March Madness Half Marathon

March Madness Half Marathon is held in Cary, Illinois, on March 14, 2027, with a single distance, the half marathon (13.1 miles), starting at 8:35 AM. The USATF-certified course is known as the hardest race in northern Illinois and one of the toughest halves in the Midwest, with relentless hills from start to finish and a strict three-hour cutoff.

This is not the place for a personal best, and the serious runners who show up are mostly using it as a hard rehearsal for spring marathons. Prepare by putting hills into your long runs rather than saving them for race day, and go out slower than your flat-course half pace so the closing miles remain runnable. Local support and precise organization make it a no-frills, high-quality race: no distractions, just hills, grit and the effort itself.