Oak Leaf Trail 36 Hour 2026 — McLeod, ND

Welcome to the Oak Leaf Trail 36 Hour race in the Sheyenne National Grassland near McLeod, North Dakota. Format: Fat ass, self-support only, no fee. Course: 4-mile Oak Leaf Trail Loop in the Sheyenne National Grassland. The Loop is officially marked by wooden posts along the 3-foot-wide graveled singletrack tread. The northern portion of the Oak Leaf Trail overlaps directly with the North Country National Scenic Trail (NCNST); in the shared section, there will be blue painted blazes on trees or posts. Follow the blue blazes along the North Country Trail until you hit the official Oak Leaf Trail junction post. Take the turn to stay on the 4-mile loop. Do not continue straight on the NCNST, or you'll be on a 30-mile point-to-point! (Optional) You can download the trail map (for offline use as there is weak to no signal on the course) in Gaia GPS app by searching for "Oak Leaf Loop Trail" and select "Jorgen's Hollow Campground Loop" located in Sheyenne National Grassland, North Dakota. The trail weaves through rolling sandhills, oak savanna, and tallgrass prairie. Footing is predominantly singletrack, featuring sections of loose sand and occasional cattle tracks. While there are no large mountains to climb, the constant rolling nature of the dunes and sandy patches will test your legs over time. Gaiters are recommended. Start and finish of each lap at East Trailhead Day-use Parking Lot (just off County Road 23). GPS coordinates: 46.523118, -97.203148. Time: 36 hours, from 6pm Central Time on September 29 to 6am Central Time on October 1. Size limit: 10. Race rules: Runners must register by 12am Central Time on September 22 at runsignup.com. Runners must be at least 18 years of age and sign the waiver during registration. Runners can start anytime after the official race start time. Runners can finish anytime before the official race end time, after which runners must be off course. When runners temporarily leave the course, they must reenter the race at the same spot and continue in the same direction. Runners must provide their own supplies throughout the race, including yet not limited to, water, sports drink, snacks, and food. Runners should be prepared to track their exact distance using a commonly used application (e.g. Strava, Garmin, Apple Health). Parking is in the East Trailhead Day-use parking lot (gravel). No overnight sleeping in the car is allowed (short breaks between laps are OK). For any questions, please contact the race director. Happy running!