Starved Rock Country Marathon
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Event details
The Starved Rock Country Marathon is scheduled for May 9, 2026 in Ottawa, Illinois (805 LaSalle Street, Ottawa, IL 61350). The event day includes the following race options:
- Marathon
- Marathon - No Shirt
- Half Marathon
- Half Marathon - No Shirt
- 10K
- 5K
Each registered participant receives a race shirt and finishers receive a race-specific medal that is the fifth in the series.
Course and logistics
The marathon is record eligible and runs through scenery along the Illinois River, neighborhoods of Ottawa, and the rolling landscapes around Starved Rock State Park. The course has 16 aid stations with Gatorade at each station; organizers plan to stock one station for the half marathon and two stations for the marathon with GU. The half marathon starts in the heart of Starved Rock State Park and is described as a flat course that passes wooded scenery and river sites. The 5K starts and finishes at the same lines used by the marathon, follows part of the marathon route, and finishes along the river; a portion of the 5K benefits local charities. New for 2026, the 10K is an out-and-back route along a scenic portion of Route 71 on the banks of the Illinois River. The course will be open for 6 hours. Packet pickup and the health expo take place the day before the race at Rivers Edge event center, 401 W. Main Street, Ottawa. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
