Greg Obrien runs along the beautiful, hilly single-track trails of the Sternes Woods portion of the park. Jenny Thorsen The end of 2023 was the toughest period in my ultrarunning career. I got COV...
Tag: Frozen Gnome
Paul Stofko sports an ice beard, a signature look at this race. Jenny Thorsen Founded in 2013 by Ornery Mule Racing, Frozen Gnome 50k is held in the trail town of Crystal Lake, Illinois, a nort...
When you talk about trail and ultrarunning in northeast Illinois, you’ll hear about Buttslide Hill. Runners tackle the infamous descent five times in the Frozen Gnome 50K during the race’s five 10k loops on black diam...
Frozen Gnome 50k is always an unpredictable way to start the year. Two years ago, it was below 0 degrees (wind chill of -20 degrees) and the course was covered in snow and ice. Last year was rather dry but windy, and the...
I joined the ultrarunning community when I ran the Hennepin 50 last fall. I was on cloud nine for weeks after that. My next goal was to get in a long run during the winter months. I wanted to experience more so I said, “...
The Frozen Gnome 50K and its designation as a “Double Black Diamond” really doesn’t do this race justice. As I’m sure most ultra runners would agree, a description like that just makes you want to run the race even more....
A combination of Chicagoland winter weather, challenging hills and winding single-track trails makes the Frozen Gnome a tough winter challenge. The course consists of five 10k loops to finish the 50k distance. Runners lo...