Trail

Red Cedar Trail Races at Giant City State Park

Q: How hard is the Red Cedar Trail Races at Giant City State Park 5K?

Red Cedar Trail Races at Giant City State Park is a 5K on a trail course in Makanda, Illinois. We don't have a verified elevation profile yet — check the organizer's course map for the climb breakdown.

Q: What should I wear for the Red Cedar Trail Races at Giant City State Park?

Race-day weather in Makanda can swing year over year, so dress for the forecast on the day. As a rule of thumb, dress for ~10°F warmer than the standing temperature once you start running. Layer with a throwaway long-sleeve at the start, gloves and a hat for sub-50°F mornings, and a singlet plus a visor when it climbs above 60°F. The published start time is 8:00 AM. Check the race-day weather forecast on this page closer to the date for a specific recommendation.

Q: When does the Red Cedar Trail Races at Giant City State Park sell out?

Red Cedar Trail Races at Giant City State Park hasn't published a hard registration deadline. Most races of this size raise the entry fee in tiers (early-bird, regular, late) and can sell out without warning — sign up early if you're committed.

May 30, 2026

Makanda, Illinois

Rolling Course

Decision scores

Six 0–100 scores telling you, at a glance, who this race is for.

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Best for

Great for beginners

Trail / hill challenge

About the Race

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 (heavy) ½ marathon and 40k primarily utilizing the Red Cedar Trail. The course will consist mostly of 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 1800 feet...

Course Profile

Course profile data unavailable for this race.

Course features

Terrain

trail

Surface

Trail

Elevation gain

Not measured

Course type

Not stated

Field size

Unknown

Boston qualifier

Course map

Not yet published

Elevation profile

Not measured

Accessibility & inclusion

Walker-friendly

Stroller-friendly

Dog-friendly

Kids race

Vibe & community

We don't have vibe tags for this race yet — organizers can claim the listing to add them.

No charity partner listed.

History & past results

Years running

Unknown — claim to add

Recurrence

Annual (assumed)

Past finisher times and year-over-year participation will appear here once the organizer publishes them.

Reviews

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Common questions

How hard is the Red Cedar Trail Races at Giant City State Park 5K?

We don't have a verified elevation profile yet — check the organizer's course map for the climb breakdown.

What should I wear?

Dress for ~10°F warmer than the standing temperature once you start running. Throwaway long-sleeve at the start, gloves and a hat for sub-50°F mornings, singlet plus visor when it climbs above 60°F. The race-day forecast above is the source of truth closer to the date.