Jan Seeley, co-director of the Illinois Marathon, will join The News-Gazette for an online chat at noon Friday. She’ll be answering your questions about marathon weekend and the races on May 1.

The Starting Line welcomes guest blogger Dana Mancuso, marketing and public information coordinator for the Urbana Park District, and a runner who will be doing the Illinois half-marathon on May 1. Dana helped create and narrate the video featuring Meadowbrook Park that is part of The News-Gazette’s interactive marathon map. It sounds easier than it was. Here’s her story.

For 8-year-old Will Shinew, running the “Big Block” is no problem.

Will’s mother, Kim Shinew, is a runner, and she has a one-mile route she’s measured through her Champaign neighborhood. They call their route the Big Block.

If I could run only one race a year, it would be the River to River Relay.

Teams of eight people run 80 miles across the southern tip of the state.

Runners, if you’re looking to get into the Provena Illinois 5K run on May 1, you’ve got another chance.

The 5K race closed, but the Illinois Marathon folks are opening up another 500 spots at 8 a.m. Tuesday. If you want one of those spots, you must register online at www.illinoismarathon.com.

This is one of a series of profiles on runners training for one of the Illinois Marathon races.

Name: Bruce Hajek and Beth Scheid, and daughters Brittany Scheid and Brianna Hajek
Hometown: Urbana
Age: Bruce, 54; Beth, 52; Brittany, 16; Brianna, 14

I tried Nordic walking for the first time last night, at Meadowbrook Park.

If you’ve seen walkers around town using poles, those are Nordic walkers.

This is one of a series of profiles on runners training for one of the Illinois Marathon races.
 
Name: Jean Driscoll and Sam Morse
Hometown: Savoy for both
Age: Driscoll, 43, and Sam, 12

Susan Toalson has an adventurous streak.

When she was younger, she tried skydiving, hang gliding and bungee jumping.

Those risky sports were sidelined once she had children.

But when some University of Illinois students asked her to rappel down 17-story Illini Tower this weekend, she said yes.

It takes a community to keep a child healthy.

 And a grassroots organization in Champaign-Urbana has community groups working together to promote active living and good nutrition for children.