The 2026 Willow Is In The Books
Scott O'leary crosses the finish line
Before I say anything else, I want to put this front and center: St. Croix Running Company will donate $1,150 to Willow River State Park to support the ongoing trail work that makes events like this possible. We’ll get into why in a moment, but that number feels right to lead with. It’s a small way of saying thank you for something that genuinely can’t be taken for granted.
Now, to the race itself.
Last Saturday was one of those mornings where everything just lined up. The weather was the kind you quietly hope for and rarely get — cool enough to run hard, calm enough actually to enjoy where you were. Willow River State Park in early May can go a dozen different directions. This one went right. If you were out there, you felt it.
Close to 230 runners crossed the finish line across the 10 and 20 mile distances. That number still impresses me every year, not because it’s the biggest race on the calendar, but because of what it takes to get 230 people through a day like this without a hitch. And that’s where I want to spend a little time, because the runners are only part of the story.
The volunteers were exceptional.
From the moment the first runner pulled into the parking lot, the people staffing registration knew what they were doing. Check-in was smooth, friendly, and unhurried. Our timing crew kept everything accurate all morning long. And the aid station volunteers out on the course, the people who stood out there for hours making sure runners had what they needed, that’s a level of generosity that doesn’t go unnoticed. Not by me, and not by the people who ran past your table and kept moving because they were racing to their lives. Thank you for that.
And then there’s the park staff.
I want to be specific here, because “the park was great” doesn’t really cover it. The rangers and supporting staff at Willow River are genuinely invested in what happens there. They work to maintain something special, year-round, not just on race day. Hosting an event in a state park isn’t just a transaction. There’s trust involved. They’re handing over something they care about, and we don’t take that lightly. The $1,150 we’re putting back into the park is our way of acknowledging that the trails we ran on Saturday didn’t build and maintain themselves. That money goes directly toward keeping them in the shape that makes a race like this worth doing.
If you want to check the results or relive a little of the morning, everything is posted over at UltraSignup: 2026 Willow 10 & 20 Miler Results.
To everyone who ran, volunteered, drove out early, cheered, or just showed up, thank you. This event exists because the trail running community in this region keeps showing up for it.
The season isn’t close to finished, either.
Coming up this year: the In Yan Teopa Trail Race at Frontenac State Park, the Trout Brook 10-Miler, and the Icebox 240/480, our timed endurance challenge that will push you in ways a single Saturday morning run simply can’t. Each of these events is worth your attention. More details are on the website, and registration information will be coming your way soon.
For now, though, take a minute to appreciate what you did out there. And to everyone who made Saturday what it was, we’ll see you on the trails.