A group of several dozen runners will leave Champaign on a Friday evening later this summer. They will cover 100 miles relay style, running through the night and arriving in Peoria late on Saturday afternoon.

They’ll be among 30 teams coming from various cities, and collectively they’ll have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.

It’s going to be a HOT holiday weekend. If you’re racing, drink lots of water and be careful. They’ve already canceled Sunday’s Madison Marathon due to heat. Maybe stick with a shorter race this weekend.
Here’s the list:

Weekend of May 26-28:
— Navy Reserve Memorial Day 5K

The All Area 5K Championship Circuit will be returning this year.

Get off the roads and onto the trails this weekend.
If you like running on trails, consider the Buffalo Trace Trail Race this weekend. It’s a nice one, out at Lake of the Woods in Mahomet. Vermilion County has a run on a cross country course, and there’s a run on a bike trail in Decatur too.
Here’s the list:

Weekend of May 19-20:

Looking for a bike for the summer? You can buy a used bike — or sell one — and help a good cause at the same time.

Champaign Cycle is hosting its third Community Used Bike Sale this weekend. Ten percent of the sale price of the bicycles sold during the weekend will go to Habitat for Humanity.

Employees at the VA Illiana Health Care System in Danville will be walking (or rolling) this afternoon to promote fitness and support homeless veterans.

Kristy Powell was running for two this winter and spring.

Powell, a committed and experienced runner, was able to run through nearly her entire pregnancy and even help other runners train for a half-marathon.

In fact, it was during a run that she had her first inkling that she might be pregnant.

So many good local races to choose from this weekend — Kirby Derby, Twin City Twosome, Whitmore Park and the Morgan Buerkett Memorial 5K. I’ll be at Kirby Derby — say hi if you see me.
Here’s the list:

Weekend of May 12-13:
— Morgan Buerkett Memorial 5K

Students at The High School of St. Thomas More have organized a 5K race to remember Morgan Buerkett and to raise money for a scholarship in her name.

The Morgan Buerkett Memorial 5K is at 9 a.m. Saturday at the high school. The school’s National Honor Society organized the race.

Congratulations to all the runners who completed one of the Illinois Marathon races last weekend. I hope you’ve recovered, because there are lots more races to run in the next few weekends.
Here’s the list:

Weekend of May 5-6:
— Lake Run