Childcare w/ Aldo Leopold Nature Center

We are partnering with the Aldo Leopold Nature Center to offer youth programming pre-race and a nature hike while parents run (that's childcare, folks!)! The cost for the nature hike is $20 per child and is limited to 20 children between the ages of 5-12. Pre-registration is required - https://aldoleopoldnaturecenter.doubleknot.com/event/nature-exploration-at-indian-lake-2023/3005669

Course Description

Fall for the T.R.A.I.L.

Whether you opt for the LONG (~12km) or the SHORT (~7km) course, you're in for a great adventure! Flying downhill from the start you'll experience the beautifully restored sedge meadow in the wetlands surrounding Indian Lake - a kettle lake created in the retreat of the last glaciers. 

Rounding the lake you'll trade the grass path in the meadow and prairie for trees and dirt. And hills. Indian Lake County Park marks the extent of the last glaciation, meaning you can expect the steeper slopes associated with the Driftless Region, and we make full use of these slopes for the run!

Part of the route joins the Ice Age Trail National Scenic Trail (which traverses the entire glacial extent across Wisconsin). 

As you trek through the forested middle of the course, reflect that Dane County Parks will be purchasing 300 acres south of the current boundary and start dreaming of more hills!

As you work towards the end of the race, take a moment to appreciate the active oak savanna restoration that is underway. Oak savanna used to dominate the landscape here, but is now incredibly rare. Through the work of county staff and Friends of Indian Lake volunteers, restoration of 170-acres of oak savanna is in progress!

Join the Friends of Indian Lake for a celebration of Fall, trail running, community, and public lands! All proceeds support the Friends’ work with Dane County Parks to preserve and enhance Indian Lake County Park.

Schedule

(Schedule is subject to minor change)

Wednesday Oct 4
- Time 5:30-7:00 PM - Early packet pick-up at Movin' Shoes (https://g.page/movinshoes?share)

Saturday, Oct 7th 
- 7:30 AM - Race HQ is open for packet pick-up
- 8:30 AM - Free Kids Run
- 9:00 AM - LONG & SHORT race start
~ 10:00 AM - Awards, Raffle, and Live Music for SHORT course
~ 10:30 AM - Awards, Raffle, and Live Music for LONG course

The T.R.A.I.L. is going Cup-Free!

Nothing kills the vibe of running through the forest like coming up on an aid station littered with discarded single-use cups. Sure, our volunteers would clean up afterwards, but in an effort to reduce our impact on the natural areas we love, we are going cup-free!

There will not be paper cups at aid stations or at the start/finish. If you expect needing hydration on-course, you are responsible for bringing your own cup/bottle/bladder. We will have water dispensers at aid stations to top-off.

Going cup-free is a significant step to bringing our event closer to zero-waste and being better stewards of our public lands.

Check out this resource for why and how to go cup-free: https://nuunlife.com/blogs/news/byoc-ace-your-next-cupless-race

After Party

Our celebration of Fall, trails, and Indian Lake doesn't end at the finish line! We are looking forward to the return of our post-race party!

The Currach Irish Trio will once again be headlining while we enjoy food, beverage, and the raffle.

Proceeds

As always, 100% of the proceeds from the Trail Run At Indian Lake go back to the Friends of Indian Lake to be used for trail maintenance, infrastructure enhancements, and habitat restoration. Thanks for your support!

Refund & Transfer Policy

There are NO REFUNDS for race format changes, event cancellation due to public health concerns or other factors (including weather), or individual participant requests. We a grassroots fundraiser for a local land stewardship non-profit and all of our expenses are incurred long before race day.

We can accommodate BIB TRANSFERS and DISTANCE CHANGES through 9/20 via the UltraSignUp registration platform.

EXCEPTION: A deferral or refund WILL be considered if a participant withdraws due to symptoms of COVID-19, a positive test result, or a close contact with an infected person.

Event's current local time: 5:32 AM CT