So few people know about these beautiful races--a half marathon, a full marathon, and a 50-mile ultra held all at once, on the crushed gravel paths of the Des Plaines River Trail, just when the leaves are their most spectacular in October. Nothing fancy, just you and the woods and a beautiful autumn day.

The races are capped--325 runners for the half, 275 for the full, 125 for the ultra--so there's little congestion after the first few miles, and even during the half you may not see another runner for minutes at a time towards the end. The races start and finish in the Half Day Forest Preserve in Vernon Hills, wind through wetlands, meadows and forest mostly along the banks of the Des Plaines River on an out and back course. Plenty to look at, and quiet enough to really hear your own breathing. The course is mostly flat and fast, with some mildly rolling hills in miles 3-5 and 10-12 of the half marathon. There are a few bridges over the Des Plaines River with some short steep grade on the approaches, but nothing unmanageable.

The race organizers are low key and provide just enough infrastructure to make the races safe and comfortable for the runners and low-impact for the preserves and trails. There are some pit fires pre-race in a picnic area, most welcome on a cold fall morning. Water stations are not plentiful but are well-run, probably best to carry some of your own hydration especially at the longer distances. The year I ran there was someone flipping burgers at the finish.

For swag, there a very nice long sleeve tech top you'll be proud to wear, and a nice finisher's medal. Heard some other runners complain about parking, and it probably was tight inside the preserve's limited lots, but shouldn't be a problem if you get there early--and there is overflow parking across Milwaukee Avenue at Lifetime Fitness.

The big events are fun, but this one is special and worth putting on your calendar at least once. The races do sell out, so don't wait too long!