Reflections on the 2026 Badger Trail Races and why the trail running community inspires me.

This past weekend was the seventh Badger Trail Races by Ten Junk Miles Racing, a two-day event held entirely on trails in between Orangeville, Illinois and Belleville, Wisconsin, that includes a 100-miler, 100K, 50-miler, 50K, marathon and half marathon.

As you can guess I am tired. This year hit us with: stolen merchandise, a locker break-in, a medal snafu and a storm that screwed up most of our plans.

The weekend was perfect though. I’m not saying the race went perfect, hundreds of things went wrong. I’m also sad about the people that didn’t finish, who trained for the event and got knocked out by the rain. 189 started the 100 mile and 132 finished. Most importantly no one got seriously injured, no one from town is mad at me (no cows were disturbed) and more than a few people made new friends.

Badger Trail Races / Ten Junk Miles Racing. — Photo courtesy of Badger Trail Races/Ten Junk Miles Racing.

Badger Trail Races Are All About Community

Making friends is what this is all about. It’s what makes me happiest in doing this. Seeing strangers finish together after meeting on the trail. Seeing the hundreds of people at the finish line waiting for the race to end, chilling in the grass drinking free beer and eating free pizza. I started Ten Junk Miles podcast for the same basic reason: So people could find running friends and not have to run alone anymore.

These days my own running life sucks and it’s becoming a bigger and bigger project/part of my life to put these races on. So I do this. Not professionally (though I hear we do a good job) and not to make money (although sometimes we do) but for you. All of you.

Being around you, seeing you finish, seeing you leave with new friends and adventure partners, who help you come up with new dreams, to go on and start your own races and podcasts and talk each other into even more bad ideas. That’s what I would like my legacy to be.

Because of you there’s hundreds of pounds of new food at the Belleville Food Pantry, donations are made to the Shop With A Cop Program, new police badges were bought, other donations were made. A mom honored her son with a DFL finish. You made me laugh, and smile and more than a few times cry (I’m looking at you Oscar). We also married a new couple, broke a course record and saw many, many first time finishes.

Now it’s your turn. First. Sign up for next year’s race. (Joke!). Next, go change the world. It’s not hard. Just look around and ask yourself what you can do to impact the world around you in a positive way. Every day we have little chances. Take them. It’s addicting. You won’t be able to stop.

And when we close the shed and get into the car and head home we know two things: 1) we did our part; and 2) there is so much more we can do.

Registration is open for next year’s Badger Trail Races on July 31-August 1, 2027. Ten Junk Miles also organizes the Last Dot Standing and 24-hour and 48-hour races on Sept. 18-20.

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