Fox Valley Winter Challenge Trail Series 5K - Batavia, IL

The Fox Valley Winter Challenge Trail Series 5K - Batavia, IL is set for January 23, 2027, at 10 a.m. in Batavia, Illinois. The single 5K starts at the Dick Young Forest Preserve and follows winding trails over grass, dirt and crushed limestone, with whatever winter has left behind on the day: snow, mud or dry footing. It is the first of three races held in different forest preserves around the Fox Valley.

You can run this one on its own or commit to the full series, in which case the medals interlock into a set and finishers pick up extra gear. Experienced trail runners and first-timers are both welcome, which is what the surface mix suggests: nothing technical, just uneven and unpredictable. Train on soft ground rather than pavement in the weeks before, and treat your goal time as a range instead of a number, since footing decides the pace here.