illinois marathon race week

Disclaimer: I received an entry for Illinois Marathon to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

I can't believe that the big day is almost here. It seems so long ago that I chose my spring marathon and registered, and now suddenly, it's days away. You may or may not have noticed that I, as usual, fell off on my training recaps. I was doing going for the first few weeks, up till November, and then it went downhill. December was a a trip to Mexico, and then I was sick for basically the entire month and I did very little running. January came longer mileage, and suddenly here we are, at the middle of April. Anyway, all of my training runs were recapped on Instagram, so I don't feel too bad about not writing blog posts about it just repeating myself haha.

Overall, I am very happy with this training cycle, and I think if all goes well, I'll be getting a new PR on Saturday. My main goal is 6:10, but I would be so ecstatic if I could hit a 6 hour finish time (which is sort of the pacing requirement, but they say the finish line will stay open for 7 hour finisher, you'll just need to follow pedestrian laws as I think the streets open back up). I just finished my last training run and I'm feeling good.

I of course started looking at race weekend weather about a week ago. Yes, I know everything can change by the time the race appears, but I like to have a general sense of what we might get. And even a week later, it's still saying rain. Oh well - if it's warm that might feel good. I'm just hoping for light rain and not downpours, because squishy shoes are annoying haha. Also, it's calling for 20–30mph winds, so I might change my race goals a little. If I'm pushing against winds I think 6:10 will be what I'm chasing. Whatever comes, I'll make the best of it. Weather cannot be controlled, but my mindset and how I choose to deal with the hand we are dealt on race day can be. And I'll choose to be positive and happy. I did the training, now I just need to run the race. 

Here's some information you might find useful come race day.

Official Race Guide:
http://illinoismarathon.com/wp-content/uploads/RaceGuide.pdf?x16837
Basically, you'll find anything and everything you need to know in this guide.

Expo:
Thursday, April 20, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday, April 21, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

The expo will take place at the University of Illinois Activities and Recreation Center (ARC - 201 East Peabody Drive, Champaign, IL 61820) and feature national and local vendors, as well as national organizations and prominent running events. Most importantly, the expo is where you pick up your packet (race number, goody bag, and race shirt). Parking for the expo is at the State Farm Center, bordered by Kirby, First, and Fourth.

I received an email with my unique QR code today. If you haven't received yours yet, just keep an eye on your email (and check that Junk Mail folder). You'll grab your race number in Gym 2; you'll grab your race shirt and goody bag in Gym 1.

Guest Speakers:

Pasta Feed:

The awesome Biaggi’s Pasta Feed will be held on Friday, April 21, in Gym 3 at the Activities and Recreations Center (ARC) on the U of I campus. The pasta feed will run from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Come any time during that window to enjoy your meal.

Purchase a Pasta Feed ticket here.

Menu:

• House Salad
• Bread
• Choice of Meat Lasagna or Penne Marinara*
• Iced Tea / Lemonade
• White Chocolate Bread Pudding or Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

$16 for adults, $7 for kids. (Note: The pre-race pasta feed is not included in your race entry fee.)

*If you need gluten-free pasta: Send Jan Seeley (jan@illinoismarathon.com) a note to reserve a gluten-free meal.

Tickets

You can pick up pre-purchased tickets in the lobby of the Activities and Recreation Center (ARC), where the expo is located. Additional tickets will be available for sale in the same location on a first-come, first-served basis.

Pasta feed speaker 

We are thrilled to welcome Marathon champion Dick Beardsley as our 2017 guest legend. Dick will give a brief talk at the pasta feed at 6 pm on Friday, April 21. Learn about Dick’s visit here.

Tracking
Track your favorite runner(s): http://illinoismarathon.com/logistics/tracking/

Course Maps
All the maps you need for race weekend can be found here: http://illinoismarathon.com/course-info/

Parking
We will have free parking for runners and spectators. See the map.

Hydration Stations/Gu & Snack Stations
There are 16 hydration stations on the course. Hydration stations will be stocked with water (all stations), Lemon-Lime Gatorade (most stations), and GU (at mile 6.7, which is shortly after marathon relay exchange zone A; mile 13; mile 17; and mile 21). Each GU station will have the following flavors of GU: vanilla bean, strawberry banana, and chocolate outrage. All flavors of GU have caffeine except strawberry banana.

Fruits on the course
There is also an official oranges stop (thank you, Meijer, for the oranges) at approximately mile 6, hosted by The Atkins Group. There is also an official oranges and banana stop at mile 21.5 (thank you, County Market and Meijer).

Toilets
Relax. There will be plenty of portable toilets at the start and even more along the entire course than in 2016. Course Porta-potties location/quantity map

Entertainment
You will not be able to run more than a couple of miles without being entertained by musicians, cheerleaders, or other performers. Check the entertainment page for more information as it develops.

Race Photography
Our official race photographer is MarathonFoto, the leader in sports photography around the world. Photos will be available for purchase shortly after the completion of your race.

ARC Day Pass
You can buy a day pass for ARC ahead of time online, or at the ARC lobby during expo hours. This pass gets you a locker and access to the facilities – pool, showers, weights – for $6. I'm very tempted to get one of these so I can shower before driving back to Chicago. The thought of being in the car two hours after running a marathon without a shower makes me feel gross haha.

Honestly, all of the information you need to know can be found on the website and race guide, but I thought it might be helpful to go over the main pieces you might want to know about. I am very impressed with how much info is provided online – not all races are as organized and communicate as well. Not to mention the emails keeping us up to date.

Who else is running a race that weekend? You'll find me at the expo Friday, the pasta feed around 5, the 5k Friday evening, and the marathon Saturday! I'll probably be in BibRave orange everywhere I go, and with my pal Angie at all times (except for racing, because she's faster) ;) 

2016 rundisney wine and dine half marathon weekend

As the registration date looms for the 2016 runDisney Wine and Dine Half, I thought I'd do a quick post on the changes that were made this year.

Photo from runDisney Facebook page.

I've done the Wine and Dine half every year since 2012. It was my first runDisney event, and I fell in love. I loved running at night, getting to go through Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot. And then enjoyed some special late night time at Epcot for the Food and Wine Festival. Yummy treats.  It was only my second time to Disney World, my first being when I was a teenager and my parents and I only had time to make it to Magic Kingdom for a day. I've become a tad obsessed with runDisney and Disney in general since running there in November 2012.

Photo from runDisney Facebook page.

As most of you know, The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights had its final season in late 2015 to early December, with a final goodbye on January 6, 2016. With no lights in Hollywood Studios and all of the construction going on, it seemed a likely decision that HS would be taken out of the Wine and Dine course. So sad. I'm not sure about you, but I was not expecting the amount of changes they ended up making.

As Annual Passholders began to have anxieties over early registration on March 8, when an announcement came on March 7 that registration would be delayed while they put the final touches on the weekend. Most people were speculating as to what the changes would be. I was pretty annoyed that the registration date had changed, as it takes some special scheduling to make sure I'm able to be at a computer at 11 ready to register. Anyway...

Luckily, we didn't need to wait TOO long to find out. They announced the New Items on the Menu on March 10.

runDisney added a new challenge to the weekend (Lumiere's Two Course Challenge = 10k and half marathon), but with this change came a disappointing news. The Wine and Dine Half would no longer be a night race. Womp womp. I know a lot of people hate night races, but it was one of the things I loved most about this race. I am not a wake up early and run kind of person – I much prefer running at night. But I digress.

Also, with the night race being gone along with Hollywood Studios construction and no more Osborne Lights, there will be a course change. There isn't a map up yet (those come usually pretty close to the event), but it does mentions the 13.1 mile course through ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex (does this mean something similar to the marathon? That was my least favorite part of the race... I almost could have managed more highway instead if you can believe it), Animal Kingdom, and Epcot. I imagine the 10k will be similar to the 10k course for Marathon and Princess weekend. 

With the challenge meant that the race weekend would begin on Thursday with the expo, Friday morning would be the 5k, Saturday morning the 10k, and Sunday morning the half. Don't worry – there's still an after party. This is one change that ends up being good for me and I'll explain why.

The After Party now takes place Sunday night from 8pm–1am at Epcot. From what I understand, the After Party was for runners only, and for friends and family that purchase a ticket. On the runDisney website it mentions after-hours at Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, so that's what I'm taking from it. 

Anyway, with your exclusive entry (either from being a half marathon runner or purhcase a ticket) you get early entry into Epcot at 8pm, can purchase indulgent offerings from more than 30 Global Marketplaces at the International Food and Wine Festival, ride select Epcot attractions, enjoy character meet and greets, and listen to musical performances.

Why is the After Party a better deal for me than it was before? Because I'll be able to enjoy it the entire time! Being a slower runner meant quite a bit of my After Party time was spent running, with only maybe 2 hours left to enjoy the party (once taking photos, getting through security, etc). So, though I am very disappointed it's a morning race now, I'm excited to enjoy all 5 hours of the After Party.

Photo from runDisney Facebook page.

Schedule of Events:
Expo: November 3–5 at ESPN WWoS
Mickey's Holiday 5k: Friday, November 4 at Disney's Animal Kingdom. 6:30am
Wine and Dine 10k: Saturday, November 5 at Epcot. 5:30am
Wine and Dine half marathon: Sunday, November 6 at 5:30am. Start at ESPN WWoS, Finish at Epcot. 
Post Race Party: November 6 at Epcot from 8pm–1am

Entry Fees:
Lumiere's Two Course Challenge: $330
Wine and Dine Half Marathon: $190
Wine and Dine 10k: $120
Mickey's Holiday 5k: $70

If you plan on registering, take note that only you can pick up your race packet. 

If you are an Annual Passholder, get ready for early registration beginning Tuesday, March 22 at 11am CT. Regular registration opens a week later on March 29 at 11am CT.

Photo from runDisney Facebook page.

While disappointed with a few changes, generally I'm still excited for this race. Not all the changes are bad, and it is Disney, so it'll still be lots of fun. As long as I can score a registration spot... Keep those fingers crossed for me, would you?

Who's registering for the 2016 Wine and Dine? Which races? Are you disappointed in the changes? Thoughts?