The Forge Trail Run Festival & Backyard Ultra
4 Mile(ish) / 10K / 20K (Half Marathon) / 30K
Backyard Ultra = Saturday, November 2, 2024 Trail Run Fest Races, Sunday, November 3, 2024
@ The Forge: Lemont Quarries 8:00 AM 2024 RACE DETAILS COMING SOON Registration Opens February 7 Backyard Ultra Information and Registration Coming Soon.

Race and Course Information

The Forge Trail Run Festival will embrace the adventure and challenge of late-fall, mid-west trail running with.

Can you run 4.167 miles in ONE hour? And do it again and again and again…. until you are the last runner standing?
New this year will be Chicago's first Backyard Ultra Distance event that will be run on Saturday, November 2nd. More details and registration to be announced soon.

Then, on Sunday, November 3 we'll run our 4 Mile(ish), 10K, 20K (Half Marathon) and 30K events.

The races will be run on single-track trails in The Forge and adjoining trails, within the woods and on some gravel around the historic Lemont Quarries and I&M Canal.

The courses will have a common start / finish line within the Forge. The courses wind through the single and double track trails within the woods and some gravel trails around the historic Lemont Quarries and I&M Canal throughout the Forge and adjoining trails.

The 4 Mile and 10K will be one lap, the 20K (Half Marathon) will be two laps and the 30K will be a three lap course. Total mileage may not be precise, but will be close to the promoted distances. This is a trail race and we want the natural terrain and flow to guide the course and distance.

The gravel trails are flat. The single-track sections have variable terrain and surfaces ranging from dirt, grass, rocks, mud, more rocks, roots, mulch, stumps, critters, etc. A few sections of the single track are technical with several short but steep inclines and downhills.

The defining character and primary challenge of the course is the variable surface. There are not any significant elevation changes. We would rate this course as moderately challenging for experienced trail runners and more difficult for runners with less experience on trail.

More Details Coming Soon...