Deam Lake Loop Trail Run

OVERVIEW

The 2nd Annual Deam Lake Loop Trail Run will take place on Saturday, October 3rd 2026 at Deam Lake State Recreation Area in Borden, Indiana! Join us for this iconic foot race along Deam Lake Loop Trail, which follows the boundary of Deam Lake SRA. Enjoy beautiful scenery and true trail running comradery on this challenging course that sees several short but steep climbs. 5K and 10K options are available: walkers and hikers welcome.

EARLY BIRD PRICING

• Discounted Fee: $25 for all races if you register before April 1st (that’s $5 off our already low registration fee!).

CULESS RACE

• Sustainable Partner: This is a cupless race with HydraPak as our Sustainable Racing Partner.
• Reusable Cup: Participants will receive a reusable HydraPak #SpeedCup at packet pickup to use at the aid station where staff and volunteers will be ready to fill your cup for a seamless aid station experience.
• Zero-Waste: Sustainability is one of our core values at Deam Lake and our partnership with HydraPak helps us fulfill our vision of running this race with zero-waste.
• HydraPak Collection: See HydraPak's full collection of running products at https://www.hydrapak.com/collections/running.

SHIRT GIVEAWAY

• Optional Shirts: Our shirt giveaway is now optional, allowing for an even lower registration fee for those who don’t want or need a race shirt.
• Additional Fee: Participants must choose the giveaway option at registration to receive a race shirt for a small additional fee.

EVENT LOCATION

Deam Lake State Recreation Area
1217 Deam Lake Rd.
Borden, IN 47106

• Race Start/End: The race will begin and end at the Forest Education Center and Park Office, which is located about a half mile past the Main Gate on the right.

PARKING

• Main Parking: Parking will primarily be available at the Forest Education Center.
• No Parking: Please do not park at the Park Office.
• Overflow Parking: Overflow parking will be at the gravel lot by the boat ramp 500ft north of the Forest Education Center.
• Staff Assistance: Staff will be on hand to direct folks to this overflow parking location if necessary.

PACKET PICKUP

• Fridays Pickup: Packet Pickup will take place at the Forest Education Center on Friday, October 2nd from 5:00pm to 7:00pm.
• Saturday Pickup: Day-of from 6:30am to 7:45am.

COURSE

• 10K Details: Runners will start on an old logging road and enter the eastern section of Deam Lake Loop, turning left and continuing counter-clockwise along the entire loop.
• Mile 0.9: There is one road crossing at approximately mile 0.9 - traffic guards will be in place.
• Challenging Terrain: This wide, even trail sees several gradual to steep climbs, has several small creek crossings, and is rated as "moderately challenging."
• Interactive Map: See the interactive map and elevation changes here: https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/6249982324/.

AID

• Water Station: At this time, one aid station is planned for the 10K course at mile 3.4.
• Sustainability: An aid station will also be available at the conclusion of the race.
• No Cups: Please see the above information on how we are running this event cupless.

SWAG

• Shirt Policy: The shirt giveaway is optional to help mitigate our footprint.
• Medals: Our custom laser-engraved wooden finisher medals capture the spirit of Deam Lake and are also a more sustainable option.
• Images: Swag images coming soon!

SAFETY

• Top Priority: Safety is the #1 priority of this event: staff and volunteers will monitor race conditions.
• Course Monitoring: The course will be well-marked.
• Road Crossings: One road crossing for all events at approximately mile 0.90 for both the 10K and the 5K.
• Situational Awareness: Please be highly situationally aware of all road crossings and road running activity.

HORSES

Deam Lake Loop is a shared, multi-use trail, and is open to horseback riding, cyclists, and other runners/hikers: we are especially making great strides to inform the local horse trail-riding community that this running event is taking place. However, in the rare instance that a horse is encountered on the trail, please stop or slow down, say hello and communicate with the rider on the horse, ask the rider the best way to pass, and then calmly follow those instructions.

GROUP TRAINING RUNS

To help get runners acclimated to these challenging trails, we are offering 3 group training runs on the following dates:

• Sunday, August 23rd 8am
• Thursday, September 3rd 6pm
• Sunday, September 20th 8am

2, 4, and 6 mile distance options available. We will run different segments of the Deam Lake Loop for each one of the training runs. Meet at the Forest Education Center. Show your proof of race registration at the gate to get free entry into the property.

REGISTRATION LINK

For more information and to register for the race, visit Deam Lake Loop Trail Run.