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PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONUS / RACE GUIDE

Honest Abe Trail Run - Marathon / 14k / 5k

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

USSep 19, 202742.195km · 5km

Rene Sturgell · CC BY-SA 3.0

Race date in 335 days: Sep 19, 2027 Sun
City · Distance: Lincoln City · 42.195km · 5km
Entry fee: $45From the 2026 edition
Status: SoonSee how to enter ↗

2027Date Sep 19, 2027 · Soon

2026

2026Date Sep 20, 2026 · Entry ~ Sep 19, 2026 · Entry fee $20 · Start 07:30

Official website ↗D-day as of Oct 19, 2026

About the race How to enter Course Race Prep Travel

Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

ABOUT THE RACE

A day you'll remember,
long past the finish line.

Course is a single loop around Lincoln State Park in a clockwise direction.

Full marathon completes three laps of this loop, while the 14K completes one lap.

The course is primarily double-track trail with some gravel and several road crossings.

All proceeds from Entry fee are donated to Lincoln State Park, and proceeds from the previous race were used for tree planting and trail maintenance.

The road to your own record

Picture the course in advance
and find the pace that fits you.

When the city cheers

Streets lined with cheers, runners all around.
You'll be part of that scene.

The trip that follows the run

Take it slow with the finish still in you,
and meet the city all over again.

Stories from runners who've been there.

From the joy of finishing to the tough moments — read what runners wrote themselves.

No runner reports yet. We'll add them here as they come in.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

Preview the course and read what runners who went before you wrote.

We haven't found a video for this race yet. We'll add one when we do.

The way in that fits you

YOUR ENTRY

How to reach the start line —
start with what fits you.

Here are the ways to enter and what each requires.
Check the organizer's page for whether entries are open.

From the 2026 edition

Marathon

Entry cost $45

until Sep 11, 2026 · subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

Trail

Entry cost $35

until Sep 11, 2026 · subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

5K

Entry cost $20

until Sep 11, 2026 · subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

Official race website Entry options

From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Your 42.195km

Know the course and time limit, and race day comes into focus.

From the 2026 edition

Runners start · local timeFrom 07:30

not the start line

We have not confirmed the start line coordinates yet.

START

15476 County Rd 300 E, Lincoln City, IN

Start · Google Maps

The start and finish are near the entrance to the Lincoln Amphitheatre car park.

Runners set off into a clockwise loop around the park.

The full marathon completes three laps, the 14km event one lap, and the 5km uses part of the 14km loop.

The loop follows trails 6, 4, 2, 1, 3, 1 and 5 in that order.

The long course is mostly double-track trail, with some gravel and several road crossings.

The terrain is generally rolling, with a couple of noticeable climbs.

Full marathon total elevation gain is about 2,500 feet.

The course is not highly technical, but organisers recommend gaining some trail-running experience before race day.

Course includes a wooden zigzag ramp, with no bypass route.

Avoiding it would require going behind the amphitheatre and through the car park;

organisers say this would add paved sections.

The measured distance is not exactly 26.2 miles.

The race director ran the course several times with a GPS watch and averaged the results at 26.3 miles.

A small group of volunteers and park staff have organised the event since the first race in 2009.

Since the 2022 edition, the Friends of Lincoln State Park has served as the official organiser.

Typical race-season temperature: around 21°C (70°F): Short sleeves — hydrate for the warmth

Participant benefits

Not yet confirmed in the official race guide

To the start line,
step by step.

Pick up your bib, check your wave.
So on race morning, you can just run.

From the 2026 edition

Pick up your bib at the expo

Packet Pickup and the mandatory sign-in take place on race morning, and all events start at 07:30 (Central Time).
Online registration stays open until 24 hours before the start.
9/20 (Sun) 06:00–07:15 (race day)

Lincoln State Park (Hwy 162), Lincoln City, IN

start area near the Lincoln Amphitheater

Google Maps Directions

Stations & transport near the venue

Getting to the startNo public transit — car required
Transit cardNo dedicated transit card system; this is a small rural Indiana community near the Lincoln Boyhood National…

Source · checked Aug 24, 2026

More details

Getting to the start

No public transit — car required

Start/finish is at Lincoln State Park (IN-162, Lincoln City, IN 47552), a rural Indiana state park in Spencer County. No public bus or rail service reaches the park; runners must drive or be dropped off.

Rural trail race in a state park; car access is the norm here, consistent with typical trail races in remote parks.

Map

Getting to the finish

No public transit — car required

Same venue as start (Lincoln State Park); no public transit access.

Map

Start shuttle

park has on-site parking only.

Transit card

No dedicated transit card system; this is a small rural Indiana community near the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial with no public transit. This is a car-access venue, cash or card accepted for any fuel/parking needs.

Source · checked Aug 24, 2026

READY TO RUN

From race morning to after the finish.

Your start time, fuel and bag drop.
Know them ahead and the run feels easier.

The 2026 race is on Sunday, September 20.

All three events start at 7:30 a.m. Central Time,

and bib pickup and the mandatory participant briefing take place from 6:00 to 7:15 a.m. The park and race are in the Central Time Zone,

but the Eastern Time Zone is nearby, so organizers advise participants staying locally the night before to confirm the time zone.

All three events officially finish at 2:30 p.m. Finishing after 7 hours results in an official DNF.

In the full marathon, runners may not begin the third lap after 5 hours,

and anyone who has not started the third lap by the 5-hour mark is also recorded as DNF.

Individual starts for late arrivals are not permitted.

There are two aid stations: one at the start/finish and one at mile 4.3 in the middle of the loop.

They provide water, Gatorade, bananas, and snacks.

The 5K course has no aid station.

Organizers recommend bringing a refillable water container.

Drop bags are available only to full-marathon participants.

Bags left near the start/finish can be accessed at miles 9.1 and 17.7.

They remain in the designated area and are fully exposed to weather.

For the full marathon, entry is $45 early, $55 thereafter, and $65 on race day.

Early registration closes at noon on September 11, and online registration closes at noon on September 19.

There is no field limit.

Park admission is separate per vehicle: $7 for Indiana plates and $9 for out-of-state plates, payable at the gate.

These fees apply equally to participants and spectators to encourage carpooling.

No commemorative T-shirts are produced.

Full-marathon finishers receive a small souvenir.

Times are local to Lincoln City. Check the latest official information before the race.

A trip built around the race

STAY A LITTLE

MAKE IT A RUNTRIP

The race is one day,
the trip can be longer.

From a hotel that makes race morning easy,
to the meals and views you'll enjoy with the medal on.

Hotels that make race morning easy

View all →

Distances are straight-line from the start.
Check real travel times and booking terms with each hotel.

The Cowboys Slumber' 2 Mi to Lincoln State Park

Accommodation · 2.7km

View on Booking.com

Swipe sideways to see more hotels.

Closest to the start lineView on Trip.com

Seeing Lincoln City with the medal on

View all →

The city you ran — this time, a little slower.

Old Louisville: History and Architecture Walking Tour

$28

View on GetYourGuide

Eating well is part of the tripA meal before the race, a dinner to celebrate the finish.View on map

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

Trip prep too,
light and in one place.

Checklist Local eSIM · Trip.com Flight delay or cancellation compensation · AirHelp Pace calculator

Once saved, you can open this page without an internet connection

RUN TOGETHER

With runners who dream of
the same start line.

Be the first runner
Leave this room's first post

Lincoln City runners' room

FAQ

When was Honest Abe Trail Run - Marathon / 14k / 5k 2026 held?

It was held on Sun, September 20, 2026.

The next race is Sun, September 19, 2027.

How much is the Honest Abe Trail Run - Marathon / 14k / 5k 2027 entry fee?

Not announced yet. The 2026 race entry fee was about $20.

When does Honest Abe Trail Run - Marathon / 14k / 5k 2027 take place?

It takes place on Sun, September 19, 2027 in Lincoln City, IN, United States.

What distances does Honest Abe Trail Run - Marathon / 14k / 5k 2027 offer?

Marathon · 5K. (From the 2026 edition)

What time does Honest Abe Trail Run - Marathon / 14k / 5k 2027 start?

The race starts at 07:30. (From the 2026 edition)

Where does Honest Abe Trail Run - Marathon / 14k / 5k 2027 start?

15476 County Rd 300 E, Lincoln City, IN. (From the 2026 edition)

What is the Honest Abe Trail Run - Marathon / 14k / 5k 2027 course like?

The start and finish are near the entrance to the Lincoln Amphitheatre car park.

Runners set off into a clockwise loop around the park.

The full marathon completes three laps, the 14km event one lap, and the 5km uses part of the 14km loop.

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Honest Abe Trail Run - Marathon / 14k / 5k

About Honest Abe Trail Run - Marathon / 14k / 5k — what makes it special

A day you'll remember,long past the finish line.

The road to your own record

When the city cheers

The trip that follows the run