The PIASA

The Piasa. Where legends are born.

Long before paved roads, timing mats, and Strava segments, there was the Piasa—a mythical winged beast spoken of out of fear and reverence. In the Illiniwek (Algonquian) language, the Piasa (pronounced PIE-uh-saw) is often translated as “the bird that devours men.” It is said to have dwelled in the cliffs near the confluence of the Mississippi, Missouri, and Illinois rivers, preying silently within the dark woods on its unsuspecting victims.

The Piasa race borrows that spirit. These trails do not relent until there is nothing left to give.

Set deep within the rugged bluffs and forested ravines of Pere Marquette State Park in Grafton, IL, the Piasa Trail Races are a confrontation between runner and terrain, legend and legendary. Short climbs don’t exist here. The footing is technical. The descents demand focus. The course lures you in with its beauty, then tests whether you can sustain long enough to enjoy it.

The Challenge

The Piasa offers three distances—each one designed to push your limits in different ways:
• 12.5K – A sharp introduction to the Piasa Trails. Fast enough to tempt you, brutal enough to humble you.
• 25K – Sustained climbing, technical terrain, and the kind of fatigue that leaves you asking real questions of yourself like “Why didn’t I just run the 12.5k?”
• 50K – A full reckoning with the Piasa. Long climbs, deep fatigue, and a course that devours you with over 4,000’ of buckle-worthy climbing.

This is not a course where you’ll wing it. You have to earn it. And there are two ways to do that.

Solo or Buddy Division: Runners can face the Piasa alone or together.
• Solo Division – You versus the hills, the clock, and the legend. Test yourself as the Piasa watches and torments your steps.
• Buddy Division – A new format built on shared suffering and shared victory. Two runners, one journey. Stay together, climb together, endure together. Because sometimes the only way to conquer the Piasa…is not alone.

Why Run the Piasa?

Some races reward speed.
Others reward resilience.