Illinois City, IL, United States · Saturday, April 18, 2026

Fixed Distance 50K

Loud Thunder 50 km Race

Race completed
50 km Distance
not publishedn/a Climbing
2.5 est Grit · Entry level

Calculated from 50 km alone — the organiser has not published an elevation profile. Read 2.5 as a floor, not a verdict.

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41.3975° N, 90.8996° W© OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap

What the course asks

Time limit 12 hours 14:24 min/km average. Generous. Walkable throughout for most of the field. Climbing is unpublished, so this pace is a ceiling on the effort, not a measure of it. More forgiving than 70% of 50K races. Measured against 1007 races of the same distance. Cut-off calculator →
Field size ~52 Small. Long stretches with nobody in sight.

DUV results for the 2026 edition (50km) — finishers only. Starters are not published, so the field was at least this big and no finish rate can be given.

Typical conditions, April

Daytime high 17°C
Night low 4°C
Rainfall Showers likely
Daylight 13 h 25 m of light

Regional 2001-2020 average for April — NASA POWER, grid elevation 213 m. Not a forecast.

The Aid Station

Course-specific beta from the community

👟 gear

With trail terrain, choose a shoe with moderate cushioning for optimal performance.

By UltraHub Expert

Gear for this race

Chosen for 50 km of trail.

  • Trail Running Shoes50 km of trail — cushioning that is still there in the last quarter.
  • Race Nutrition50 km of self-supported fuelling between aid stations.
  • Hydration VestsFlask capacity for 50 km, without the bounce.
  • HeadlampsA 12 h limit puts you out there after dark.
  • GPS WatchesBattery life first — a 50 km day outlasts most full-GPS modes.

Adidas

Terrex Speed Ultra

★★★★★ 4.5

Brooks

Catamount 3

RunRepeat found the Brooks Catamount 3 to have a cozier upper that enhances the overall fit, though breathability and durability could be better. iRunFar noted…

★★★★★ 4.5

Spring Energy

Awesome Sauce

Real food gel with 180 calories. Rice-based with natural flavors.

$4 ★★★★★ 4.6

Nathan

VaporKrar 12L

12L race vest co-designed with ultra champion Rob Krar, with insulated bladder pocket.

$170 ★★★★★ 4.6

Nitecore

UT32

Dual-beam trail running headlamp (1100 lumens) with spot and flood beams.

$100 ★★★★★ 4.5

COROS

APEX 2 Pro

GPS running watch with 75-hour GPS battery, topo maps, and training metrics.

$500 ★★★★★ 4.7
All gear guides →

Course Notes

The race course is 13.3 miles and is primarily a loop format with a few short stretches of 2-way traffic. These 2-way sections will be a great opportunity to encourage and commiserate with your fellow runners!

Similar races

Other 50K trail ultras, closest in distance first.