The Hennepin Hundred

The Hennepin Hundred is held in Sterling, Illinois, on October 3, 2026. Four formats are on offer: the 100-mile race, a 100-mile team relay and the 50-mile race all start at 7:00 AM, while the 50K (31 miles) starts later in the day, at 5:00 PM.

This is a trail event, and the flat farmland of northern Illinois makes it a very different proposition from a mountain hundred: the challenge is sustained pace, mental focus and fueling over a long time rather than vertical gain. That makes the 100-mile race a popular choice for a first hundred or for runners chasing a fast time, and the 50-mile race a good next step after a 50K. The relay lets a team split the 100 miles, which is a fun way to share the day without any single runner going long. The 50K's evening start means you will finish in the dark, so bring a headlamp and a warm layer. A 20-to-24-week build with back-to-back long runs is the standard preparation for the solo ultra distances, and running some of those long runs at a steady, even pace is particularly useful for this type of course.