RRCA Illinois

RRCA Illinois We Run the Nation!

Founded in 1958, the Road Runners Club of America is the national association of running clubs, running events, and runners dedicated to promoting running as a competitive sport and as healthy exercise.

At the firing of the Civil War Cannon, runners took off at the TBK Bank Quad Cities Marathon in Moline Sunday morning, t...
09/28/2026

At the firing of the Civil War Cannon, runners took off at the TBK Bank Quad Cities Marathon in Moline Sunday morning, this year's RRCA National Championship Marathon. The weather was perfect for running with partly cloudy skies and light winds. The marathon starts in Moline before crossing the Mississippi River and running along the river in Iowa before crossing the river onto Arsenal Island before returning to Illinois and the finish line.

Our congratulations to the Overall Male and Female Winners Adam Rzentkowski of Madison, WI in 2:19:10 and Caitlin Kowalke, of Sherwood, WI in 2:42:25. Other RRCA winners include:

40-49 Male Winner, Kiplangat Terer, 2:29:02
40-49 Female Winner, Elizabeth Bailey, 3:00:25

50-59 Male Winner, Hitoshi Saito, 2:50:45
50-59 Female Winner, Mary Toohill, 4:03:56

60+Male Winner, Henri Coeme, 3:12:24
60+ Female Winner, Kay Evans, 3:53:51

Congratulations to all the runners who participated in the marathon, half marathon, relays, 10k, and 5k. We were pleased to have RRCA CEO Jean Knaack join us for the race weekend. Jean helped at the Expo, finish line and awards presentation and offered encouragement to the runners before the Marathon.

Special thanks to Race Director Joe Moreno and Assistant Race Directors Mike Mallon and Laura Wittnebel who put on a great running event! Time and again they rise to the occasion, making last minute adjustments to give the participants the best experience. Thanks also to all the volunteers who were everywhere, offering smiles and answering questions. Finally, thanks also to the timing company, Nonstop Race Management, which allowed us to catch all the RRCA winners as they crossed the finish line.

Congratulations to all the finishers at the Belleville Main Street Half Marathon, this year’s State Championship event! ...
09/28/2026

Congratulations to all the finishers at the Belleville Main Street Half Marathon, this year’s State Championship event! Fall weather arrived just in time to provide perfect racing weather, and we saw it in our finisher times.

Championship finishers include:
Overall, Tom Cormier from St Louis (1:09:10) & Aislinn Hogan from St Louis (1:2:17)
Masters, Matthew Lindell (1:13:15) & Natalie Mclaury (1:30:52)
Grandmasters, Inigo Ibarra (1:29:09) & Paula Oldeg (1:40:09)
Senior GrandMasters, Jim Weeks (1:42:04) & Stephanie True (1:48:26)

This race is out and back along a mostly flat course. Support is abundant and well organized. If you’re looking for a good one for next fall, be sure to put this one on your list.

*finish line photos provided by Darren Rutmanis

Attention RRCA Events and Clubs!  Just a friendly reminder that the deadlines to bid for a 2027 RRCA Championship Event ...
09/26/2026

Attention RRCA Events and Clubs! Just a friendly reminder that the deadlines to bid for a 2027 RRCA Championship Event are rapidly approaching. The deadline to submit bids for RRCA Regional Championships is October 15th, and the deadline to submit bids for RRCA State Championships is November 15th.

More information about the excellent benefits of the RRCA Championship Event Program, as well as the application and eligibility, can be found here - https://www.rrca.org/programs/championships/

09/19/2026

Looking forward to seeing all my running friends at the Quad Cities Marathon Expo and runs this coming weekend in Moline! Be sure to stop by the RRCA booth and tell me what you'll be running at this year's QCM--the 1 Mile, the 5k, the 10k (or both), the half marathon or the full marathon or marathon relay.
This year's QCM Marathon is the 2026 RRCA Championship Marathon! What a well deserved honor!

Saturday morning was the Cudahy Classic, 5- and 10-Mile Runs held in Sheridan Park in the Milwaukee suburb.  Runners beg...
07/27/2026

Saturday morning was the Cudahy Classic, 5- and 10-Mile Runs held in Sheridan Park in the Milwaukee suburb. Runners began with a cross country style start before continuing along the Oak Leaf Trail bordering Lake Michigan. This year's 10 Mile Run was the Wisconsin RRCA Championship! Runners doing the 10 Mile Run completed the scenic 5 mile course twice. Congratulations to the 2026 Wisconsin RRCA Championship 10 Mile winners:

Overall Male, Paul Laeseke, 1:01:25
Overall Female, Kelly Julian, 1:08:51

40+ Male, David Lutz, 1:06:20
40+ Female, Kimberly Geigler, 1:16:13

50+ Male, Matt Woida, 1:09:43
50+ Female, Jenny Staab, 1:22:06

60+ Male, Gary Krenz, 1:18:21
60+ Female, Mary Jurken, 1:33:27

In addition to getting their Championship medals, RRCA winners also received $50 cash prizes. Congratulations to all the runners who took part in the championship run as well as the 5 Mile Run. Youngsters took part in a One Mile Run which followed the

The Cudahy Classic on one of the premier Milwaukee area running events, put on by the Badgerland Striders. Volunteers abounded, offering assistance to runners before, during, and after the races. Special thanks to Race Director Jeff Turner and his team of volunteers who put on a wonderful event!

Saturday morning started out as a warm humid day and that was before the sun came out during the Oneness 5k, the Illinoi...
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!

You still have time to sign up for the Oneness Run,  the 2026 Illinois RRCA Championship 5k.  The race is set for Saturd...
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!

What a great celebration of running at the Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon Running Weekend!  Southern Illinois RRCA Re...
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!

The Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon coming up on April 25th in Champaign and Urbana serves as the 2026 RRCA Central Re...
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...

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