This was suppose to be my 20 miler for my training plan for the Chicago Marathon this year. My husband convinced me to run the extra 6.2 miles! This is a great low key race. It was unbelievably convenient to pick up our race packets at the Baker Community Center. Plenty of street parking. The day of the race, we arrived only an hour before the race and only had to park two blocks away from the start line. There are no official corrals. Just line up with your pace group. Very casual. The course is relatively flat. Just a couple of hills and heartbreak hill that winds around mile 19. Water and gatorade stations can be found every two miles or so and there were a couple of stations that offered Gus and one with orange slices. The race runs mainly along the trail on the Fox River from St. Charles down to Aurora and back. Only about 3 miles on the streets of Geneva. Spectators were lacking which I actually didn't mind. Quiet serene race. Seemed more like a long training run than a race. So no pressure=) read more

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Ran the 20 miler (probably should have just done the full, but I took my training schedule a little more serious at the time I signed up for the race.) Course was fairly flat (with a few rolling hills that didn't hurt too bad). For a course that follows a river for the most part, there were actually a fair amount of turns. Race was relatively well supported (but limited crowd participation). Nice finisher medal and long sleeve tech t-shirt. Note: Ran 20 miler in 2014. read more

This was my first marathon. And it was the second edition (for the organizers). Since I am a rookie I obviously lack comparison material but all in all I thought that this little race out in St Charles was a pretty nice way to be introduced to the hellish universe of 26.2-milers. It is quite a trek from the city so don't plan on coming out the morning of - book a room in one of the numerous hotels around and get a stress-free wake up. You'll be happy you did it. (I know, there are more glamorous "destination marathons" but work with me here. And stop complaining already). This race is on the small side: 2,100 participants (as opposed to the 40,000 in Chicago....that's 20 times less peeps. Yes I am good at maths). This makes for a smooth start and even if you are in a slow pace group you will cross the starting line within 10 minutes, tops. The route is super scenic, and except for the first 2.5 miles where you run on the road the course follows the river through Batavia, Geneva, North Aurora and Aurora. You see cranes, an old windmill, bridges, parks and you really feel like your marathon is a walk in the park. Lots of shade, which I imagine is great when it's sunny but we were not that lucky: it rained the whole time. The finishing line is across the main bridge in St Charles. It's beautiful, calm and relaxing. You even forget that it is also a Boston qualifier. Organization was quite impressive for such a small event; water and aid stations were aplenty, volunteers showed a lot of enthusiasm and everyone was incredibly nice and helpful. Definitely a nice race to put on your runners calendar. A major con: it's the nature of the race but running along the river makes for an incredibly solitary experience. You are alone on the path for miles on hand at times and feel like you are just training and not taking part in an official competition. You avoid the crowds and you don't feel watched 100% of the time but for those who want unconditional support it can be tough. I am no Wonder Woman (despite the appearances, I know). My time was not stellar and I am totally fine with it - given the fact that 1. it was my first marathon - which is pretty bad-ass in itself; 2. it rained the entire morning, heavily at times; 3. I was injured; 4. I got Gu-induced heartburn. I would have loved for the massage people to stay just a bit longer so that they could have taken care of the poor souls like me who finished in the very last tier. Chances are - we need our legs massaged just as much (if not more) than the winner. I was a bit crushed to be turned down....but still elated to have won my medal. Wrapped in my emergency blanket and my home-made cape (my hubby is a silly monkey and loves to paint on fabric) I still felt at the top of the world. Tips: - if you live in the city, pick up your packet at Fleet Feet. But the expo is on such a small scale that it doesn't really matter anyway. You won't waste time! - book a room, and try to find a hotel that knows what's going on and will give you a special (and maybe allow for a late check-out) - have a clear idea of the course so that you can tell your friends and family where to go to support you, take pictures, feed you, yell and drive you to the finish line. - load up on carbs. There are quite a few Italian restaurants in the area, once again - make a reservation! - count about 60-90 minutes from Chicago to St Charles, depending on traffic - enjoy yourself!!! read more

I am no longer a marathon virgin! I trained for about 16 weeks and took picking the right marathon very seriously. I read reviews, I checked out Web sites, I stalked race reports and weighed the pros and cons carefully. In the end, the Fox Valley Marathon was absolutely the right choice. Packet pick up was easy, as was getting there and parking race day. Free parking was available steps from the start line and port o potties were plentiful and accessible. The race started on time with pacers and a wave start. There were aid stations frequently, although it would have been nice to have more than two toilet at each aid station. The course was flat and easily accessible for my adoring fans, who cheered me on and encouraged me to stop being a pansy and pick up my feet. The finish line was as big of a rush as I imagined, and the bling is everything I hoped for. I wish there was more food at the finish line ... not that I could have stomached it, but oh well. read more

Fun marathon - if you are looking for great volunteers and small beautiful local course - do this. I didn't register for Chicago and time and a co-worker advised me to sign up. Very reluctantly I did...didn't want to go to the burbs ... but I took the trip out - if you do you NEED a car - there is NO way you can get there w/o one. I'm one of those I HAVE TO HAVE A CAR girls even though I live next to the El and several express buses. This is a must - If you want to run an early fall marathon - it's before CHicago by about a month - less crowded - so you have plenty of room - 100% shaded -so you won't be in the sun - Great volunteers - they actually say - you're name when you're tired or start to walk - - Beautiful course (for the burbs -- I mean it's no Huntington Beach) but its very nice - Flat (with a few small hills) - Cheap less than $100 - Nice medal and tech shirt read more

The Fox Valley Marathon is actually three different races: the marathon, a 20-miler and a half marathon. In a weak moment back in Spring of 2012, I signed up for the 20-miler, and I'm so glad I did. I'll keep it short... PROS: Logistics are great, super-easy to park close, very shaded course, very-well organized (all three races had lots of signs and volunteers directing people), great shirt that actually fits women, pretty course on paths, streets and thru towns (although one CON about that...read below), people along the way cheering you on, excellent overall CONS: This con is only because I'm over-50 and my body is breaking down...I wish some of the run could be on crushed limestone or a softer surface than cement and asphalt. My problem I know... If you just don't want to deal with the crowds and the hassle, this race is for you. read more

i have run several marathons ranging in size from a couple thousand to tens of thousands, and fox valley leans to the smaller side. this can certainly be a pro if it's run well, and this race seems to be. there are three race lengths offered: a half marathon, a 20 miler (which is nice for people who want to run the chicago marathon in october also), and a full marathon. i ran the full marathon. packet pick up is easy. you can pick up downtown in the city, or you can pick up in st. charles. i opted for st. charles and it was super easy. parking was no problem. the expo is small, and the race day village is small, but being that i don't care about either of those things if the race is good... i was fine. this race is small, which is nice. st. charles is small and scenic. the parking is plentiful and free. the wave start is nice, and not as rigid as a lot of marathons i've been in where people are making sure you are, indeed, in your prescribed corral. there was, in fact, NO prescribed corral. you were on the honor system. i guess with only about 3000 total participants it could be that way. people were just allowed to line up wherever they wished at race time. it didn't really matter where you were, because your official race time did not begin until you crossed the start line. the race was electronically chipped, and you were furnished with several race time splits at the end of the race. the route itself is pretty scenic. it goes along the fox river for the most part, and follows a bike path. at times this posed a problem, as the bike path became a little congested. my strategy was to run with a pace group until the the half and then pull ahead of them to finish. running the bike path proved a little narrow at times because the course became an "out and back" at one point, so runners were returning from further down the course and it was impossible to pass people on the right side of the path. you had to pass them in the grass on the left, which also was a little difficult because of the foliage. also... this was a bike path.... that apparently was not closed off from... bikes. the bikers seemed annoyed that there was a marathon going on, and didn't feel it necessary to move out of the runners way. instead they yelled for us to move out of their way, or instead just weaved in and out of packs of runners, who were going in both directions on the out and back course. it was a little dangerous, and incredibly annoying. there are parts of this race that are lonely. it's scenic and all, but 26 miles is a long way to run, no matter how fast you do it, and the spectators with their signs and well placed high fives make the miles go so much faster! there were long stretches where there was literally a squirrel and maybe i swatted a fly. i am used to long training runs where it's just me and nature, so i was pretty okay with it, but i can see where it might bother others. i've also run other marathons where the races are so well supported by the crowds that you barely ran 10 feet without hearing some supportive phrase being yelled in your general direction. if you need that, this is not your race. if you are a solitary runner, who is used to running for a long time, and doing it alone... you will be at home here. in fact, the finish line, with all it's people... might be a shock to you. it was for me. i felt like i had just come out of a coma. the course was well supported with aid stations and volunteers. i never wondered where i was supposed to run or if i was going to have water. i don't run with a fuel belt, because i hate having the extra weight. well supported races usually have enough water to get you through a marathon, and this race is no exception. plenty of water at about every 1.2 miles and a carb station at about 15 miles. this was plenty for me. this race is described as "flat", and for the most part, i agree. there were some climbs at the beginning of the race and again at about mile 19, but it was nothing significant. i was well on my way to a PR on this course before i snapped a muscle in my hip on about the 17th mile which forced a pretty major slow down. my husband did incredibly well on this course, and if you didn't have to train during the summer to be able to run this early "fall" marathon, i'd be all about running it again. it just sucks to have to run 20 plus mile long runs in the blistering heat of july to prepare to run this race. all in all, it's a good race. a little lonely. i think a pretty fast course. if you are used to running alone, you could totally own it. well organized. small enough to still be inexpensive and have free parking. read more

The FV 26.2 is an excellent, close-to-home run. Yesterday I ran the half-marathon, but they offer the half, full, or 20 miler - warm up for the Chicago Marathon. First, let me tell you how nice it was to pick up my packet locally in downtown St. Charles (on my lunch break) as opposed to taking a day off of work, catching a train then a taxi and having to go to Navy Pier or McCormick Place to pickup my bib then turn around and go back home (several hours of travel plus the extra expense). The expo is teeny, but I don't need any more running t-shirts or chotsky or have my spine aligned so I don't expect much and just pick up my packet and leave. Oh-the race shirts are TRUE to size - I am 5' 11" & got a woman's med. - just a tad small - a large probably would have been a bit more roomy, but I can wear it just fine. It's nice to actually get a woman's shirt as opposed to a man's small! It is more form fitting than a man's shirt - BONUS! The race starts at 7 AM which is perfect. We actually parked at a parking garage in downtown St. Charles RIGHT ACROSS the street from the start & finish line!!! BONUS! There are only like 3K runners, but there were TONS of porta potties at the start line which was great! The gear check is right at the start/finish line and the village is very small. We actually started on time with a wave start - which I HATE but they say it helps the congestion on the narrow river path; however, you don't hit the path for quite a while (perhaps mile 3 or 4)-before then you are running in the street. The weather was perfect - cool and cloudless, but the route was in the shade of lovely trees. This is NOT a major marathon like Chicago so the fans are heavy in certain places (like the start & finish) but non-existant for the majority of the run. For me that is fine because I run/train alone and I was happy to just enjoy my run and the scenery. There were several aid stations with water and lemon/lime Gatorade, but no food stations. I guess that would be a problem if I was running the full, but I didn't really need it for the half. If you need it-carry it with you or you will have to wait until the finish. FYI - there were also a very LIMITED number of porta potties along the route - I guess because a lot of the run goes thru private property as you run past homes and parks. Several people were using the restrooms in the parks or the bushes. My biggest problem with the organization - lack of direction in certain areas. Between miles 6 & 7 in the parking lot of the Batavia public building there was no sign to mark which way to go - then a volunteer from the aid station pointed the way. Also, there were no clocks along the route - just at the finish. The finish was AWESOME - lots of fans cheering and they announce your name as you finish!! MAJOR BUMMER - my medal was just handed to me.....um, like can't you put it around my neck since I just ran 13.1 miles!! Then you walk thru a tent with lots of food options - chips, bagels, soda, water, coconut water, cookies, oranges, and bananas. Another GREAT and unique bonus - volunteers look up your bib number and print a receipt with your info - name, time, 5K split, and overall place. I've never seen that at a race before! So, overall this is a great race! Yes - it has a few problems, but come prepared as you should for any race - take food/goo, wear a watch, pay attention to where you go, and pee before you line up at the start. I would run it again (plan to run the full next year in 2013) and recommend it to everyone. Thank you for a GREAT experience and I look forward to next year! read more

9/20/15 Race: Overall, very well organized, enough volunteers, and flat course. Only issue is their inflexibility with changing races - no exceptions! Unless you pay an additional $30 and only if you pay it when you initially sign up. Even though I have a medical issue preventing me from running more than around 14 miles, they would not allow me to officially change races. I ran the half. But since I signed up for the full, I was officially disqualified. I understand there are some behind the scenes work to make such changes; however, seriously, the limited number of people who would change shouldn't be a hindrance. People sometimes develop medical issues subsequent to signing up. Since we pay a hefty entrance fee (over $100), you would think some flexibility would be deserved. read more

This was a wonderful race. The course is mostly flat and shaded and the first 4 to 5 miles were on the streets of St Charles and Geneva, which allowed for proper crowd management. The rest of the race was on the bike path. There were plenty of water stations and food at the end. However, it would have been nice to receive a small towel to dry off after the race and cold water/Gatorade. The race shirt was long sleeve. A short sleeve tech shirt would have been nice for a mid September race. The medal is awesome. I will definitely do this race again. read more