Trail Run At Indian Lake
- Date Sat 4th October 2025
- Time 9:00AM CDT
- Location Cross Plains, Wisconsin
- Price $32.80
- Races 2 races
Event summary
Get ready for an exhilarating day of adventure at the Trail Run at Indian Lake, taking place on Saturday, October 4th, 2025, in the scenic Cross Plains, Dane County! This vibrant event invites runners of all levels to explore the breathtaking trails around Indian Lake, a stunning kettle lake sculpted by glaciers. Participants can choose between two race distances: a shorter 5.8 km course or a more challenging 10.5 km route that promises a thrilling blend of forest, hills, and the beautiful Driftless Region landscape.
As you navigate the trails, be inspired by the ongoing oak savanna restoration efforts and the pristine natural surroundings. This year's event is committed to sustainability, featuring a cup-free policy to minimize waste, so be sure to bring your own hydration solution. After crossing the finish line, join in the celebration with live music from the Currach Irish Trio, delicious food, and a chance to win prizes! Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to connect with nature, community, and fellow trail enthusiasts. Mark your calendars and prepare for an unforgettable day of trail running and fall festivities!
As you navigate the trails, be inspired by the ongoing oak savanna restoration efforts and the pristine natural surroundings. This year's event is committed to sustainability, featuring a cup-free policy to minimize waste, so be sure to bring your own hydration solution. After crossing the finish line, join in the celebration with live music from the Currach Irish Trio, delicious food, and a chance to win prizes! Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to connect with nature, community, and fellow trail enthusiasts. Mark your calendars and prepare for an unforgettable day of trail running and fall festivities!
Organiser's Description
Join us on Oct 4th for the Trail Run At Indian Lake!
Important updates for this year:
SWAG IS OPT-IN: To keep entry fees lower and to reduce waste, SWAG will be an add-on purchase. We will be offering technical run gloves from Boco Gear for an additional $15.
RACE ROUTES - SHORT (5.8KM) & LONG (10.5KM)
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Starting in a beautifully restored sedge meadow in the wetlands surrounding Indian Lake - a kettle lake created in the retreat of the last glaciers, you'll soon trade the prairie path for trees and dirt. And hills. Indian Lake County Park marks the extent of the last glaciation, meaning you can expect the steeper slopes associated with the Driftless Region, and we make full use of these slopes for the run!
Part of the route joins the Ice Age Trail National Scenic Trail (which traverses the entire glacial extent across Wisconsin).
As you trek through the forested middle of the course, reflect that Dane County Parks will be purchasing 300 acres south of the current boundary and start dreaming of more hills!
As you work towards the end of the race, take a moment to appreciate the active oak savanna restoration that is underway. Oak savanna used to dominate the landscape here, but is now incredibly rare. Through the work of county staff and Friends of Indian Lake volunteers, restoration of 170-acres of oak savanna is in progress!
THE T.R.A.I.L. IS CUP-FREE!
Nothing kills the vibe of running through the forest like coming up on an aid station littered with discarded single-use cups. Sure, our volunteers would clean up afterwards, but in an effort to reduce our impact on the natural areas we love, we are going cup-free!
There will not be paper cups at aid stations or at the start/finish. If you expect needing hydration on-course, you are responsible for bringing your own cup/bottle/bladder. We will have water dispensers at aid stations to top-off.
Going cup-free is a significant step to bringing our event closer to zero-waste and being better stewards of our public lands.
Check out this resource for why and how to go cup-free: https://nuunlife.com/blogs/news/byoc-ace-your-next-cupless-race
AFTER PARTY
Our celebration of Fall, trails, and Indian Lake doesn't end at the finish line! The Currach Irish Trio will once again be headlining while we enjoy food, beverage, and awards.
SCHEDULE (subject to minor change)
THURS OCT 2nd - 5:30-7:00 PM - Early packet pick-up at Movin' Shoes (https://g.page/movinshoes?share) [https://g.page/movinshoes?share%29]
Saturday, Oct 4th
- 7:30 AM - Race HQ is open for packet pick-up
- 8:30 AM - Free Kids Run
- 9:00 AM - LONG & SHORT race start
~ 10:00 AM - Awards, Raffle, and Live Music for SHORT course
~ 10:30 AM - Awards, Raffle, and Live Music for LONG course
Join the Friends of Indian Lake for a celebration of Fall, trail running, community, and public lands! All proceeds support the Friends work with Dane County Parks to preserve and enhance Indian Lake County Park.
Important updates for this year:
SWAG IS OPT-IN: To keep entry fees lower and to reduce waste, SWAG will be an add-on purchase. We will be offering technical run gloves from Boco Gear for an additional $15.
RACE ROUTES - SHORT (5.8KM) & LONG (10.5KM)
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Starting in a beautifully restored sedge meadow in the wetlands surrounding Indian Lake - a kettle lake created in the retreat of the last glaciers, you'll soon trade the prairie path for trees and dirt. And hills. Indian Lake County Park marks the extent of the last glaciation, meaning you can expect the steeper slopes associated with the Driftless Region, and we make full use of these slopes for the run!
Part of the route joins the Ice Age Trail National Scenic Trail (which traverses the entire glacial extent across Wisconsin).
As you trek through the forested middle of the course, reflect that Dane County Parks will be purchasing 300 acres south of the current boundary and start dreaming of more hills!
As you work towards the end of the race, take a moment to appreciate the active oak savanna restoration that is underway. Oak savanna used to dominate the landscape here, but is now incredibly rare. Through the work of county staff and Friends of Indian Lake volunteers, restoration of 170-acres of oak savanna is in progress!
THE T.R.A.I.L. IS CUP-FREE!
Nothing kills the vibe of running through the forest like coming up on an aid station littered with discarded single-use cups. Sure, our volunteers would clean up afterwards, but in an effort to reduce our impact on the natural areas we love, we are going cup-free!
There will not be paper cups at aid stations or at the start/finish. If you expect needing hydration on-course, you are responsible for bringing your own cup/bottle/bladder. We will have water dispensers at aid stations to top-off.
Going cup-free is a significant step to bringing our event closer to zero-waste and being better stewards of our public lands.
Check out this resource for why and how to go cup-free: https://nuunlife.com/blogs/news/byoc-ace-your-next-cupless-race
AFTER PARTY
Our celebration of Fall, trails, and Indian Lake doesn't end at the finish line! The Currach Irish Trio will once again be headlining while we enjoy food, beverage, and awards.
SCHEDULE (subject to minor change)
THURS OCT 2nd - 5:30-7:00 PM - Early packet pick-up at Movin' Shoes (https://g.page/movinshoes?share) [https://g.page/movinshoes?share%29]
Saturday, Oct 4th
- 7:30 AM - Race HQ is open for packet pick-up
- 8:30 AM - Free Kids Run
- 9:00 AM - LONG & SHORT race start
~ 10:00 AM - Awards, Raffle, and Live Music for SHORT course
~ 10:30 AM - Awards, Raffle, and Live Music for LONG course
Join the Friends of Indian Lake for a celebration of Fall, trail running, community, and public lands! All proceeds support the Friends work with Dane County Parks to preserve and enhance Indian Lake County Park.
Races
-
LONG Course (~10.5km)
Incl. $2.80 Fee
Sat 4th October 2025 (9:00AM CDT)
$32.80
CLOSED -
SHORT Course (~5.8km)
Incl. $2.80 Fee
Sat 4th October 2025 (9:10AM CDT)
$32.80
CLOSED
Reviews
Done this event?
First-hand event reviews from people who have been there, done that and got the breathable T-shirt, really help everyone choose their next event.
Add a reviewLocation
8183 State Highway 19, Cross Plains, 53528, WI, United States
Who's In
See who else did this event
Be the first
No-one has marked this event as 'Done'. Will you be the first?
Trail Run At Indian Lake
