Craig Virgin ran 100 miles a week around Champaign and Urbana when he was a star distance runner at the University of Illinois, so he knows a bit about what marathoners will be going through Saturday when they traverse both towns during the Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon.
Plenty, though, will be different for marathon runners than it was in Virgin's days. Some of what he knew as cornfields will now be populated streets with residents cheering on athletes from both sides.
"Things have developed a lot more than what they were 30 years ago or 40 years ago," Virgin said.