Trail Running calendar near Palos Park 2025-2026

The Oakadoke Trail Runs, held in Valparaiso, Indiana, is a summer trail running event featuring challenging courses through the scenic Creekside Trails. Participants can choose from three distances: 18 miles (two loops), 9 miles (one full loop), and 4 miles (half loop focusing on the Salt Creek sect..

Run the Rails is a community running event held in Elburn, Illinois, featuring a 4-mile run, a 7-mile run, and a 1-mile fun run. Presented by the Elburn Parks Commission, the race offers a vibrant atmosphere with opportunities for local businesses to sponsor and gain visibility through banners, race..

The Summer Trail Classic is a trail running event held at Paul Douglas Forest Preserve in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. It offers three race distances: approximately 4 miles, 9.5 miles, and 13 miles, providing a true trail running experience on twisting single-track trails. The event is part of the 202..

The Gristmill Grind 10K is a challenging trail race held annually at Franklin Creek State Park in Franklin Grove, Illinois. Known as one of the most difficult 10Ks in the area, the course features technical trails with approximately 800 feet of elevation gain, multiple hill climbs, and four creek cr..

The Chupacabra Endurance Run is a 10-hour endurance race held at Bluhm County Park in Westville, Indiana, as part of the Crazy Legs Race Series in 2025. Participants run multiple loops of a 3.4-3.5 mile trail with minimal pavement, completing each loop within one hour to avoid elimination. The event..

The Naperville Trails Half Marathon & 10K is an annual running event held in Wheaton, Illinois, set for September 6, 2025. Participants can choose between a USATF-certified half marathon or 10K distance, both featuring a flat and fast course that winds through the scenic Danada Forest Preserve on cr..

The Cornell Days 5k and 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk is a family-friendly running event held in Cornell, Illinois, starting at Clinton Keith Mills Memorial Park. The race features an out-and-back course along the county blacktop roads through the scenic countryside, suitable for both first-time runners and e..

The Hobo Trail Runs, hosted by Rockford Road Runners, take place at Rock Cut State Park in Rockford, Illinois. This annual event offers multiple trail running distances including 10k, 25k, and 50k races, with options to participate in single races or the challenging Triple Crown series (85k total) o..

Dirt Circus - Chicago is a free community running event held in Crystal Lake, Illinois, celebrating local trail running and races. Organized by UltraSignup, this one-day festival features a social group run with options of 3 or 5 miles through scenic Veteran Acres Park. The event fosters camaraderie..

The Timely Nonsense - Chicago, IL will take place in Chicago on Sunday 14 September 2025.

Half Day at the Lake is a unique 6- or 12-hour ultra-running event held in Evanston, Illinois, along a scenic 2-mile loop featuring the lakefront and Northwestern University campus. The course combines paved paths and crushed gravel, offering beautiful views of the Chicago skyline. Runners share the..

The Tryon Farm 50k is a trail running event held at Tryon Farm in Michigan City, Indiana. The course features an 8-loop 4-mile circuit through a mix of open grassy fields, single-track dirt trails, and small pavement sections connecting different trail areas. The event also offers shorter distances..

The Fall Trail Classic 2.0 is a trail running event held at Marengo Ridge Conservation Area in Marengo, Illinois. It features two races on the same day: a 4-mile run through oak and hickory woodlands, small stream bridges, and restored prairie trails, and a 7-mile run that includes the 4-mile loop p..

The Des Plaines River Trail Races, held in Lake County, Illinois, offer a scenic and fast trail running experience with distances including a Half Marathon, Marathon (Boston Qualifier), 50K, and 50 Mile ultra. Starting and finishing at Half Day Forest Preserve, the course features a flat, wide, crus..

Soul Crusher is a challenging trail running event held in Crystal Lake, Illinois, offering 5-mile and 10-mile distances. The course, designed by Jeff Lenard, is known as the toughest 5-mile loop in the Midwest, with runners able to complete it once or twice depending on their endurance. The race sta..

The Buckley 5 Miler is a scenic and challenging cross-country trail race held at the Buckley Homestead in Lowell, Indiana. The 5-mile course features a 2-mile loop on the north side of the park followed by a 3-mile loop through the park, finishing at the pioneer farm. Runners encounter a picturesque..

The Palos Park Spooky Shuffle is a 5K and 10K trail run/walk held at Swallow Cliff South Forest Preserve in Palos Park, Illinois. The event features scenic courses through the Sag Valley Trail System, known for its unique topography with ravines and hills uncommon in the Chicagoland area. The 5K cou..

The Fancy Nonsense 25K/50K is a whimsical ultramarathon held in the Palos Trail System near Willow Springs and Lemont, Illinois, about 20 minutes from downtown Chicago. Runners can choose from 25K, 50K, or 5-mile distances on a mostly single-track, 5.5-mile loop course that encourages joy and imagin..

The Fast Track Cross Country Open is a 3-mile cross country running event held in Schaumburg, Illinois, on the MacNider course near Hoover Elementary School. Open to all ages and abilities, the event features separate women's and men's races. Participants can enjoy running on grass and have the opti..

The Forge Trail Run Festival, held in Lemont, Illinois, offers a challenging late-fall trail running experience with distances of 10K, 20K (half marathon), 30K, and 60K. The courses start and finish at The Forge and wind through single and double-track trails in the woods, gravel paths, and around t..