Fox Valley Marathon
St. Charles, IL
- Marathon, 20 Miler, Half Marathon, 5K
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
Combining small race atmosphere with big race amenities, the Fox Valley Marathon, Half Marathon, Fall Final 20 and Fox Valley 5K are ideal for both veterans looking for a fast race, as well as first timers looking for an uncrowded, supportive, family-friendly race setting. Starting and ending in historic downtown … MORE
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Scenic race, new course not my favorite
Lots of aid stations which were needed because it was very warm. I did not care for the 2nd loop we had to do for the marathon. The trail got … MORE
Lots of aid stations which were needed because it was very warm. I did not care for the 2nd loop we had to do for the marathon. The trail got crowded with dog walkers and kids riding bikes which made my finish difficult, trying to navigate people who did not know or care that a race was going on.
It was hot hot hot
This is a good tune up for any fall marathons you'll do. Its nice that they have this. Most of the race is done on trails in the shade. When … MORE
This is a good tune up for any fall marathons you’ll do. Its nice that they have this. Most of the race is done on trails in the shade. When I did it in 2018, it was so hot and humid, they were advising everyone to drop down to the half. 9f course I was dumb but I met a close running friend there!
A toasty marathon
This was my first marathon, so it will always hold a special place in my heart. Here are the pros: - Logistically easy. Plenty of parking, easy to get to … MORE
This was my first marathon, so it will always hold a special place in my heart. Here are the pros:
– Logistically easy. Plenty of parking, easy to get to on time, the rolling start is self assigned, packet pick up is simple.
– The course has a decent amount of shade. It follows the Fox Valley river along a paved path for the majority of the race. This path is very flat.
– A decent number of runners do the 20 mile run as training for Chicago, so there are a lot of people sharing the course with you until mile 11 and then again for the final few miles.
Cons:
– They pick the hilliest streets of the starting suburbs for the course to start the first few miles. A tad unnecessarily hilly.
– It’s September in Illinois. It can be VERY hot and humid. Some years they have needed to stop the race due to extreme temperatures.
– There are only about 600 marathon finishers and as such very few supporters along the course. Do not expect a lot of people to be cheering you on.
Beautiful course along the Fox river
Very scenic flat course along the Fox River. It is a good race to qualify for Boston and is well run, supportive, and friendly. One of the best road marathons … MORE
Very scenic flat course along the Fox River. It is a good race to qualify for Boston and is well run, supportive, and friendly. One of the best road marathons I have done.
Fun, well organized race
I read good things about this race, and they are true. This is a good size race, small enough that you never feel crowded but large enough so that you … MORE
I read good things about this race, and they are true. This is a good size race, small enough that you never feel crowded but large enough so that you do not feel alone on the course. The volunteers were plentiful and they were enthusiastic.
There are 3 races that start at the same time, half marathon, 20 miler, and full marathon. There are no assigned corrals, line up is done by pace. There is a slight wave start, about 100 runners are allowed to start at a time with a short pause in between.
The beginning of the race is on a 2 lane street that is closed to traffic, and some side streets that are also closed. Eventually you run primarily on the paved bike path along the Fox River. Beautiful scenery; St Charles, Geneva, and Batavia are nice small towns. The turnaround for the Half is clearly marked. The course is fairly flat, about 173 ft of elevation according to my Garmin.
There are a few “odd loops” that are thrown in. The final one, which only the Half runners do, is right before the finish. There are a lot of volunteers pointing the way, which is a good thing, because it is a bit confusing, especially when you are exhausted. 🙂
Water stops were plentiful and well-manned. The race shirt was a very nice long sleeve tech shirt and the finisher medal is huge and is very attractive. There was mac n cheese, bread pudding, and barbecued beef at the finish. No beer though, which seems a little odd for a race. 🙂
The weather was perfect for running and it was a very enjoyable experience all around. I am considering going back to run the full marathon!