Trails and Toasts!

Join us on December 3rd at 5:30 PM for an energizing run, walk, or ride along the Rock Island Trail! We’re kicking things off at Olympia Sports Bar & Grill, where we’ll gather before hitting the trail—and head back after to reward ourselves with some well-deserved food and drinks.

Olympia is partnering with the Steamboat Classic this year, and we’re excited to show them some love. Come out, bring your crew, and show up hungry!

As always, we’re sweetening the deal with raffles—four $25 RC Outfitters gift cards are up for grabs! Plus, everyone who checks in through the RC Athletic Club app gets 25 RCAC points, redeemable for awesome gear at RC Outfitters. Let’s make it a December to remember!

Good Vibes, Great Company, Gorgeous Trail!

Let’s come together on November 5th at 5:30 PM to enjoy some sunshine and community spirit on the Rock Island Trail! We’ll gather at Olympia Sports Bar & Grill, head out for a run/walk/ride, and return to good food, good drinks, and great company. Olympia’s partnership with the Steamboat Classic is helping make events like this possible—let’s show our thanks by turning out in full force!

Raffle prizes include four $25 gift cards from RC Outfitters, and every attendee who checks in with the RC Athletic Club app will earn 25 RCAC points toward awesome merch. Come join the fun!

Ride, Run, and Refuel!

You're invited to join us on October 8th at 5:30 PM for an outdoor event along the Rock Island Trail. We’ll begin and end at Olympia Sports Bar & Grill, where attendees can enjoy refreshments after their run, walk, or ride. Olympia is a proud supporter of this year’s Steamboat Classic, and your participation helps show our appreciation.

Participants will be entered into a raffle for several prizes, including four $25 gift cards from RC Outfitters. In addition, those who check in via the RC Athletic Club app will receive 25 RCAC points, redeemable for RC merchandise. We look forward to seeing you there.

Move, Mingel, and Make it Count!

You're invited to join us on September 3rd at 5:30 PM for an outdoor event along the Rock Island Trail. We’ll begin and end at Olympia Sports Bar & Grill, where attendees can enjoy refreshments after their run, walk, or ride. Olympia is a proud supporter of this year’s Steamboat Classic, and your participation helps show our appreciation.

Participants will be entered into a raffle for several prizes, including four $25 gift cards from RC Outfitters. In addition, those who check in via the RC Athletic Club app will receive 25 RCAC points, redeemable for RC merchandise. We look forward to seeing you there.

Hit the Trail, Then Hit the Tap!
Lace up and join us on August 6th for a fresh-air adventure on the Rock Island Trail! We’re meeting at Olympia Sports Bar & Grill, heading out for a run, walk, or ride, and looping back for post-activity bites and drinks. Olympia is teaming up with the Steamboat Classic this year—let’s return the favor with our support and appetites!

Stick around for prize raffles—four lucky winners will score $25 RC Outfitters gift cards. Don't forget to check in on the RC Athletic Club app to snag 25 RCAC points for future gear. Let’s make it a memorable one!

Join us on July 2nd at 5:30 PM for a fun outing on the scenic Rock Island Trail! We’ll kick things off at Olympia Sports Bar & Grill, head out for a run, walk, or ride, and return for some great food and drinks. Olympia is proudly partnering with the Steamboat Classic this year, so let’s show our appreciation and support by coming hungry and ready to celebrate.

As always, we’ll have awesome raffle prizes—including four $25 gift cards to RC Outfitters! Plus, everyone who checks in using the RC Athletic Club app will score 25 RCAC points, good toward RC merchandise. Can’t wait to see you there!

This week as part of our Cause for Celebration series Presented by PNC we are telling the story of Allyson Felix, the first female track and field athlete to ever win 7 Olympic Gold medals and the most decorated American in history with 11 medals.

Felix and the U.S. women's 4x400 relay team are the definition of consistency, with 4 consecutive gold medals from 2008-2020 and in 2012 Felix helped set the world record in the 4x100 with a time of 40.82

Her story does not stop at the finish line though. Towards the end of her career Felix became pregnant with her first child and at 32 weeks had to have an emergency C-section, almost dying in childbirth. During her pregnancy she felt she didn’t receive adequate care and access to information about her condition, and decided to testify before congress fighting for more support for women of color during pregnancy.

During the same time, her long-time sponsor Nike wanted to renegotiate her contract and cut her earnings by 70%. Felix fought back and called out the shoe giant, demanding expanded payment protections for new mothers.

“I asked Nike to contractually guarantee that I wouldn’t be punished if I didn’t perform at my best in the months surrounding childbirth. I wanted to set a new standard.”

She won and Nike announced a new maternity policy that guaranteed pay and bonuses for 18 months around a pregnancy.

Felix fought for women, mothers, and athletes on and off the track, and is a shining example of our Triumphs of Women.

Hometown hero Amanda Duvendack is this week's Cause for Celebration: Triumphs of Women in Running Presented by PNC.

Amanda is a former 800-meter star at Metamora High School and two-time IHSA state champion with a personal best of 2:10. She was named Track and Field Athlete of the Year by Peoria Journal Star in 2010 and ran into more success at the University of Illinois, qualifying for the NCAA championships in the 800 with a time of 2:05 (the third fastest in school history). In her junior year, she rose to the top in the U.S. with a 16th place finish at Nationals in Oregon.

When asked about what running means to her, Amanda said “The main thing I enjoy is the feeling of working hard. I love the challenge. I love seeing a workout on a piece of paper and then when it is done, knowing that I accomplished something. It is a rewarding process.”

After college she returned home to teach Honors Biology, Anatomy, and Physiology; she also coaches Cross Country at Metamora High School (where she still holds the records in the 200, 400, 800, and 4x400).

Thank you, Amanda, for inspiring past, current, and future generations of local athletes and students!

There is no doubt that Olympic athletes have a rare combination of extreme natural talent, unwavering determination, and work ethic. In other words, they're built differently.

This week's Cause for Celebration Presented by PNC highlight, the amazing Marion Jones, is no exception.

At just 12 years old, Jones was competing internationally in track and basketball. Noticing her talent, her family sacrificed stability to move around, landing her at the most competitive schools. It paid off as she won California’s Division I Player of the Year Award for basketball in ‘93 and the following year helped guide the University of North Carolina's team to a national championship.

Upon graduation, she shifted her focus to track and reached the pinnacle of that sphere, winning five medals in the 2000 Sydney Olympics (3 gold in the 100, 200, and 4x400 relay). Considered at the time the fastest woman on earth, any athletic pursuit Jones went after she dominated.

Stay tuned for more weekly introductions and cheers to Triumphs of Women in the Sport of Running!

Greater Peoria is proud of our incredibly rich history of talented female runners. This year’s Cause for Celebration Presented by PNC is honored to pay tribute to many of these women, and Eureka runner Olivia Klaus is truly a standout.

Olivia rose from a humble beginning and demonstrated tremendous improvement through her high school career; her senior year brought multiple state titles home to Eureka thanks to her excellence in running. She won the 1A cross country state title with a time of 17:27, and in the spring put the team on her back when she helped win the 4x800, silvered in the 2 mile just 30 minutes later, and won the mile in 5:07.

Olivia later shared one memory that motivated and inspired her as a runner: watching the boys cross country team. “They ran because they loved it and they loved running with each other, not just because it was another sport. They ran as a family and I enjoyed watching them run. I learned a lot from them."

After her triumphs in Eureka, Klaus went on to excel at Miami of Ohio and Eastern Illinois University…inspiring countless others to follow in her footsteps (no matter how far behind). Cheers to Olivia and all Triumphs of Women in Running!

Through our annual Cause for Celebration, The Steamboat Classic Presented by PNC celebrates the countless impressive feats of athleticism in the sport of running. This week we are proud to introduce Joan Benoit Samuelson, a true epitome of vigor and competitiveness throughout a lifespan.

Joan was a marathon connoisseur known for constantly raising the bar. In her senior year of track and cross country at Bowdoin College, she won the 1979 Boston Marathon in 2:35:15, setting a new American record. Four years later, she returned to Boston and smashed the world record by 2 minutes, coming in at 2:22:43.

The next year she sent a message to the running world when she won the 1984 inaugural women’s Olympic Marathon in Los Angeles in stunning fashion. Only five miles into the race, she made a bold move and broke away from the pack, running solo for the remainder of the race and cementing herself in history.

Together with our amazing partners, The Steamboat Classic Presented by PNC is honored to give back to a handful of local charities who make Greater Peoria healthier and happier. One of these is the Curley "Boo" Johnson's Skills For Life Basketball Academy Camp in Washington, hosted by former Harlem Globetrotter and Peoria High/Richwoods player Curley Johnson.

The impact and reach of this camp is huge: 600 kids between the ages of 9-14 love attending camp every summer and come away with so much more than an improved free throw. The camp's motto is “Skills for Life - Improving Your Game On and Off the Court,” and the values of teamwork, integrity, and respect are woven throughout the program.

Taught by Johnson and a team of talented local high school and college players, this will be their 17th year bringing the largest and most competitive youth basketball camp in the area back to the community. Registration is currently open on their website and camp is set for August 4-8.

We are so excited to have the opportunity to support a camp that shares a similar mission: engaging Greater Peoria in physical activity that is fun, social, and teaches you lessons that can be applied for life!

Did you know the red and white cane (the internationally recognized symbol for someone who is blind or visually impaired) was first created in Peoria in 1931 by Elmer Thomson?

Thomson was the president of the Association of the Blind in Peoria and succeeded with an experiment to see which combination of colored canes would alert drivers at intersections that someone was visually impaired. Today, the Central Illinois Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired provides these canes to those in need. For this reason and so many more, they are one of the local charities supported by the Steamboat Classic Presented by PNC this year.

The Center’s mission is to help teach the blind and visually impaired in Peoria the skills they need for independent living through education programs, social events, and transportation. Their white cane clinic provides participants with a cane and teaches them essential skills, like how to navigate indoor and outdoor environments, to greatly improve their independence and ability to engage in life. They also build community among the blind and visually impaired by hosting lunches and dinners throughout the month, taking field trips to concerts, plays, and parks, and playing games in braille or large print.

You can learn more about their great work through their website, and we invite you to join us in supporting their cause when you register for the 2025 Steamboat Classic.

We are endlessly inspired by the incredibly important work of local charities like the Central Illinois Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired and their commitment to bettering Greater Peoria for ALL people.

With the help of our incredible partners, The Steamboat Classic Presented by PNC is fortunate to give back to a handful of local charities who change the lives of those living in Greater Peoria. One of these is the OSF HealthCare Cancer Institute, an organization who is a beacon of light for patients in their darkest times.

Their facility provides streamlined care to patients through every step of the process: testing, diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. They make sure their patients are never alone and always supported, with everyone assigned a personal nurse and access to social workers, counselors, and dieticians. They are also the only treatment center in central Illinois offering proton therapy which targets cancer cells while protecting healthy tissue nearby.

It is hard to find anyone whom cancer hasn’t impacted in one way or another, and it is encouraging to know that organizations like the OSF HealthCare Cancer Institute exist. With the support of our partners, we are so thankful to be in a position to aid them in furthering their mission of helping more cancer patients.

Photo Credit: OSF Health Care

Former Peoria Notre Dame cross country star Caitlin Comfort rose to top of the leaderboards her very first season and stayed there, placing Top 10 all four years in the Illinois AA State Championships (and winning as a junior in 2006). In 2007, she came in second and was named the Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame Athlete of the Year.

Caitlin’s high school success earned her a spot on Wisconsin's team, where she became a two-time Big Ten champion in the 5,000 and 10,000 meter events. Upon graduation, she began coaching track and cross country at Wisconsin while continuing to run professionally, transitioning to the half and full marathon distance and in 2018 qualifying for her second Olympic Trials Marathon.

Caitlin now helps folks of all abilities to reach their running and racing goals through her coaching business, Fearless Feet Running, based in Wisconsin. This empowering success story is a testament to the strength of athletic programs in our community and the natural talent and work ethic of the women who call Peoria home...a true Cause for Celebration. Cheers to Caitlin!

Stay tuned to learn more about inspirational women in running this year. Cheers to Girls & Women in Sports!

Sydney McLaughlin Levrone, world record holder in the 400 meter hurdles, is a true Cause for Celebration this week (and always).

Levrone seemed destined for the big stage. Her father was a semifinalist in the 400 meter Olympic Trials, her mother was a 2:12 half-miler, and both of her older siblings ran in college. At 14 years old, her father said, “All of our kids are talented, but she’s a little special when it comes to running. We saw it coming. It was just a matter of time”.

As a freshman in high school she had the record for the fastest 400 meter hurdles time in the world among 14 year olds; two years later she qualified for the U.S. Olympic track team. She then went on to run for Kentucky, breaking the collegiate 400 meter hurdle record in her first year before signing a deal with New Balance and turning pro.

As an Olympian, she has continued to dominate, winning four gold medals and breaking the women's world record in the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 50.37 seconds.

We are in awe of the talent runners like Levrone possess and their grace in accomplishing amazing feats. Cheers to Sydney and all levels of Triumphs of Women in Running!

Meet 1993 Illinois State Cross Country Champion Jenelle Deatherage of East Peoria! Before Jenelle, East Peoria hadn’t seen a state championship in any sport since 1952 (for over 40 years). But in 1993, East Peoria dominated the high school running scene as Deatherage won for the women and her classmate, Time Broe, won for men (the first boy and girl runners from the same school to ever accomplish that feat). She then had resounding success her senior year when she was crowned 1600 meter state champion.

Graduating with a full scholarship to the University of Wisconsin, Jenelle's accolades continued with three Big Ten Conference titles and four All-American titles. Jenelle was also named the 1999 Big Ten Track and Field Athlete of the Year and the 1999 University of Wisconsin Female Athlete of the Year, and she earned a spot on the U.S. team for the 1999 World University Games in the 1500. By the time Jenelle finished her career at Wisconsin, she had been named five times Big Ten Academics in Track and Cross Country.

After college Jenelle ran for the Wisconsin Runner Racing Team and Team U.S.A. Minnesota. Among her career highlights, third place at the 2003 USA 5K indoor championships, fourth place at the 2004 U.S. Olympic trials in the 1500 (coming in at a speedy 4:07), second place at the Drake Relays, first place at the 2005 Wise Track Club Capitol Mile (4:38), second place at the Reebok Boston Indoor mile (4:32), and second place at the 2008 USA Indoor 5K Championships. Back in her hometown a decade later, she won the Steamboat Classic 4 Mile for women in 2018.

She now uses her BA in Kinesiology and master's in physical therapy to serve fellow athletes as a physical therapist in the Minneapolis area.

Jenelle's story is a gleaming example of discipline and commitment, and the SC415 Presented by PNC is honored to highlight this inspiring hometown hero! Her triumphs in running are truly Cause for Celebration.

Meet 100-meter hurdle master and three-time Olympic champion Gail Devers. On her journey to the pinnacle of stardom, Devers overcame hurdles on and off the track, a true champion and Cause for Celebration of Triumphs of Women in Running this week

Gail emerged from high school as a promising talent and was training for the 1988 Summer Olympics when she began experiencing health issues. Her hair began falling out, her signature long nails started breaking and wouldn’t grow back, and she lost weight. This launched a two-year journey of countless doctor visits before finally discovering these were the symptoms of Graves disease, an autoimmune disorder. Devers, focused on getting to the Olympics, underwent radiation treatment that left her with blisters and swelling in her feet so agonizing she could barely walk.

Dever’s attitude toward her recovery was everything.

“In my race there's 10 hurdles, but in life, there is always a hurdle. Sometimes we fall, sometimes we stumble, but we can’t stay down. We can’t allow life to beat us down. Everything happens for a reason, and it builds character in us, and it tells us what we are about and how strong we really are when we didn’t think we could be that strong.”

She turned what started as a setback into a comeback: one that would rival the greatest come-from-behind victories ever seen in sports. She won gold in the 100 Meter just two years later in ‘92 and again in ‘96, when she also won gold in the 4x100m relay.

The incredible perseverance of strong women like Devers is what motivates SC415 Presented by PNC to continue telling these stories, and it inspires all athletes and individuals to overcome their own obstacles. Cheers to Gail!

Among the most dominant female runners to emerge from the River City, Suzie Tuffy rises to the spotlight for this week’s Triumphs of Women in Running as part of the SC415 2025 Cause for Celebration Presented by PNC.

Her name says it all: Tuffy’s legacy is a tough run, impossible to beat, and relentless in the face of injury and adversity. Running for Bergan High School in the 80s (before it was consolidated into Peoria Notre Dame), Tuffy boasted a 4:46 Mile and a national record at the time of a 10:13 2 Mile!

She went on to run at North Carolina State, where she immediately won the NCAA cross country championship her freshman year. She raced locally as well, winning our very own 4 Mile Steamboat Classic in 1984 with a blazing 21:31.

Greater Peoria is proud to be home to national championship caliber runners like Tuffy. Thank you for joining us in honoring her triumphs!

This week we celebrate the inspiring story of Katherine Switzer, the first woman to run the Boston Marathon as an officially registered competitor. As you can see here, her historic run didn’t happen without pushback…literally.

In 1967, women were not allowed to compete in the esteemed Boston Marathon because of the AAU, who governed the race. Switzer had to enter stealthily.

A male friend picked up her race packet and she wore a hooded sweatshirt during the race to hide her long hair. She also signed her race registration using her initials “K.V. Switzer” to further hide the fact that she was a female competitor.