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Vienna, IllinoisTunnel Hill State Trail

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The world’s premier speed course. Home to five world records and the 2026 USATF 50 Mile Championships.

Register for 2026 Race Details

November 14, 2026 Tunnel opens in

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Secure your spot for the 2026 edition. 100 Mile, 100km, 50 Mile & Marathon distances available.

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Volunteer

Join our elite team of 200+ volunteers. Aid stations, timing, and course marshaling roles.

For crews & family

2026 Live Tracking

Real-time GPS tracking for all runners. Follow your athlete mile-by-mile on race day.

Link goes live about a week before the race

Race Director Steve Durbin with runner Charlie Lawrence after the Tunnel Hill 50 Mile

“The fastest course in ultrarunning. Period.”

UltraRunning Magazine

The record book

Where Records Come to Fall

Crushed limestone and an overall 2% grade have produced some of the fastest times in ultrarunning history.

Caitriona Jennings running at Tunnel Hill

100 Mile Women

12:37:04

Caitriona Jennings

2025World record*

Elov Olsson running at Tunnel Hill

100 Mile Men

11:26:19

Elov Olsson

2023World’s best off-road

Charlie Lawrence running at Tunnel Hill

50 Mile Men

4:48:21

Charlie Lawrence

2023World record

Anne Flower running at Tunnel Hill

50 Mile Women

5:18:57

Anne Flower

2025World record

Courtney Olsen running at Tunnel Hill

100 km Women

6:59:55

Courtney Olsen

2025American record

100km World Championships · Ames, Galicia, Spain · September 20, 2026

Proven here. Crowned in Spain.

Two runners who set records on this trail are now world champions, and five more Tunnel Hill alumni lined up alongside them.

Courtney Olsen crossing the Tunnel Hill finish line with 5:31:56 on the clock in 2024

Women’s 100km World Champion

7:10:31

Courtney Olsen USA

2024: 50 mile world record at Tunnel Hill, 5:31:56
2025: 100km American record at Tunnel Hill, 6:59:55

Charlie Lawrence running out of the tunnel at Tunnel Hill in 2023

Men’s 100km World Champion

6:09:25

Charlie Lawrence USA

2023: 50 mile world record at Tunnel Hill, 4:48:21
Ames: Beat the reigning world-record holder and led Team USA to team gold

Also in the field from Tunnel Hill

Brogan Austin8th, Team USA2025 USATF 50 mile champion at Tunnel Hill
Allison Mercer15th, Team USAAmerican masters record at Tunnel Hill
Elov Olsson19th, led Sweden2023 Tunnel Hill champion
Phil Young28th of 141, Team USAThree-time Tunnel Hill champion
Caitriona JenningsCompeted for Ireland100 mile world record at Tunnel Hill, 2025

“We are so proud of these athletes and look forward to seeing many of them back in Vienna.”

Steve Durbin, Race Director

Full results on iRunFar

The course

Crushed Limestone.
Zero Excuses.

The Tunnel Hill State Trail is a converted rail corridor running through the Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois. The surface is flat, fast crushed limestone with an overall grade of just 2%.

Out-and-back through the Shawnee National Forest
Overall 2% grade, no hills, no altitude
Aid stations every ~5 miles with full nutrition
Iconic Tunnel #1, a 543-foot limestone passage

View Course Details

Runners emerging from the double tunnel on the Tunnel Hill course

In good company

Current Partners

Brands, communities, and running organizations helping every Tunnel Hill athlete reach the finish.

Official Shoe Sponsor

Durbin Race Management

Colson Photography

Squirrel Nut Butter

Race Timing Partner City of Vienna Illinois

Johnson County, IL

West Kentucky Runners Club

River to River Runners Club

Donation Partner Runner donations support Arrowleaf, a Southern Illinois nonprofit strengthening behavioral health and community services throughout the region.