⏵ Course guide · Illinois' only point-to-point 100
The Hennepin Hundred runs flat and fast from Sterling to Colona, Illinois, along the historic Hennepin Canal State Trail, past locks, lift bridges, and small-town northwest Illinois. I will walk you through the course and what makes a canal-towpath 100 different first, then give you a pacing and fueling plan built for a long, flat effort, plus free tools to dial in your own numbers.
These facts come from the official hennepinhundred.com site and the current UltraSignup registration page. Check the current year details before you commit. Race logistics change year to year.
This is Illinois' only point-to-point, all-trail ultramarathon, and the entire route follows the Hennepin Canal State Trail, a historic canal towpath rather than singletrack or mountain terrain.
The 50-mile and 100-mile courses follow the Hennepin Canal State Trail, Illinois' longest multi-use trail, across historic locks and lift bridges, past autumn corn, picturesque farms, and postcard towns of northwest Illinois. This is a canal towpath, not technical singletrack, and the race's own copy leans into that: "a beautiful run, a perfect setting for a PR or first-time finish."
You start in Sterling on the Rock River and finish in Colona, near the mighty Mississippi, a true point-to-point Illinois adventure rather than an out-and-back or a loop. That format means the scenery keeps changing throughout the race, even as the terrain itself stays consistently flat.
Runners are supported by 150 volunteers along the course, many of them ultrarunners themselves. For the 100-mile field, part of the race runs through the night, and the race's own description calls out the stars above the open canal corridor as magnificent once darkness falls.
Without major climbs to break up the effort, pacing discipline on a flat course like this matters more, not less, than on a mountain 100.
A flat, fast course tempts you to run faster than your fitness supports simply because the effort feels easy in the early miles. A steady, even pace built around your actual fitness, not the flat terrain, protects your legs for the back half of a 50 or 100 mile effort.
Because the Hennepin Hundred has been a Western States Qualifying race every year since 2019, many runners target a specific qualifying time here. Build a finish-time projection around your actual training paces on flat terrain, then check it against the qualifying standard well before race day, not mid-race.
⏵ Free tools to pace this course
Early October in northwest Illinois can be pleasant during the day and cool overnight, especially for 100-mile runners still out after dark.
Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour, and lean on the 150 volunteers positioned along the course for regular resupply rather than trying to carry everything you need for 100 miles at once.
If you are running the 100-mile distance, part of your race happens after dark, and October nights along the open canal corridor can turn cool quickly. Pack layers alongside your fueling plan so a temperature drop does not derail your race in the final stretch.
⏵ Build your fueling plan
Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight, your goal time, and a long day and night on the canal towpath with the free ultra fueling calculator. Browse the rest of the free running tools at the tools hub.
⏵ Train for it with Summit Line
Get a race-day plan built around YOUR fitness, this exact flat, fast canal-trail profile, and your projected splits through the night if you are running the 100. Summit Line reads your real training and rehearses your fueling so race day is something you execute, not guess at.
It is flat and fast rather than technical, following the Hennepin Canal State Trail, Illinois' longest multi-use trail, on a course the race itself describes as "a perfect setting for a PR or first-time finish." That does not make 100 miles easy, but the challenge here is pacing and endurance over a long, largely level point-to-point rather than climbing or technical footing.
It is Illinois' only point-to-point, all-trail ultramarathon, running from Sterling on the Rock River to Colona near the Mississippi along the historic Hennepin Canal, past locks, lift bridges, autumn corn, farms, and small towns. The point-to-point format means you never retrace ground, which is a change of pace from the out-and-back and loop courses common at flat ultras.
A flat, fast course still means a long time on your feet at 100 miles. Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour, and lean on the 150 volunteers stationed along the course for regular resupply. October in northwest Illinois can run cool, especially overnight if you are still out on the 100-mile distance, so plan layers alongside your fueling.
Yes, the Hennepin Hundred has been a Western States Qualifying race every year since its 2019 debut. Combined with a flat, fast, largely non-technical course, that makes it a popular target for runners chasing a qualifying time without the added difficulty of major elevation change.
The race's own copy calls it "a perfect setting for a PR or first-time finish," and the flat, canal-towpath terrain supports that claim better than most 100-mile courses can. If you are chasing a fast time or attempting your first 100, the lack of major elevation change removes one of the biggest variables that slows finish times at mountain ultras.
The Hennepin Canal State Trail is a historic canal towpath, Illinois' longest multi-use trail, crossing locks and lift bridges through farmland and small towns in the northwest part of the state. Runners are supported by 150 volunteers, many of them ultrarunners themselves, and the race notes that the stars above the open canal corridor are magnificent once night falls on the 100-mile field.
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<a href="https://runsummitline.com/guides/hennepin-hundred">The The Hennepin Hundred course guide</a><iframe src="https://runsummitline.com/embed/race/hennepin-hundred" style="width:100%;max-width:420px;height:180px;border:0;" loading="lazy" title="The Hennepin Hundred course guide by Summit Line"></iframe>This guide is independent and for planning only. The course details, dates, and registration windows come from public sources and can change year to year, so confirm the current specifics with the official race before you register or run. The fueling and pacing advice is general and not medical advice.
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