Pleasant Creek Trail Run

Pleasant Creek Trail Run is held in Palo, Iowa, on September 12, 2026. Three trail distances are offered: a 45K (28 miles) and a 30K (18.6 miles) both starting at 7:30 AM, and a 15K (9.3 miles) starting at 8:00 AM. The name places the event at Pleasant Creek, near Cedar Rapids.

You can treat the three distances as one loop, two loops and three loops of commitment. The 15K is a friendly trail entry point for road runners, the 30K is a solid step beyond the half marathon, and the 45K is a slightly short ultra that works well as a first venture past marathon distance. For the 45K, a 16-week build with weekly long trail runs and a couple of back-to-back weekends is the right dose; for the shorter races, 8 to 12 weeks of consistent running with some hills is enough. Early September in Iowa can still be warm, so practice fueling and hydration.