Trail Running calendar near Des Moines 2025-2026

The Trench Run is a challenging 10K trail run held at Camp Dodge in Johnston, Iowa, organized by the Iowa National Guard. The course features unique military-themed obstacles including trenches, smoke, pyrotechnics, blank fire, military vehicles, fire trucks, streams, and occasional helicopter flyby..

The Iowa Trail Run Series: Annett Nature Center takes place in Indianola, Iowa, offering 5K and 10K trail runs through the scenic Warren County Parks' Annett Nature Center. Participants enjoy a late summer race featuring gravel paths, dirt trails, and prairie grass landscapes. The event emphasizes a..

The Booneville Backroads Ultra, held in Booneville, Iowa, offers challenging trail races through the scenic rural countryside and iconic Bridges of Madison County. The event features multiple distances: 100 miles, 100K, 50K, and a 10K, catering to a wide range of runners. Known for its significant e..

The LATR Backyard Ultra is a last-person-standing ultramarathon held at Lake Ahquabi State Park in Indianola, Iowa. Participants run a 4.167-mile loop around the scenic lake trails every hour on the hour, with no set finish time, continuing until only one runner remains. The course features mostly d..

The Iowa Trail Run Series: Jester Park takes place in Granger, Iowa, along the scenic shore of Saylorville Lake within Jester Park. Runners can choose between a 5K or 10K race on varied trail surfaces including gravel, dirt, and grass. The event offers clear course markings, support, and basic timin..

The Equalizer Endurance Run is an inclusive running event held in Des Moines, IA, designed for both new and experienced runners to challenge themselves at ultra distances. The event features a unique age/sex 'equalizer' scoring system, allowing participants to compete fairly across different age gro..

The Stuffed Turkey Endurance Races take place at Jester Park in Granger, Iowa, offering trail running distances of 10 miles, 50K, 50 miles, and 100 miles. The course features 100% trail terrain with small rolling hills and flat sections, totaling 455 feet of elevation gain per loop and 4,550 feet ov..