Midwest · IL
Running Races in Illinois
Illinois currently has 340 upcoming races with a confirmed date listed in RaceRove. Chicago, Springfield, Elk Grove Village and Geneva have the largest concentration of events.
By distance, that includes 263 5Ks, 69 10Ks, 32 half marathons and 9 marathons. Many events offer more than one distance, so a race can appear in more than one of those counts.
October (122), November (76) and September (45) are the busiest months on the calendar right now. Another 330 annual races are waiting for next year's date to be announced.
- Upcoming, date confirmed
- 340
- Active listings
- 670
- Cities with races
- 317
Browse Illinois races by distance
Upcoming races in Illinois
The next 60 of 340 with a confirmed date, soonest first.
-
I’m Here for the Food (Pantry) 5kElk Grove Village, IL
-
Moraine Hills Run for the HillsMcHenry, IL10K Run10K Run / Walk VIRTUAL10K Walk5K Run / Walk +3 more
-
Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers Corn Fest 5KMorris, IL5K Run/Wellness WalkYouth Fun Run (Ages 5 and under)Youth Fun Run (Ages 6-10)
-
Golden Harvest Half Marathon & 5k/10k - Greater ChicagoGreater Chicago, ILHalf Marathon50m1 Miles5K +1 more
-
Have Fun? You Won! Kids TriathlonOswego, IL3rd Grade Team4th Grade Team5th Grade Team6th Grade Team +4 more
-
Healthy Kids Running Series Fall - La Grange/Countryside, ILCountryside, IL
-
TBK Bank Quad Cities MarathonMoline, ILGroup O 5KGroup O 5k + Shoes for Kids MileHappy Joe's Kids Micro-MarathonMel Foster Co. Half Marathon +1 more
Dates come from each race's own listing. Always confirm on the organiser's site before you book travel.
Largest races in Illinois
By estimated field size across all distances at the event.
-
Bank of America Chicago MarathonChicago, IL Usually held in October · date not confirmedMarathon5K ~55,000 runners
-
SKECHERS Hot Chocolate 15K & 5K ChicagoChicago, IL Usually held in November · date not confirmed15K10K5K2-Mile Walk ~40,000 runners
-
J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge ChicagoChicago, IL Usually held in May · date not confirmed3.5 Mile ~18,500 runners
-
Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago HalfChicago, IL Usually held in July · date not confirmedHalf Marathon10K ~12,000 runners
-
Illinois MarathonChampaign, IL Usually held in April · date not confirmedMarathonHalf ~11,000 runners
-
Bank of America Chicago 13.1 Half MarathonChicago, IL Usually held in June · date not confirmedHalf Marathon ~10,000 runners
When races happen in Illinois
- January
- 8 upcoming races
- February
- 5 upcoming races
- March
- 15 upcoming races
- April
- 10 upcoming races
- May
- 11 upcoming races
- June
- 20 upcoming races
- July
- 4 upcoming races
- September
- 45 upcoming races
- October
- 122 upcoming races
- November
- 76 upcoming races
- December
- 24 upcoming races
Illinois cities with the most races
- Chicago
- 33 upcoming races
- Springfield
- 6 upcoming races
- Elk Grove Village
- 6 upcoming races
- Geneva
- 6 upcoming races
- Wheaton
- 6 upcoming races
- Peoria
- 6 upcoming races
- Belleville
- 6 upcoming races
- Batavia
- 6 upcoming races
Annual events awaiting their next date
These races are held every year, but the next date isn't in the listing yet. The month shown is when each is usually held.
-
Bank of America Chicago MarathonChicago, IL Usually held in October · date not confirmedMarathon5K ~55,000 runners
-
SKECHERS Hot Chocolate 15K & 5K ChicagoChicago, IL Usually held in November · date not confirmed15K10K5K2-Mile Walk ~40,000 runners
-
J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge ChicagoChicago, IL Usually held in May · date not confirmed3.5 Mile ~18,500 runners
-
Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago HalfChicago, IL Usually held in July · date not confirmedHalf Marathon10K ~12,000 runners
-
Illinois MarathonChampaign, IL Usually held in April · date not confirmedMarathonHalf ~11,000 runners
-
Bank of America Chicago 13.1 Half MarathonChicago, IL Usually held in June · date not confirmedHalf Marathon ~10,000 runners
-
Life Time Chicago Half Marathon & 5KChicago, IL Usually held in September · date not confirmedHalf Marathon5K ~10,000 runners
-
Turkey Trot Chicago 10KChicago, IL Usually held in November · date not confirmed10K ~10,000 runners
-
Naperville Turkey TrotNaperville, IL Usually held in November · date not confirmed5K1-Mile ~7,800 runners
-
Chicagoland Spring Marathon, Half Marathon & 10KSchaumburg, IL Usually held in May · date not confirmedMarathonHalf Marathon10K ~6,000 runners
-
Life Time Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10KChicago, IL Usually held in May · date not confirmedHalf Marathon10KJunior Dash ~6,000 runners
-
Naperville Half MarathonNaperville, IL Usually held in October · date not confirmedHalf Marathon ~6,000 runners
-
Lincoln Park Zoo Run for the ZooChicago, IL Usually held in May · date not confirmed10K5KKids' Course ~5,000 runners
-
F^3 Lake Half Marathon & 5KChicago, IL Usually held in January · date not confirmedHalf Marathon5K ~4,500 runners
-
Chicago Polar DashChicago, IL Usually held in January · date not confirmedHalf Marathon10K5K ~4,000 runners
-
Lincolnwood Turkey TrotLincolnwood, IL Usually held in November · date not confirmed10K5K5K WalkKids Drumstick Dash ~4,000 runners
-
Run Mag Mile 10K & 5KChicago, IL Usually held in September · date not confirmed10K5K ~4,000 runners
-
CARA 'GO RUN Turkey TrotChicago, IL Usually held in November · date not confirmed5K1-Mile ~3,500 runners
-
Soldier Field 10 MileChicago, IL Usually held in May · date not confirmed10 Mile10K ~3,000 runners
-
The Ugly Sweater Run ChicagoChicago, IL Usually held in December · date not confirmed5K ~3,000 runners
-
CARA Wintrust Lakefront 10 Miler & 5KChicago, IL Usually held in April · date not confirmed10 Mile5K ~2,500 runners
-
Dim Sum & Then Some 5K/10K & Kids DashChicago, IL Usually held in August · next date not announced5K10KKids Dash ~2,000 runners
-
Time to Paddy 5K/10K and Lucky 13.1Chicago, IL Usually held in February · date not confirmedHalf Marathon10K5K ~1,500 runners
-
Cupid's Undie Run ChicagoChicago, IL Usually held in February · date not confirmed1 Mile ~1,000 runners
-
Frozen Gnome 50K & 10KCrystal Lake, IL Usually held in January · date not confirmed50K10K ~400 runners
-
5K Run, Walk & Roll-Celebration of DonationGlen Ellyn, IL Usually held in September · next date not announced5K1 Miles
Races in nearby states
Guides from the RaceRove blog
- 8 min read How to Choose the Best Half Marathon for a PR, Racecation or 50-State Challenge The best half marathon depends on what you want from it. How to choose a course for a personal record, a race worth travelling for, or an efficient stop on a 50-state challenge.
- 7 min read How to Find a 5K, 10K, Half Marathon or Marathon Near You A practical way to find running races near you: pick a distance, decide how far you'll travel, read the listing properly and confirm the details before you register.
- 9 min read How to Run a Race in All 50 States How to plan a 50-state running challenge: set your own rules, group states into trips, build a calendar around the seasons, budget for it and keep track of every finish.
- Blog All guides Planning advice for finding, choosing and travelling to races.
Running Races in Illinois: common questions
- How many races are there in Illinois?
- RaceRove currently lists 340 upcoming races in Illinois with a confirmed date, plus 330 annual events whose next date hasn't been announced yet.
- Which Illinois cities have the most races?
- By upcoming events listed in RaceRove: Chicago (33), Springfield (6), Elk Grove Village (6), Geneva (6) and Wheaton (6).
- When is race season in Illinois?
- Of the upcoming races listed, the busiest months are October (122), November (76) and September (45).
- What is the biggest race in Illinois?
- By estimated field size, the largest race listed in Illinois is the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, with about 55,000 runners across all of its distances.
Search every race in Illinois
Filter by month, course profile and field size, save races to a shortlist and compare them side by side in the interactive search.