Red Cedar Trail Half Marathon and 38k Makanda, IL   May 30, 2026

Nestled in the Shawnee National Forest, Giant City State Park is a premier destination for hiking, lodging, and camping in southern Illinois. We are now proud to offer a premier trail ½ marathon majorly utilizing the Red Cedar Trail. A second loop has been added to bring twice the distance, and twice the fun! As an incentive to our teen and cross country runners, they will be capped at a $40 entry. We want to encourage our youth to run the trails in southern Illinois. Also, the t-shirt is now an add-on instead of an automatic upcharge for those that wish to forgo a race shirt. (If you change your mind, there should be some extra at packet pick-up. First come, first served.)

The course will consist of mostly single track, but will have some gravel road connectors, horse trails, fields, and less than a mile of paved road connectors. The trail varies from very technical to runnable in sections, boasting over 1500 feet of elevation gain (one loop). Also, expect the possibility of getting your feet wet in several creek crossings, rain dependent!