About This Event
The Free State Trail Run brings technical single-track racing to the forested trails of Lake Charles, Louisiana. This established event, running since 2007, features a challenging loop-based course that tests runners across multiple distances with its deceptively demanding terrain. The race showcases the region's natural beauty while delivering 751 feet of elevation gain that proves more difficult than the numbers suggest.
Choose Your Distance
6.75 Miles
The entire course consists of single-track trails winding through a hardwood forest, with the trail surface characterized by rocks and technical sections that demand careful foot placement. Runners traverse the same 6.75-mile loop multiple times depending on their chosen distance, with occasional glimpses of Lake Perry breaking through the forest canopy. Each loop includes 752 feet of climbing and descending, though the course deliberately avoids the tallest hills in the trail system for safety considerations. The technical nature of the terrain, combined with the self-supported sections between the single aid station, creates a unique challenge that tests both running skills and race strategy.
Half Marathon
The entire course consists of single-track trails winding through a hardwood forest, with the trail surface characterized by rocks and technical sections that demand careful foot placement. Runners traverse the same 6.75-mile loop multiple times depending on their chosen distance, with occasional glimpses of Lake Perry breaking through the forest canopy. Each loop includes 752 feet of climbing and descending, though the course deliberately avoids the tallest hills in the trail system for safety considerations. The technical nature of the terrain, combined with the self-supported sections between the single aid station, creates a unique challenge that tests both running skills and race strategy.
Marathon
The entire course consists of single-track trails winding through a hardwood forest, with the trail surface characterized by rocks and technical sections that demand careful foot placement. Runners traverse the same 6.75-mile loop multiple times depending on their chosen distance, with occasional glimpses of Lake Perry breaking through the forest canopy. Each loop includes 752 feet of climbing and descending, though the course deliberately avoids the tallest hills in the trail system for safety considerations. The technical nature of the terrain, combined with the self-supported sections between the single aid station, creates a unique challenge that tests both running skills and race strategy.
40 Miles
The entire course consists of single-track trails winding through a hardwood forest, with the trail surface characterized by rocks and technical sections that demand careful foot placement. Runners traverse the same 6.75-mile loop multiple times depending on their chosen distance, with occasional glimpses of Lake Perry breaking through the forest canopy. Each loop includes 752 feet of climbing and descending, though the course deliberately avoids the tallest hills in the trail system for safety considerations. The technical nature of the terrain, combined with the self-supported sections between the single aid station, creates a unique challenge that tests both running skills and race strategy.