RRCA Illinois

06/08/2026

Saturday morning started out as a warm humid day and that was before the sun came out during the Oneness 5k, the Illinois RRCA State Championship 5k. Held in Deer Grove Forest Preserve in Palatine, the race is an event that unites local communities in a spirit of harmony and solidarity. Illinois State Representative Nabeela Syed spoke to the runners before they took off on the course around the park then greeted them with water upon returning. Our congratulations to the overall winners, Jaylan Wu, 18:56 and Regina Reigler, 21:29. Congratulations to all the runners, including the other RRCA winners:

40+ Male, Nolan Finn, 25:00
40+ Female, Stacy Haddad, 27:45

50+ Male, Long Tran, 26:31
50+ Female, Catherine Wilcox, 28:14

60+ Male, David Parks. 27:00
60+ Female, DeeDee Longoria, 30:49

One initiative of the Oneness is the awarding of scholarships to high school seniors who embody the spirit of Oneness, fostering a powerful legacy of athleticism, leadership and community engagement. The 6 scholarship winners were honored before the race. Special thanks to Race Director Prempal Singh, the Oneness Move Board members, and the friends and volunteers who put on this great community event!

05/17/2026

You still have time to sign up for the Oneness Run, the 2026 Illinois RRCA Championship 5k. The race is set for Saturday, June 6 at 7:30, at Deer Grove Forest Preserve in Palatine. The Oneness 5k Run/Walk and 10k Run are put on by Oneness Move, a non-profit organization who's goal is to unite surrounding communities in harmony and solidarity. Funds raised from the Oneness Run go towards educational scholarships, assisting under-privileged youth and feeding the homeless, all while promoting active, healthy lifestyles.

Join me in celebrating our sport of running (and walking) while helping others!

04/26/2026

What a great celebration of running at the Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon Running Weekend! Southern Illinois RRCA Representative Erica Hunt and I were in Champaign representing the RRCA as the Illinois Marathon was the RRCA Central Region Championship! We enjoyed meeting with members of the Kennekuk Road Runners and the Second Wind Running Club, both clubs having booths next to ours at the Expo. We also met with members of the Belleville Running Club, Starved Rock Runners, Ltd, Prairie State Road Runners and others who came to take part in Illinois' premier spring running event! Runners could choose from many options, from one mile run to the marathon distance. All events started and ended on the University of Illinois campus which was filled with numerous smiling volunteers. Race Director Jan Seeley and her staff work hard to present a quality event, from the two-day expo through the many events on Friday night and all day Saturday. New this year was the option to take part in a Hands Only CPR training in response to a runner collapsing during the 2024 race. Those who took the class were given bibs showing that they were Hands Only trained.

Events finished in U of I's Memorial Stadium, including the Friday night 5k where we were privileged to hold the finish line for the overall winners. Our congratulations to all the runners at every distance, but especially those who ran the RRCA Central Region Championship Marathon.

Our RRCA winners are:

Overall Male, Benjamin Rosa, 2:18:25
Overall Female, Mackenzie Barnett, 2:51:48

40+ Male, Artur Mueller, 2:31:50
40+ Female, Ashley Bieniek, 2:59:29

50+ Male, Raul Ochoa, 2:47:48
50+ Female, Naoko Ku, 3:34:20

60+ Male, Martin Gruebele, 3:20:38
60+ Female, Heidi McGee, 3:52:51

Many thanks to Jan and her enthusiastic volunteers who treated the 5,000 runners like royalty throughout the weekend! We highly recommend considering the Illinois Marathon on your 2027 running calendar!

04/25/2026

Central Region Championship Race, Christie Clinic Marathon at U of I is underway!

04/18/2026

The Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon coming up on April 25th in Champaign and Urbana serves as the 2026 RRCA Central Region Marathon Championship. Illinois Race Weekend spans April 23rd - April 25th and includes an expo, Friday 5k and the Marathon, Half Marathon and 10k on Saturday. For more information and registration, visit https://illinoismarathon.com/.

RRCA Northern Illinois/Wisconsin Rep Doug Pitchford, and Southern Illinois Rep Erica Hunt will be live on site representing RRCA. Be sure to stop by the RRCA table at the Expo to say hi!

An unforgettable weekend Welcome to the Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend From the friendly Midwest spirit, to the flat course, to the photo finish inside Memorial Stadium, this is a race not to be missed. Champaign, Urbana & Savoy Illinois Welcome to CCIRW’s RunConcierge! The RunConcierge can...

04/03/2026

Three weeks until Illinois's best spring running weekend, the Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon! The Expo begins the fun Thursday evening (April 24) and all day Friday (April 25), ending with the 5k at 7:30pm. Saturday is the Marathon and Half Marathon at 7:30am followed by the 10k at 8:00am. Sign up to run one of these flat courses through Champaign and Urbana, finishing in Memorial Stadium.

This year's Illinois Marathon is the 2026 RRCA Central Region Championship! Sign up today and try to get one of those great RRCA medals.

If you are in the area, be sure to stop by the RRCA booth at the Expo and get some information about the many RRCA programs for runners, clubs and events!

An unforgettable weekend Welcome to the Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend From the friendly Midwest spirit, to the flat course, to the photo finish inside Memorial Stadium, this is a race not to be missed. Champaign, Urbana & Savoy Illinois Welcome to CCIRW’s RunConcierge! The RunConcierge can...

03/16/2026

Runners coming to Cary IL to run the March Madness Half Marathon yesterday were met with cold and windy conditions. Threatening thunderstorms held off until midway through the race. By then the temperatures had climbed from the mid 30's into 40's, a vast improvement from last year's wind driven snow. A spring tradition for Northern Illinois runners, March Madness is a hilly course but a great training run for spring marathoners. This year's race served as the 2026 RRCA Central Region Half Marathon Championship. Our congratulations to the RRCA winners:

OA Male, Adam Procknow, 1:14:53
OA Female, Kimberly Bishop, 1:27:11

40+ Male, Ivan Yank, 1:18:10
40+ Female, Samantha Miller, 1:30:05

50+ Male, Jay Sims,1:25:10
50+ Female, Nancy Werner, 1:38:43

60+ Male, Ken Schuch. 1:28:38
60+ Female, Angie Dudman, 1:46:45

Our special thanks to Race Director Stacey Lorenz and the Hillstriders Running Club for putting on great running event! You guys rock!

03/03/2026

You still have time to sign up for the Hillstriders March Madness Half Marathon on March 15 in Cary! This year's race is the RRCA Central Region Half Marathon Championship!

March Madness is a great way to prep for your spring marathon on a challenging but interesting course through the countryside with some fun hills.

For information and registration go to

Cary March Madness Half Marathon

02/19/2026

You still have time to sign up for the Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon before the price increase February 28. This is a great spring running event with a great two-day Expo and a choice of many distances, including a 5k, 10k, half marathon, marathon, a one mile and a youth run, so something for everyone! The Marathon is the 2026 RRCA Central Region Championship! Reason to choose the Illinois Marathon? How about:

-Hassle-free logistics, including free parking at the race venue

-Flat and fast courses…A beautiful, scenic tour of revitalized downtown streets, tree-lined residential neighborhoods, and awesome, paved park trails

-Thousands of friendly, fun fans and volunteers from Champaign-Urbana & Savoy, who exemplify Midwest hospitality

-Outstanding race shirts, medals, food, and entertainment

-Rockin’ street fests on Friday night after the 5K and on Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Remember, price increase 11:59 on February 28. Hope to C U there!

02/02/2026

Congratulations to Joe Moreno on being inducted into the 2026 Hall of Champions! A well-deserved honor. Pictured with Joe is our other great Illinois Race Director, Jan Seeley!
Two of the best!!