Libertyville, IL, United States · Saturday, October 10, 2026

Fixed Distance 50K

Des Plaines River 50 Km Trail Race

10 days to go

50 km Distance

not publishedn/a Climbing

2.5 est Grit · Entry level

Calculated from 50 km alone — the organiser has not published an elevation profile. Read 2.5 as a floor, not a verdict.

42.2831° N, 87.9531° W © OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap

What the course asks

Time limit 12 hours 14:24 min/km average. Generous. Walkable throughout for most of the field. Climbing is unpublished, so this pace is a ceiling on the effort, not a measure of it. More forgiving than 70% of 50K races. Measured against 1034 races of the same distance. Cut-off calculator →

Field size ~101 Mid-sized. Company early, well spread out by halfway.

DUV results for the 2025 edition (50km) — finishers only. Starters are not published, so the field was at least this big and no finish rate can be given.

Typical conditions, October

Daytime high 16°C

Night low 5°C

Rainfall Mostly dry

Daylight 11 h 23 m of light

Regional 2001-2020 average for October — NASA POWER, grid elevation 238 m. Not a forecast.

Results history

Year	Race	Finishers	Men's winner	Women's winner
2025	50km	101	Frank Cardy · 03:23:19	Claire Kelsey · 04:05:18
2024	50km	94	Marc Nelson · 04:02:01	Leslie Paine · 04:37:55
2023	50km	73	Michael Thompson · 04:32:11	Maddi Gossett · 04:46:06
2022	50km	69	Kevin Rook · 03:44:09	Julianna Buck · 04:43:53

The field grew 7% between 2024 (94) and 2025 (101). 45% of the 2025 field were women.

DUV results for the 2025 edition (50km) — finishers only. Starters are not published, so the field was at least this big and no finish rate can be given.

The Aid Station

Course-specific beta from the community

👟 gear

With trail terrain, choose a shoe with moderate cushioning for optimal performance.

By UltraHub Expert

Gear for this race

Chosen for 50 km of trail.

Trail Running Shoes 50 km of trail — cushioning that is still there in the last quarter.
Race Nutrition 50 km of self-supported fuelling between aid stations.
Hydration Vests Flask capacity for 50 km, without the bounce.
Headlamps A 12 h limit puts you out there after dark.
GPS Watches Battery life first — a 50 km day outlasts most full-GPS modes.

La Sportiva

Prodigio Pro

RunRepeat found the La Sportiva Prodigio Pro to have a secure, locked-in fit due to its premium upper, and also praised the shoe's energetic ride, particularly…

$225 ★★★★★ 4.6

Brooks

Catamount 3

RunRepeat found the Brooks Catamount 3 to have a cozier upper that enhances the overall fit, though breathability and durability could be better. iRunFar noted…

★★★★★ 4.5

Skratch Labs

Sport Hydration Mix

Clean electrolyte drink mix with real fruit flavor. Low sugar.

$20 ★★★★★ 4.5

Salomon

ADV Skin 12

Industry-standard 12L race vest with front flask pockets and minimal bounce.

$180 ★★★★★ 4.8

Petzl

NAO RL

1500-lumen reactive lighting headlamp with 15-hour runtime. Automatic brightness adjustment.

$150 ★★★★★ 4.7

COROS

APEX 2 Pro

GPS running watch with 75-hour GPS battery, topo maps, and training metrics.

$500 ★★★★★ 4.7

All gear guides →

Overview

The Des Plaines River 50 Km Trail Race, a 50k trail race in Libertyville, IL, has a 12-hour time limit, allowing a generous 14.4 minutes per kilometer. This cutoff is looser than 24% of 50k races, giving runners more time on the course compared to many similar events.

With 101 finishers in its 2025 edition, this race attracts a larger field than 79% of its 2662 peer 50k races. The course, an out-and-back on a crushed limestone trail, features fully stocked aid stations every 3 to 6 miles.

Similar races

Other 50K trail ultras, closest in distance first.