About This Race
OUTLAST Chicago presents a unique twist on trail endurance racing with its rigid hour-by-hour format. Runners face a 6-hour challenge where they must complete a 5K loop every hour, on the hour. The format is unforgiving: finish your lap within the 60-minute window and you earn rest time until the next round begins, but miss a single cutoff and you're eliminated from the event. Set in Palatine, this event strips away the traditional pacing strategies of ultrarunning and replaces them with tactical rest management and consistent output. The challenge lies not just in covering the distance, but in managing fatigue across six mandatory rounds while racing against the clock each hour. With options for single-day participation on Saturday or Sunday, or the full two-day challenge covering both days, OUTLAST Chicago accommodates different levels of commitment while maintaining its distinctive format. The event caps at 100 participants, creating an intimate field where every runner's strategy unfolds in real time.
The 5K loop course runs entirely on paths through Palatine's trail system. Each lap must be completed within the hour to remain in the competition, creating a consistent rhythm of effort and recovery throughout the challenge.
Location
Practical Info
ORD - Chicago O'Hare International Airport
Best For
Notable Features
OUTLAST Chicago's hour-by-hour elimination format creates a completely different dynamic from traditional trail races. Runners must balance speed with conservation, knowing that falling behind the hourly cutoff means immediate elimination. The format rewards consistency and tactical thinking over pure endurance, making it as much a mental challenge as a physical one.