Earth Day 50k
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Earth Day Race : Crystal Lake, Illinois
The Earth Day trail races are a set of trail running distances held on April 18, 2026 in Veteran Acres and Sternes Woods in Crystal Lake, Illinois. The organizer is Ornery Mule Racing and this is the 13th annual running of the event.
Distances:
- 50k
- 15 mile
- 5 mile
The course is a 5.2 mile loop on single track that passes through rolling hills, open prairie, pine forest, and areas of blossoming spring vegetation. Runners complete loops as follows: the 5 mile event runs the loop once, the 15 mile event three times, and the 50k six times. There is one major aid station at the start/finish area offering items such as cookies, soup, PB and J, Gnarly Nutrition products, soda, chips, and pretzels. The event is working toward being landfill free and asks runners to use their own bottles.
Packet pickup is available both at Veterans Acres main parking lot on race day and at the Ornery Mule Racing Trailhead in Crystal Lake on the prior evening. No pacers are allowed, human or dog. The race uses an overall awards structure plus age group awards and provides artistic awards for all finishers. A rollover policy and a partial race credit policy are published for registration changes. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
