Illinois City, IL, United States · Saturday, April 17, 2027

Fixed Distance 50K

Loud Thunder 50 km Race

199 days away

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.

41.3975° N, 90.8996° 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 Climbing is unpublished, so this pace is a ceiling on the effort, not a measure of it.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 ~52 Small. Long stretches with nobody in sight.

DUV results for the 2026 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, April

Daytime high 17°C

Night low 4°C

Rainfall Showers likely

Daylight 13 h 22 m of light

Regional 2001-2020 average for April — NASA POWER, grid elevation 213 m. Not a forecast.

Results history

Year	Race	Finishers	Men's winner	Women's winner
2026	50km	52	Max Sorgenfrey · 04:34:22	Amy Brogren · 06:31:54
2025	50km	38	Brent Blanchard · 05:16:50	Nora Bosslet · 06:15:05
2024	50km	43	Sidney Noble · 03:24:08	Anna Curtis · 04:27:41
2023	50km	51	Phil Young · 04:32:57	Mandy Young · 06:23:49
2022	50km	52	Ross Salinas · 04:53:27	Christine Crawford · 06:08:15
2021	50km	36	Adam Ohnesorge · 04:54:05	Sara Conrad · 05:21:58

The field grew 37% between 2025 (38) and 2026 (52). 50% of the 2026 field were women.

DUV results for the 2026 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.

Adidas

Terrex Speed Ultra

RunRepeat found the Adidas Terrex Speed Ultra to have a grippy outsole and great lockdown, while iRunFar noted that the shoe works on a variety of trail conditi…

★★★★★ 4.5

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

Spring Energy