Please join us May 17, 2026 for the 69th Annual Race!
2026 Registration will open in March of 2026
Please join us May 17, 2026 for the 69th Annual Race!
Thank you to all who participated and volunteered in the race! We truly can't do it without you all.
2026: Sixty-Nine Years Paddling the Des Plaines River
The beautiful course runs 18.5 miles on the upper Des Plaines River in northern Illinois. The race begins in Libertyville, IL and ends in Cook County, IL (near Mount Prospect).
Added in 2014, the 5.25 mile Minithon ends at the same finish line as the longstanding 18.5 mile Marathon. The Minithon begins at Potawatamie Woods and ends in Cook County, IL (near Mount Prospect).
We wish you abundant enjoyment
and success with your preparation and participation.
The race is ...(almost always) the Sunday before Memorial Day weekend.
Click here to view the water level at the USGS Gauge