Des Plaines River Trail Races

Early Packet pickup

Packet Pick up TBD 847 Running Company 06 N. Milwaukee Ave. Libertyville, IL 60048 to TBD Dick Pond in Park Ridge 575 Busse Hwy Park Ridge, IL 60068

16th Edition of the DPR Trail Races

Welcome to the 16th edition of the DPR Trail Half-Marathon, Marathon, 50 Km and 50 Mile Ultra Marathon along the beautiful and fast Des Plaines River Trail in Lake County, Illinois starting and finishing at Half Day Forest Preserve. With expected cool temperatures, flat terrain, and ideal running surface, you'll find this trail to be extremely fast, which is perfect for a personal best, or a Boston Qualifying time. ( Marathon is a Boston Qualifier! ) Come out and join us for a great run! This race is a CUPLESS EVENT (bring your own cup, hydration pack, water bottle, etc).Please visit our website at https://desplainesrivertrailraces.com for all the details.

Run Through a Beautiful Trail System

The DPR Trail is truly awesome and the color changes are OMG-worthy! You'll run through beautiful alternating lush forests and open wetlands on a very flat, wide, crushed gravel trail, free of roots and rocks. All of the major road crossings are managed by way of bridges or viaducts (with only 4 minor road crossings along the whole 50K/50 Mile course, 2 on the Marathon course, and none for the Half-Marathon course). All races are basically an out and back along the northern segment of the Des Plaines River Trail system. This is a TRAIL RACE so you may encounter areas where you may run through some water. This race is run along the Des Plaines River which floods during heavy rains. If the course is flooded we will run the ALTERNATE course.

The Marathon is a Boston Qualifier

With expected cool temperatures, flat terrain, and ideal running surface, you'll find this trail to be extremely fast, which is perfect for a personal best, or a Boston Qualifying time.

Finisher Medals, Belt Buckles, Award Plaques

Finisher’s medal for every distance. Awards for overall male and female winners for each race and for 1st Place AG winners in each age group.

T-Shirts

Trying to forecast participant registration after our t-shirt lead time is slightly easier than predicting the weather, but only slightly. The result is many surplus shirts at the end of the year. We find that wasteful and frankly not very earth friendly. Because of the lead time, cost and wastefulness we entered the inventory of shirts purchased (August 6th). We ordered more that expected entrants. Choose the size you want. If you sign up late all shirt sizes may not be available so sign up early!

For Races that Have a Waitlist

For those who want to join the waitlist should one of our races reach capacity. Keep in mind that you aren't charged until you accept the registration Thru September 27th, you'll only have 24 HOURS TO REGISTER; after that, you will only have 6 HOURS TO REGISTER. If you miss the window, your spot will go to the next person, so keep an eye on your inbox (check your spam/junk folders). If you're wondering where you stand on the waitlist? Tap on the Waitlist menu to see all those on the list. Do know that it’s impossible for us to know whether someone will get in based on where they’re at on the waitlist. Each year is different in terms of how fast it moves and when. Please don’t send an email to find out what your chances are of getting in. This is the reply we’ll give you. If you've got any unanswered questions, don't hesitate to drop us a line at [email protected]. We're excited to have you as part of the DPR community, and we hope to see you at the starting line! If not, please consider registering before August, as that is generally when we’re approaching the sellout of the race. We open registration in January.

Let's get some swag

Swag includes an event t-shirt (NOTE: Only if you register on or before August 15th - see T-Shirt section).

Refunds

• There are no refunds allowed for any reason including race cancellation. The Race Directors reserves the right to modify or cancel the race or course for safety concerns or because of fire, drought, storms, Acts of God, pandemics, epidemics, or other circumstances beyond the control of race management. In such cases there will be No Refunds of race entry fees and the Ornery Mule Racing organization and its sponsors will not be held liable. Each athlete must accept any such risk of their entry fee paid. There is no complimentary race entry to a future race. • Entry fees collected are used to develop and produce the event, starting months in advance of the race date – including course preparation, race supplies, permits and administration. We pledge to make every effort to produce a fair and safe event for all participants. Any decision we make that impacts the race date or potential cancellation is carefully considered and based on the overall event safety and manageability. • You can transfer or defer your entry anytime by September 15th (See the sections that discuss it) • Thank you for your understanding with our policy.

Downright Deferrable! Just let us know!

If something prevents you from attending the event this year, then use UltraSignup to initiate a rollover to the next year on or before September 15th, 2026. You will be charged a 20% fee. For example, if you paid $100 for your race, you will receive an $80 credit for the next race. Deferrals shall forfeit any race swag for the current year. We will not accept deferral requests after September 15th. NO EXCEPTIONS! If you wish to defer then know this. Auto credits kick in when a user cancels their registration prior to an event. Participants can cancel registration via their registration history, or via the "Edit" link on their receipt. Make sure to do so before the deadline listed above. If you defer, you must still register next year (your credit amount will be embedded in your email address).

Totally Transferrable

Up through September 20th, 2026, you will be allowed to transfer from one race to another or to transfer your registration to someone else. Login with your UltraSignup account to initiate the transfer. Please note that you will not be able to transfer to another distance once it is sold out. There are no refunds for any reason. This includes transferring to a race that is a different price.

Age Limits

The participant must be at least the following age on race day to run. Half Marathon: 12 years old Marathon: 16 years old 50K: 16 years old 50 Mile: 16 years old NOTE: For any minor who is registered, we will require parental consent and a signed waiver

Time Limits

Very Generous Cutoffs for the Half Marathon, Marathon, and 50K runners. The course closes at 6:30 PM Half Marathon - 9.5 hours Marathon - 10.5 hours 50 Km Ultra - 11.5 hours 50 Mile Ultra - 11.5 hours

Plenty of Aid Stations

In addition to water and Gnarly we will have an assortment of food-related items and sweet and salty snacks that vary by aid station. We are a cup-less race, so make sure to bring a small cup, hydration pack, or water bottle along with you to fill up at the aid stations. You will get friendly service from our volunteers who have been helping at our races for many years. Half Marathon - 2 manned, and 2 unmanned Marathon - 6 manned, and 2 unmanned 50 Km Ultra - 9 manned, and 2 unmanned 50 Mile Ultra - 10 manned, and 2 unmanned

Post Race Lunch/Dinner

We will have a grill cooking lunch (dinner) from 10:30 until sunset. Choice of beef or veggie burgers will be available. In addition, each runner will be given a selection of chips, drinks and cookies. A complimentary BEER will be given to all "of age" finishers!