The DeTonty Iron Fist 50K Trail Ultra Run and 3 person 50K Trail Relay will be held October 24, at 8:30 a.m., at Pulaksi Woods Grove #1 in Willow Springs at Archer Ave. and 95th St.

Chicago area runners no longer have to travel to Wisconsin or beyond to run a trail ultra marathon. Universal Sole presents the DeTonty 50K Ultra Trail run and 3 Person 50K Relay. This amazing event will be held only 35 min. from downtown Chicago in the Palos Division of the Cook County Forest Preserve District. The run will consist of 1 loop of 10.33 miles that each 50K runner will run 3 times and each relay runner will run once. The start/finish lines and all pre and post run activities will be held at Pulaski Woods Grove #1.

"This is an event that we have talked about doing since we opened the store 5 years ago," said Paul Peters, ownder of Universal Sole. "We are very excited about this and know runners of all abilities will enjoy running either the 50K or the relay. The trails at Palos offer a lot of variety, the course will run over groomed dirt and gravel trail, single track with dirt, gravel and rocky sections. We will also run through a couple of good ravines that will spice things up a bit. Palos offers the best trail running within 75 miles of Chicago and this race will let all runners experience it."

For more information call Universal Sole at 773-868-0893 or check www.universalsole.com.

Side Note: Who is Henry de Tonty?

Among the greatest of the dauntless men who made possible the exploration J and settlement of the Mississippi Basin, there is one forgotten man. He was a simple sturdy soldier, blunt and laconic in his speech or his reports, over-shadowed by his brilliant chief -- La Salle -- whose trusted lieutenant, loyal friend and devoted companion he was. The Forest Preserve District proposes to create a lake and name it for Henry de Tonty, Sieur and Chevalier, Governor of Fort St. Louis in the Province of the Illinois -- The Man with the Iron Hand.

--From the Forest Preserve District of Cook County Web site. To read more about de Tonty, click here:
www.newton.dep.anl.gov/natbltn/200-299/nb294.htm