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PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONUS / RACE GUIDE

The Next Loop 40M/50M Challenge | Half Day Forest Preserve

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Vernon Hills
US

CheepShot · CC BY 2.0LakeCountyIL, CC BY 2.0

Race date Date TBD: Date TBD
City · Distance: Vernon Hills · 50M
Entry fee: $200Varies by event and entry period
Status: TBDSee how to enter ↗

Official website ↗D-day as of Oct 16, 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.

This is a 40-mile and 50-mile challenge.

Since it involves repeatedly circling a single course, aid and support are concentrated in one place.

It's designed for runners looking to go beyond the typical race format.

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.

Ultra

Entry cost $200

40M, 50M · until Jul 25, 2026 · subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

Official race website Entry options

From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Your 50M

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

Runners start · local timeFrom 07:00

not the start line

We have not confirmed the start line coordinates yet.

START

24255 N Highway 21, Vernon Hills, IL

Start · Google Maps

There are two stocks: 40M and 50M.

Start line is located at 24255 N Highway 21, Vernon Hills, IL, and departure time is 7 a.m. local time.

Course is a circular composition that returns to the starting point.

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.

Stations & transport near the venue

Getting to the startNo public transit; venue is Half Day Forest Preserve, 24225 N HWY 21, Vernon Hills, IL 60062
Transit cardThe Chicago region uses the Ventra card for CTA and Pace, while Metra commuter rail (North Central Service)…

Source · checked Aug 24, 2026

More details

Getting to the start

No public transit; venue is Half Day Forest Preserve, 24225 N HWY 21, Vernon Hills, IL 60062

Loop-based ultra course; official race page does not give a specific start-line point within the preserve beyond the venue address. IMPORTANT: Per official race registration page, this specific event has been CANCELLED — "For reasons beyond our control we have cancelled The Next Loop Endurance Series | Half Day Forest Preserve" (was scheduled Aug 29, 2026).

Registered runners were offered transfer to the organizer's Deer Grove East (Aug 8, 2026) or Busse Woods (Aug 15, 2026) events instead. No public transit serves this rural forest preserve; car access only.

Map

Getting to the finish

Same as start (Half Day Forest Preserve) — continuous 5K loop format, all distances start/finish at one point

Loop course; no separate finish location stated

Map

Transit card

The Chicago region uses the Ventra card for CTA and Pace, while Metra commuter rail (North Central Service) can be paid via the Metra mobile app or station ticket machines. Vernon Hills Metra station sits only a few minutes drive from Half Day Forest Preserve, but there is no direct walking transit link, so driving is the practical option for race day.

A one-way Metra fare is a few dollars depending on zone.

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.

Entry fee is a tier system that varies from $200 to $250 depending on the time of application.

The venue is an area without public transportation.

Plans are made based on the premise of traveling by private or rental car.

Times are local to Vernon Hills. 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.

Residence Inn By Marriott Chicago Lake Forest/Mettawa

Hotel · 4.0km

9.2/10(62)

View on Booking.com

Chicago｜Private Airport Pickup/Drop-off Service from O'Hare International Airport

$73

The Next Loop 40M/50M Challenge | Half Day Forest Preserve

About The Next Loop 40M/50M Challenge | Half Day Forest Preserve — 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