Chicago Lakefront Ultra - Fall

Chicago Lakefront Ultra - Fall takes place in Chicago, Illinois, on October 31, 2026, and offers two ultra distances along the city's lakefront: 50 miles starting at 7:00 a.m. and a 50K starting at 8:00 a.m. Both are long days on your feet, and the staggered starts put the two fields on the course together for most of the morning.

A flat lakefront ultra is a fast one, which cuts both ways: there is no climbing to force you to walk, so pacing discipline is entirely on you. Treat the 50K as a step up from the marathon and give it a 16-week build with a weekly long run reaching four hours. The 50 miles asks for back-to-back long runs on weekends and a rehearsed fueling plan you have tested at goal effort, not just in theory.