By Madeleine Chalifoux, 2018-19 SCS Student Advising Leader:
This year, Champaign-Urbana is holding the 11th annual Illinois marathon. Race weekend is April 25-27th and registration is open to anyone who wants to participate! This race is a great community event that brings together community members, amateur runners, athletes from around the world, and college students alike. Not up for a full marathon? No problem! Many other race options exist from the 5k, to 10k, to half marathon. You can also grab a group of friends and sign up as a relay team to run the marathon so that each member ends runs a leg that is approximately ¼ of the total marathon distance. Or, if you don’t want to lace up your sneakers but still want to participate, countless volunteering opportunities exist. Volunteering along the race route is a great way to join in on the fun while providing encouragement to runners! Registration prices increase as the race date approaches, so if you are considering participating in any of the events, go ahead and sign up now!
Many students in the School of Chemical Sciences are participating in this year’s event. Chemical Engineering senior and president of AICHE, Vivek Vermani, is going to participate in the event by running his first marathon. As a first-time marathoner, Vivek says:
“I started running in high school with some of my friends, and really struggled with it. However, since then, it’s become an essential part of my routine that helps me deal with stress. I know running may seem exhausting or boring, but getting into a rhythm with the right song and having a runner’s high is one of the best feelings, so I would recommend it to everyone! I wanted to see how far I’d be able to push myself, and that’s what led me to decide to run the marathon. It seemed like a great way to cap off my time at college, and is something I don’t know if I’d be able to do in the future.”
Furthermore, AICHE sophomores Danny Azmoodeh, Krystian Glowacz, and Matt Conklin have joined together to form a relay team. Despite facing several obstacles, they are ready for race day and challenge anyone who wants to take them on! Beyond the runners mentioned here, many more students in the SCS Department are participating on relay teams, running in their first solo event, or running for a cause, so just ask around and you are sure to find someone who will gladly talk to you about race day! As a college student, I have participated in the event myself as a runner twice before and have volunteered countless times. I am especially looking forward to this year’s race day because I hope to beat my own half marathon personal best!
On behalf of all the SCS students participating in the 2019 race, we look forward to seeing you on the course!
Check out the official race video here!