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, sponsored by Alpine Shop, 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! 

SHIRTS

All Series participants receive a shirt. Single-race participants can add on a shirt purchase in the registration process. Shirt orders placed after 6/23/26 will not be available to pick up until the second or third race. 

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 5 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 an award. 

PACKET PICKUP

Pre-race packet pickup will be held on Wednesday, July 1 from 5-7:30 p.m. at Alpine Shop, 440 N Kirkwood Rd, Kirkwood, MO 63122. All runners are encouraged to attend the packet pickup to save time on race day! Alpine Shop is our title sponsor and the creator of the Summer Trail Series, so be sure to browse around the store while you're there.

Race Day packet pickup will start at 5 p.m. for each race inside the Special Events area. 

VOLUNTEER

We need volunteers to help make this race a success. If you can't run it, we hope you still come out to volunteer. All volunteers get to partake in the post-race food and beverages, and if you sign up for more than 3 races, you'll get a complimentary race shirt. You can sign up to volunteer here: https://runsignup.com/Race/Volunteer/MO/Ballwin/SummerTrailSeries. 

PARKING

Event parking is allowed only inside the Special Events Area or at the shuttle pickup at nearby West Springs Church (see location here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/KYfj1JpE2XpVtqPT9). Once parking within the Special Events Area is full, all remaining race participants must park at the Shuttle Area. Please give yourself enough time to catch the shuttle before the race. The shuttle will begin running at 5 p.m. for each race. 

RACE PHOTOS

Each race will be photographed by Janzow Photography. Racers will be able to download the photos free of charge for personal use.