Cactus Classic Trail Races

Volunteer Register

Saturday, Mar 7, 2026 @ 8:00 AM

Cactus Classic Trail Races Sand Ridge State Forest Manito , IL • Marathon, 1/2 Marathon, 10K

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Registration closes: Sat, Feb 28 @ 11:59PM CT

Intro

Welcome to the 16th Anniversary of the Cactus Classic Trail Races! When this race first began in 2010, we never could have imagined it would still be going strong in 2026, but here we are! Come out and join us for a challenging yet enjoyable day in the woods at Sand Ridge!

Course

This course runs through the pine forests of Sand Ridge State Forest. It begins and ends at the "Oak Campground". The trail has many flat runable section with several rolling sections. The trails themselves consist of loose sandy soil for which the park is named. Running these trails is similar to running on a beach. This race is named for the variety of cactus which grows wild throughout the park. Keep your eyes open and you should be able to spot them.

Packet Pickup and Race Day

Packet pickup is available race morning from 6:45AM to 7:50AM (race starts at 8am). Parking is in the Oak Camp area and overflow parking is along Cactus Drive. if you decide not to run please let us know. Any drop downs in distance need to be done before the start of the race in order to not count as a DNF!

Swag

To be guaranteed a shirt or hoodie, you MUST register by February 21th! EDIT - All entries after February 21th until race day will NOT include a shirt or hoodie! Pricing has been reduced to reflect this change!

Map to Race Start and Parking

Please use the link below for a Google map pin to our starting/parking/packet pickup/finish area https://goo.gl/maps/kxaF3cphnF22