Inaugural Race Recap
Hey Piasa Family!
The Piasa flew in with rain, a little lightning, and absolutely zero hesitation from 100+ of the toughest runners we've ever had the privilege of sharing a trail with. The Piasa threw everything it had at you — and you threw it right back.
On behalf of Roo, Zar, and the entire Wildcat River Runners crew, thank you. Thank you for trusting us with your Saturday. Thank you for your patience when the weather got spicy. Thank you for cheering each other on, helping each other up the climbs, and making this inaugural event everything we dreamed it would be.
The Piasa Trail Races are officially a thing. And it's because of you.
All official results are posted in two places. Find your time, share your finish, and brag to your friends:
📋 UltraSignup Results🏁 ChronoTrack Results
This race doesn't happen without a village. Shout outs to:
👊 Our incredible aid station volunteers — you were the heartbeat of this race. Every cup of Gatorade, every word of encouragement, every set of directions at a junction. You're the reason people finished smiling.
🍺 4 Hands Brewing Co., The Gramophone, and the Wildcat River Runners for hosting the best post-race party these bluffs have ever seen.
🌊 The team at Pere Marquette State Park for sharing one of Illinois' most beautiful pieces of trail with our runners.
📸 Wes and Maeve for being out there in the rain capturing photos of the moments runners will treasure for years: Piasa '26 - Google Drive
🏁 GO! St. Louis for all the behind-the-scenes logistics and coordination that made race day run smoothly — and for Mona and Kristin holding down packet pickup with a smile from the very first runner to the last.
⏱ Final Lap Timing for keeping every runner's time honest from start to finish. Special shoutout to Matt, who got every last runner off the line, threw on a bib, and ran the 12.5K himself. That's the spirit of this race right there.
📅 Save the Date
The Piasa will be back. We're already thinking about next year and we'd love to have you back on these bluffs. Stay tuned — we'll have details soon.
And if you have a friend who missed this one and is kicking themselves — now's the time to tell them.
Let us know what you think so we can double down on what made this year great and tweak anything we could've done better. The trail community is better together!
📸 Wear the Piasa
Rep the inaugural Piasa Trail Races. Official race tees now available — limited run, first come first served.
Thank you for being part of something special. The Piasa has been devouring humans on these bluffs for centuries. On Saturday, you fought back — every single one of you.
— Roo and Zar, Your Piasa Race Directors
Wildcat River Runners · Pere Marquette State Park · Grafton, IL · thepiasa.com
