathon, or a quarter marathon.
• Illinois Marathon – Enjoy a weekend of running in April with a marathon, marathon relay, half marathon, 10K, 5K, or a mile run. The weekend also includes a youth run.
• Milwaukee Marathon – Run through Milwaukee in April. This race also offers a half marathon and 5K distances.
• Last Chance BQ.2 Marathon Races – Run a marathon in either April or September to qualify for the Boston Marathon at this Geneva race.
• Chicagoland Spring Marathon & Half Marathon – Run through Schaumburg in May.
• Fox Valley Marathon Races – Enjoy a run through St. Charles at this September race. You can choose the marathon, 20K, half marathon, or 5K. 
• Quad Cities Marathon – In September, run through the Quad Cities in Illinois and Iowa, and run across the Mississippi River. Opt for a marathon, marathon relay, half marathon, 10K, 5K, or a 1 mile walk or run. The race also offers a kids run and a pump-n-run division for the marathon, half marathon, and 5K.
• Belleville Main Street Marathon – Run through Historic Belleville opting for a marathon or half marathon in September. You’ll be near the Mississippi River and downtown St. Louis, too.
• Des Plaines River Trail Races – Enjoy a marathon, half marathon, 50K, or 50-mile run along the Des Plaines River Trail in October.
• Chicago Marathon – At this October race, choose from the marathon or 5K.
• Springfield Marathon – Run along flat country roads in New Berlin at this November race. Select from several distances, including marathon, half marathon, or 10K.

Illinois Half Marathons

• F^3 Lake Half Marathon & 5K – Brave the weather and run along Lake Michigan in February.
• Fly with the Eagles Half Marathon – In February or August, you can participate in this race at the Southern Illinois Airport. You can also run this race virtually. 
• Chicago 13.1 – Compete in a half marathon through the west side of Chicago in June.
• Chicago Half Marathon + 5K – Run a half marathon through Chicago in May or September. The 5K distance is only available in September. There is also a kids race, which makes this event family-friendly.
• Iceman Series Half Marathon – Brave the cold at this February race in Springfield. Opt for a half marathon, 10K, or 5K.
• Forge Trail Half Marathon – Run a half marathon through Lemont in March.
• March Madness Half Marathon – Enjoy this March road race through Cary.
• Lincoln Presidential Half Marathon – Run through Springfield at this April race.
• Chi Town Half Marathon & 10K – Choose from a half marathon or 10K at this Chicago race in April.
• Naperville Women’s Half Marathon & 5K – Enjoy this run just outside of Chicago in April.
• Lincoln-Way Foundation Half Marathon and 10K – Enjoy this May race at Frankfort’s Breidert Green that supports the Lincoln-Way High School District 210.
• Red Cedar Trail Half Marathon and 38K – Enjoy a run through Giant City State Park at this May race.
• Highland Park Run Half Marathon, 5K, and 1-Mile Walk – Enjoy Highland Park and support the Highland Park Community Foundation in June.
• Christmas in July Half Marathon & 5K – Enjoy this July run through Elk Grove.
• Crystal Lake Half Marathon – Run a half marathon or 12K at this September race around Crystal Lake.
• Hidden Gem Half Marathon – Run through Chicago’s South Suburbs in Flossmoor at this September race.
• Naperville Trails Half Marathon – Enjoy a half marathon or 10K in September at this Wheaton race.
• Prairie State Half Marathon – Celebrate the Prairie State with a half marathon or 10K. You can even enjoy an Oktober Fest After Party at this October race in Long Grove.
• Shake Your Trail Feather Trail Run – Run through the woods near Charleston at this October race. Choose from a 5K, 10K, half marathon, and 50K.
• Haunted Halloween Half Marathon & 5K – Celebrate Halloween with a fun race through Chicago.

Illinois Turkey Trots

• Turkey Trot Chicago – Opt for a 5K or an 8 mile course. There’s also a kids race, which makes this a great event for the whole family.
• Schaumburg Turkey Trot – Run a half marathon or 5K at this race in Schaumburg.
• North Shore Turkey Trot – Enjoy a 10K, 5K, or Kids Trot in Highland Park.
• Naperville Noon Lions Turkey Trot – Run or walk a 5K to support the Naperville Noon Lions Foundation that assists the community with hearing and vision care and fighting hunger and homelessness.
• Turkey Trot & Sammy Scurry – Choose between a 5-mile or 2-mile distance. There’s also a kids race.
• Dan Gibbons Turkey Trot – With roots in 1984, enjoy a 5K fun run. This race also fundraises to fight hunger in DuPage County.
• SGFMC Turkey Trot – Enjoy a 5K with the friends and family in Oak Park.
• Art and Kevin Reveal Memorial Turkey Run – Opt to run a 15K or a 15K relay. You can also run or walk a 5K. This race includes a youth fun run, too.

Illinois Clubs

• Chicago Area Runners Association (CARA) – Participate in training runs and other races throughout the year organized by the Chicago Area Runners Association.
• 3Run2 – Enjoy weekly runs throughout the year. You can even be part of its racing team.
• Black Girls RUN! Chicago – Enjoy support and community wherever you are on your running journey.
• Blue Line Run Club – Enjoy weekly runs and other meetups for encouragement and support for running.
• Berwyn Runners Club (BRC) – Enjoy regular runs with a group.
• Chicago Muslim Running Club – Enjoy running, walking, races, and support fundraising.
• Chingonas Run Chicago – Enjoy regular runs and support for running.
• DW Running – Benefit from support and coaching as you develop your running performance.
• Edge Athlete Lounge – Enjoy coaching and virtual training. It also offers a run club and a tri club.
• Elmhurst Running Club – Participate in community events, training on the outdoor track, and an annual 4th of July race.
• Evanston Running Club – Enjoy weekly runs, distance training, with this group with roots in 1973.
• Family Style RC – Enjoy running and community cultural celebrations with this Chicago running club.
• Latinas Run Chicago – Participate in runs and take on leadership roles.
• Illinois Cycling Association (ICA) – Participate in monthly board meetings and support events sanctioned by USA Cycling. ICA also organizes the Illinois Cup.
• Ride Illinois – Advocate for bicyclist safety and infrastructure. This group also organizes the annual Grand Illinois Bike Tour choosing from a 3- or 6-day ride options.
• xXx Racing – For over 25 years, this amateur cycling team has hosts races, practices, and weekly rides.
• Half Acre Cycling – Supports all cyclists and offers grants for underrepresented athletes. It also organizes several cycling events throughout the year.
• Peoria Area Mountain Bike Association (PAMBA) – Support mountain biking with train creation and maintenance. Enjoy group rides organized throughout the year.
• Rockford Area Mountain Biking Alliance – Enjoy bike rides organized by this volunteer group.

Illinois Bike Races

• Ride Across Illinois (RAIL) – Choose from two routes to ride either 180 miles or 165 miles across the state in June. The North route goes from Moline to Chicago. The South route goes from St. Louis to Vincennes. 
• Chicago Grit – Enjoy a series of 10 fast-paced races with tight corners across Illinois.
• Illinois Cup – Compete in a series of races in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Iowa to earn points towards winning the Illinois Cup.
• Illinois State Championship – Compete in various cycling events, including criterium, gravel, track, road race, cyclocross, Mtb, and TT.
• Chicago Cross Cup – Compete in a series of cyclocross races around Chicago.

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