CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — Athletes from all over are getting ready to lace up their shoes for the Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend in a couple of days, and that’ll include some new runners from out of state. 

The Carmel, Indiana half marathon and marathon were cancelled Saturday due to weather. Now, organizers in Central Illinois are making sure those runners still have a chance to show off their training. 

About 10,000 people are signed up for race weekend and organizers said that number is only going up. Race Director Jan Seeley said Carmel runners will get a discount on the sign-up fee to encourage them to give it a shot.

“We probably don’t draw a lot of runners from that area even though we get runners from 45 states,” Seeley said. “With a race right in your hometown, why would you travel? I am very excited to have these people come and take away a very positive experience, and maybe they’ll come back next year.”

Although preparation is a year-long process, Seeley said her team isn’t quite at the finish line of getting everything set up. They work with about 2,000 volunteers every year and still need a few more people to help out. 

More information on getting involved can be found here.