Piasa Trail Races are where legends are born. Set among the rugged bluffs and forested ravines of Pere Marquette State Park in Grafton, the Piasa Trail Races are a confrontation between runner and terrain — between legend and legendary. Short climbs don’t exist here. The footing is technical. The descents demand focus. The course draws in runners with its beauty, then tests whether they can endure long enough to appreciate it.

Three distances are offered: 12.5K, 25K, and 50K. In addition to standard age-group categories, runners will compete in two divisions: Solo and Buddy. The Buddy division is a new format in which two runners complete the race together — two runners, one journey. Sometimes the only way to conquer the Piasa is not alone.

Race packets are available for pick up on Friday, May 15, from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Pere Marquette Visitor Center, and on Race Day, starting at 5 a.m. until 20 minutes before each race begins.

Race start times are 6 a.m. (50K) and 7:30 a.m. (25K and 12.5K). Racing concludes at 2 p.m.

Custom, hand-crafted Piasa artwork will be awarded to the top 3 overall finishers in each distance. Top age-group finishers in the Solo and Buddy divisions will also receive custom awards from local artists.

Some races reward speed. Others reward resilience. The Piasa Trail Races reward both — the grit to endure and the courage to push on. This race is for runners who respect hard terrain and who understand that trail running is equal parts strength, patience and resolve. The kind of runners who hear “Piasa: a bird that devours humans,” and think, "Good. Let’s see what it’s got."

Come and be tested in the bluffs. Come and run where legend lives. Come and conquer the Piasa.