News Local/State

Illinois Marathon Weighing Security Measures in Wake of Boston Explosions

 

Officials at the Illinois Marathon in Champaign and Urbana say they will meet to talk about security ahead of their April 27 event after explosions at the Boston Marathon.

Jan Seeley is the race director at the Illinois Marathon. She said Monday that some runners and their relatives are already calling with concerns.

She said one woman was angry with her Monday for not immediately calling off the race. Race officials plan to meet on Wednesday.

Seeley says it is unlikely the Illinois Marathon will be called off. But race emergency services coordinator Scott Friedlein says security measures such as bomb-sniffing dogs will be discussed.

The event draws as many as 20,000 runners to a series of races at different lengths. That includes about 3,000 registered for the marathon itself.