Summer Trail Series

THE SUMMER TRAIL SERIES RETURNS TO CASTLEWOOD!

St. Louis trail runners have long known that the best way to spend a summer Thursday night is tearing up the singletrack, conquering the bluffs, and catching a sunset over the Meramec River. The St. Louis Track Club is excited to host its Summer Trail Series at Castlewood State Park in Ballwin, MO. To maximize our summer daylight and keep everyone safe on the trails, runners will tackle the longest distances in the peak of July's summer sun and race the shorter courses as the evenings get shorter in August.

St. Louis Track Club members receive $10 off the series cost, or $2 off the single-race cost! Discount automatically applied when you're logged into RunSignUp with the same email address you used to sign up for membership.

THE FROSTBITE FORMAT — FOR THE SUMMER!

We are bringing the exact same trusted structure from our flagship winter event, the Frostbite Series, to the trails: five races, held every other week. Just like Frostbite, points will accumulate over the course of the five-race series toward overall awards. We also know that summer is a busy time for family vacations and busy schedules, so we are keeping the classic Frostbite rule: your lowest-performing race score will be dropped from the final standings. You can skip a race or erase a tough night on the trails and still stay in the running for an award!

THE 2026 LINEUP & DISTANCES

All races kick off at 6:15 PM at Castlewood State Park (Race HQ in the Special Events area past the train trestle).

* Race 1: July 2, 2026 – 8K

* Race 2: July 16, 2026 – 7K

* Race 3: July 30, 2026 – 6K

* Race 4: August 13, 2026 – 5K

* Race 5: August 27, 2026 – 4K

* Rain/Weather Date: Sept. 3, 2026 – in case we need to reschedule a race

Presented by the St. Louis Track Club, this is the ultimate mid-week escape. Whether you're hunting down a series win or just looking to enjoy a run in the woods and a cold drink with friends, your Thursday nights just got a major upgrade. Space will be strictly limited due to park trail capacities — so go ahead and claim your spot in the dirt!

COME FOR THE RUN, STAY FOR THE PARTY!

After each run we'll be grilling up hotdogs and serving up ice-cold brews (vegetarian and NA options will be available too!) for the perfect post-run recovery party. Cheer on everyone while they finish and meet some new trail friends. We're keeping the grill going for all five races, so come hungry and leave happy! 

SERIES SCORING

Series awards will be earned by accruing points across a maximum of four races (i.e., your four best races). There will be 3 awards per gender group. A runner’s races will be awarded points based on their age/gender group placement using the following scale: 1st – 50 points; 2nd – 45 points; 3rd – 40 points; 4th – 35 points; 5th – 30 points; 6th - 25 points; 7th - 20 points; 8th - 15 points; 9th - 10 points; all finishers receive 5 points. Only series registrants are eligible for series awards.

For the individual races in each series, the top three runners in each gender receive a ribbon.