Tri-Cities ready for Fox Valley Marathon
From St. Charles to Aurora, the Fox River will be the backdrop for the Advocate Dreyer fifth annual Fox Valley Marathon, Half Marathon and Fall Final 20 on Sunday, Sept. 21.
Registration for the race, which is limited to 4,100 runners, is closed, but organizers hope spectators will show up to cheer runners on.
At 6:45 a.m., the national anthem will be played, and the race will start promptly at 7 a.m.
The course - the majority of which is on paths along the Fox River and passes through St. Charles, Geneva, Batavia, Aurora and North Aurora - begins and ends at First and Illinois streets in St. Charles.
Suggested viewing spots for this race, which is a qualifier for the Boston Marathon, include Fabyan Forest Preserve in Geneva, Clark Island in Batavia, Lippold Park in Batavia, North Aurora Island Park, and McCullough Park in Aurora.
A number of streets will be closed during the race, including the following:
• Closed for the duration of the race will be: Illinois Street (St. Charles) between routes 25 and 31; Prairie Street (St. Charles) between routes 31 and 25; and Fabyan Forest Preserve, west side.
• Route 31 from Prairie Street (St. Charles) to Route 38 (Geneva) will be closed from about 6:45 to 8:15 a.m.
• Route 31 (Geneva) will have one lane closed from Third Street to Fabyan Parkway from about 7 to 8:30 a.m.
• Route 38 (Geneva) will be closed from River Lane to South Seventh Street from about 7 to 8:30 a.m.
• Route 25 (St. Charles - Geneva) will have one lane closed from Illinois Street to Moore Avenue from about 8:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• Illinois Avenue (Aurora) will be closed from about 8:20 to 10:45 a.m., with police allowing traffic to cross occasionally when there are large enough gaps between runners.
Kids' marathon
The CASA Kane County Fox Valley Kids' Marathon takes place at 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20. The 1.2 mile course has a start and finish at First and Illinois streets in St. Charles. Registration for this race, which is a fundraiser for CASA Kane County, has closed as well.
For details on the Fox Valley Marathon or Kids' Marathon, visit foxvalleymarathon.com.