Geode Challenge Races

About the Event

The Geode Challenge Races take place on Saturday, October 17, 2026, starting at 9:00 AM at 3333 Racine Ave in Danville, IA. This 8th annual trail event features 5K, 12K, and 25K distances on Geode State Park trails, with dirt trails, single track, wide track, rock sections, hills, a creek crossing, and around 800 feet of vertical elevation on the perimeter loop. Registration closes Tuesday, October 13 at 11:59 PM CT.

Distance	Miles	Course	Elevation	Start Location
5K	3.1 miles	Beach → Shelter 1 → Beach	Moderate	Beach area
12K	7.75 miles	Perimeter loop	~800 ft	Beach area
25K	15.5 miles	Double perimeter loop	~1,600 ft	Beach area

Registration and Packet Pickup:

Online registration closes Tuesday, October 13 at 11:59 PM CT.
Race day registration available by CASH or CHECK only (+$5 per distance).
Packet pickup: Friday, October 16 from 5–7 PM at beach shelter.
Race day pickup: 7:30–8:45 AM at beach shelter.

T-Shirts:

Shirt size guaranteed only if registered by vendor cutoff date (TBD).
Registrations after cutoff date receive sizes S–XL on first-come, first-served basis.

Aid Stations:

Shelters 1 and 4: water and light snacks.
Start/Finish area: water for all finishers and 25K refills.

Finisher Awards:

All finishers receive a locally found geode to take home.

Award Plaques (Handmade wood with mounted geode):

5K: 1st place male, 1st place female.
12K: 1st place male, 1st place female.
25K: 1st place male, 1st place female.
TOP DOG: 1st place overall (with dog) in 5K, 12K, and 25K — separate plaque.
Dog runners do NOT qualify for male/female plaques.
No cash prizes for dog runners.

Course Record Prize Money ($100 each):

12K male record (2023): 51:14 — beat it for $100.
12K female record (2023): 1:08:44 — beat it for $100.
25K male record (2024): 1:54:29 — beat it for $100.
25K female record (2024): 2:16:10 — beat it for $100.
No prize money if records are not broken.

Dog Policy:

Dogs allowed to run with you.
Keep leash safe — do not trip other runners.
Be respectful of all participants.

Course Navigation:

Follow flags, ribbons, and course signs.
Course is marked very well.
Avoid closed areas — stay on marked course.

Event Background:

8th annual trail race.
Benefits Friends of Geode for park projects.
Geode State Park's 75th year.
Sponsored by Danville Lions Club.
Concession House renovation completed — Open House June 20, 2026.

The Geode Challenge Races 2026 delivers authentic Iowa trail running with geodes, handmade plaques, and course record bounties. Dogs welcome, hills guaranteed, and every finisher takes home a piece of the park.

Races Offered

12K

Oct 17, 2026

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Distance — 12K

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Type — Running

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09:00

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$50.00

12K 15 and Under

Oct 17, 2026

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Distance — 12K

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Type — Running

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09:00

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$35.00

25K

Oct 17, 2026

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Distance — 25K

terrain

Type — Running

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09:00

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$55.00

25K 15 and Under

Oct 17, 2026

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Distance — 25K

terrain

Type — Running

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09:00

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$40.00

5K

Oct 17, 2026

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Distance — 5K

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Type — Running

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09:00

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$45.00

5K 15 and Under

Oct 17, 2026

straighten

Distance — 5K

terrain

Type — Running

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09:00

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$30.00

Weather History

These values represent the 3-year monthly averages for October in Danville.

thermostat Temperature

9.9° / 20.1°

wb_sunny Feels like

6.4° / 16.6°

light_mode Avg sunshine hours

8h 56m

water_drop Avg rainfall

1.8 mm

ac_unit Avg snowfall

—

air Avg wind speed

14.9 km/h (Gentle breeze)

opacity Sweat loss rate

Moderate

terrain Course conditions

Firm and slightly soft

sunny Max UV Index

Moderate (4.0)

humidity_mid Humidity

60.9%

wb_twilight Sunrise

07:17

nightlight Sunset

18:23

About Danville

Learn more about the host city, Danville.

Danville is a city in Des Moines County, Iowa, United States. The population was 927 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Burlington, IA–IL Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Hotels & Places to Stay

Race Results

All-time top performances and historical records for Geode Challenge Races.

Place	Name	Gender	Age	Year	City	Time
🥇	Blake Wilkerson	M	39	'24	—	1:54:29
🥈	Blake Wilkerson	M	38	'23	—	2:06:32
🥉	Kenny Mandakunis	M	48	'23	—	2:09:34
4	Joel Ryon	M	51	'24	—	2:13:56
5	Chandler Carper	M	15	'23	—	2:18:58
6	Ryan May	M	38	'25	—	2:24:43
7	Aaron Schmidt	M	34	'23	—	2:38:27
8	Richard Arndt	M	58	'25	—	2:40:22
9	Rich Fisher	M	54	'24	—	2:49:41
10	Anthony Furniss	M	42	'24	—	2:52:15

Place	Name	Gender	Age	Year	City	Time
🥇	Emily Roe	F	30	'24	—	2:16:10
🥈	Lisa Lake	F	38	'24	—	2:19:09
🥉	Anne Giesel	F	40	'24	—	2:34:00
4	Anne Giesel	F	39	'23	—	2:43:08
5	Wendy Boeding	F	48	'24	—	2:54:14
6	Cameo Johnson	F	38	'24	—	3:04:47
7	Lynda Graham-Murray	F	64	'25	—	3:19:07
8	Tomi Hagan	F	51	'24	—	3:24:25
9	Tomi Hagan	F	50	'23	—	3:29:27
10	Tomi Hagan	F	52	'25	—	3:52:36