Ready to charge straight up a sledding hill to start your race? Yep, we thought so. Race #2 of the Fox Valley Winter Challenge kicks off with a quad-burning climb that sets the tone for a seriously fun and seriously tough 8K adventure.

On February 21, we return to Oakhurst Forest Preserve in Aurora, where wide-open paths, winding woods, and a healthy dose of winter unpredictability await. The trails here roll and twist through some of our favorite terrain in the series—expect snow, ice, mud, or maybe a surprise combo of all three.

The 8K is the middle challenge of the 2026 Winter Challenge Trail Series, sandwiched between our 5K and 10K races. Whether you’re running this as a one-off or as part of the Trail Series Combo, you’re in for a legit test of winter trail toughness.

All finishers will earn a custom medal and premium cold-weather swag, plus bragging rights for conquering that beastly hill at the start. And if you're doing the full series, this race gets you one step closer to unlocking the full three-piece medal set and bonus gear.

So throw on your trail shoes, bundle up, and get ready to climb, cruise, and maybe slide your way through one of the most fun (and humbling) trail races of the season.

You can sign up 2 or 3 races from any of the race websites, however here are their specific addresses:

5K: https://runsignup.com/Race/IL/Batavia/FoxValleyWinterChallengeTrailSeries1 

8K: https://runsignup.com/Race/IL/Aurora/FoxValleyWinterChallengeTrailSeries2 

10K: https://runsignup.com/Race/IL/StCharles/FoxValleyWinterChallengeTrailSeries3