Des Plaines River Trail Races

08/22/2026

✨ 2026 MEDAL REVEAL ✨

We went stained glass for this year’s Des Plaines River Trail Races medals. 🍂

Fall colors, the river, the trail and those iconic bridges, all wrapped into one pretty spectacular finish-line prize.
And yes, every distance gets one. 🙌

Half Marathon • Marathon • 50K • 50 Mile
October 10, 2026

08/13/2026

🍂 **YOU’RE INVITED!** 🍂

Come run the **Des Plaines River Trail Races** on **October 10, 2026!**

🏃 Half Marathon
🏃 Marathon • **Boston Qualifier**
🏃 50K
🏃 50 Mile

Enjoy miles of **beautiful fall colors** on a flat, fast trail along the Des Plaines River Trail. Whether you’re chasing a PR, a Boston qualifier, your first ultra, or just an unforgettable fall race day, there’s a distance for you.

🍁 **October 10, 2026**
📍 Half Day Forest Preserve, Illinois

Come run fall with us! 🧡

DPR Trail Half Marathon, Marathon, 50Km, and 50 Mile along the beautiful and fast Des Plaines River Trail in Lake County, Illinois starting and finishing at Half Day Forest Preserve. OMG-worthy! You'll run through beautiful alternating lush forests and open wetlands on a very flat, wide, crushed g

08/04/2026

October 10, 2026
Get signed up before each race distance fills up!
Half Marathon
Marathon (Boston Qualifier)
50k
50 mile

https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=133656

07/20/2026

🍂 Fast. Flat. Beautiful.

If you're looking for a race where you can chase a PR while soaking in some of the best fall scenery in the Midwest, the Des Plaines River Trail Half Marathon deserves a spot on your calendar. The course winds through vibrant forests and peaceful wetlands on wide, crushed limestone trails with no road crossings for the half marathon, making it an ideal first trail race or a fast trail half.

Want to go farther? We've got you covered.

🏃 Half Marathon
🏃 Marathon (Boston Qualifier)
🏃 50K
🏃 50 Mile

Whether you're chasing a personal best, stepping up to your first marathon, or dreaming of your first ultra, there's a distance waiting for you on October 10.

Come experience why so many runners make the Des Plaines River Trail Races an annual tradition. 🍁🧡

06/24/2026

There is something special about the Des Plaines River Trail.
The wide crushed limestone path winds through forests, wetlands, and along the river, creating the kind of course where runners can settle into a rhythm and simply enjoy the miles.

Whether you're chasing a personal best, a Boston Qualifier, your first marathon, or your first ultra, the trail welcomes everyone.

On October 10, runners will take on the Half Marathon, Marathon, 50K, and 50 Mile distances along one of the most beautiful and runnable trails in Illinois.

Flat, fast, scenic, and full of good people. What more could you ask for? 🌳✨

Who's joining us this fall?

04/11/2026

We are in the running for Best Marathon in Illinois! We love this race course and all the runners! Help us get voted in!

Click link to vote: https://www.findmymarathon.com/best-marathons/marathon-poll.php

01/18/2026

We love looking back at the 2025 pictures taken by pro photographer- Misty Herron.

***Pro photographer Jenny Thorsen also took photos.

We purchase the photos so they are free to download for participants to use on social media. If you would like to make prints, please order from the photographers.

01/01/2026

Registration is open! Happy New Year!

Register Now!

10/22/2025

Race photos by our second photographer Misty Herron are live!

https://mistydawn.smugmug.com/Running-Races/Ornery-Mule-Racing/DPRT-2025-1/n-XCj8tF?fbclid=IwdGRjcANmO1BjbGNrA2Y7PmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAAEeD6YUVtQK1HxsrZlHzpdQ3z5wBdOmYEej-4RFq44x_agI_IgdFJbw6YIgbyY_aem_1fw00mkN9GJSQZ_rUlFecw