2 events in St. Charles, Illinois

The final race of the 2026 Winter Challenge Trail Series is here—and it’s the big one. On March 22, we take on a great 10K at Hickory Knolls Discovery Center in St. Charles, wrapping up the series with one last shot at winter trail glory.

The course has a little bit of everything: dirt paths, crushed limestone, a few short climbs, and long stretches that test your pacing. After the 5K and 8K, this race is where it all comes together. It’s longer, it’s tougher, and yeah—your legs are probably going to feel it.

Trail conditions? Total wildcard. Could be slick, could be muddy, could be fast. Either way, you’re earning that finish.

Every runner gets a finisher medal and winter swag. If you’ve completed all three races, you’ll finally get to piece your medal set together and score the bonus gear for finishing the full challenge.

Whether you're chasing a strong finish or just out to complete the series, this 10K is the perfect way to close it out. Show up, push hard, and enjoy the fact that you made it through all three.

You can sign up 2 or 3 races from any of the race websites, however here are their specific addresses:

5K: https://runsignup.com/Race/IL/Batavia/FoxValleyWinterChallengeTrailSeries1

8K: https://runsignup.com/Race/IL/Aurora/FoxValleyWinterChallengeTrailSeries2

10K: https://runsignup.com/Race/IL/StCharles/FoxValleyWinterChallengeTrailSeries3

6th Annual

HICKORY KNOLLS

5K & 10K TRAIL RUN

and 10K RELAY

The second installment of the 2026Dick Pond Athletics Darn Tough Trail Race Series is the 6th annual HICKORY KNOLLS Trail Run & Relay on Sunday, June 7.

Come out and run the grass and dirt trails over an approximate 3-mile loop course through a beautiful and diverse natural area. The first portion of the approximate 5K loop is relatively flat, while a couple of hills await in the latter portion of the loop. The route is very well marked, and the trail is primarily wide-track (allowing for easy passing or running alongside a friend) on dirt, gravel and grass.

You can participate in either the individual runner 5k (one loop) or 10k (two loops) distance or create a 2-person team for the 10k relay(each team member does the 5K loop once). All race distances are approximate.

The Hickory Knolls Trail Run is the second of four events in the 2026 Dick Pond Athletics Darn Tough Trail Race Series.

This event is sponsored by Dick Pond Athletics, Brooks Running, and Pollyanna Brewing & Distilling. Proceeds from this event benefit the St Charles Park Foundation.

Sponsored by

In cooperation with the St. Charles Park District

Proceeds from the race will benefit