The 2025 Loud Thunder 50 in Illinois City, IL, was all about a return. Last year, leading up to the race, torrential rain cast aside the original course and all the planning that went into it. Trails were deemed unsafe due to flooding and treacherous footing. While the alternate route provided some relief to the runners that day, a return to the rugged, “real” route was what the runners wanted when they signed up for the 2025 edition. As an aid station volunteer this year, I got to see their wish granted.
A route that consisted of repeats of a north loop and a south loop gave the runners plenty of time to reminisce about the rain from the year before. Varying from moderately evil to excessively evil, the challenges were persistent including hills full of horse hoofprints that resembled mortar craters from World War I. There were open, grassy areas that gave the sun a chance to beat you back into the shade. There were steep ravines. And then there was the Spillway (IYKYK). There were also occasional flat stretches along the river and near the aid stations for mild relief.
Long story short, this is a race that makes you work.
As a volunteer at the Riverview aid station, I watched this race humble its runners. There was the standard recipe of blood, sweat and tears. There was also clear proof of the lighter side of ultrarunning. Our aid station was home to Thunder Alley, a section of park road coated with Pop-It snappers that exploded underfoot to offer the runners a quick laugh. If you stayed long enough, you could enjoy one of at least a dozen variations of “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC, to the delight of everyone involved.
Riverview aid was also the drop-off for the Thunder Alley Thrift Store. Out in the woods, runners encountered the finest collection of weird items that they could find. If you volunteered to carry one back, you earned a prize to fit your favorite vice: a shot of liquor or a scratch-off lottery ticket. Thrift Store finds ranged from VHS tapes to naughty gnome coloring books, to giant stuffed animals that could only make it easier to navigate the trails of Loud Thunder. Despite there being no requirement to do so, runner after runner emerged from the woods with these items. Smiles and laughter were carried along with them, so they served their purpose well.
Runners of all kinds tackled Loud Thunder this year, including 50-mile runners breaking course records. I witnessed a runner in third place chasing the second-place runner—not to overtake, but because they were friends and wanted to talk. I saw a runner out enjoying the half marathon course because they had time to kill while their child ran the 50k race. I saw people taking on their first ultra, and I had to wonder why they chose this one. I know that’s a lot of “I saws” all in a row, but Loud Thunder gives runners so much to see and more. It is, in the race director’s words, “brutiful.” It’s tough, but it’s well supported with experienced volunteers, well stocked with the things runners need and provides a wealth of food and drink afterward to atone for conquering the beatdown of the trails. If you’re looking to push yourself in a place you wouldn’t think capable of such a push, it’s well worth your time.