Chicago Magazine Says Fox Valley Marathon Is Best

Advocate Dreyer Fox Valley Marathon, which kicks off Sept. 16 in St. Charles, is the best among those listed in Chicago Magazine’s August edition, which includes the Chicago Marathon, according to a release issued by Monday by Fox Valley Marathon.

The magazine’s editors voted the Fox Valley Marathon over the Chicago event in part due to its Weather Flex option. Weather Flex allows runners to choose to switch between a full or half marathon, depending on race-day weather conditions, the release states.

“We’re extremely honored,” Dave Sheble, co-race director, said in the release. “Our goal when we started the Fox Valley Marathon in 2010 was to provide runners a quality environment to compete in the Chicagoland suburbs. We wanted the big-race amenities with a small-town feel.

“We’re in our third year now and (co-race director Craig Bixler) and I have been working to improve our product each and every year. It’s great to see that hard work pay off and we are very flattered by Chicago Magazine’s selection.”

The 2012 Advocate Dreyer Fox Valley Marathon, Half-Marathon and Fall Final 20 will be held Sunday, Sept. 16, beginning in St. Charles, according to the release. For more information, head to www.fv26.com.

The marathon’s inaugural event was held in St. Charles in 2010 as the Fox Valley Marathon Races. Organizers said in a release that it grew into a premier west suburban marathon and is one of the Midwest’s best. The event includes a marathon, half marathon and 20-mile races that showcase the small towns, parks and paved trails along the Fox River from St. Charles to Aurora. Event organizers say it draws runners from across the country and around the world.