Chauncey's 4 at The Farm

Registration Fees:

Early Registration Until January 31 $40.00

Swag Size Guarantee Registration February 1 – March 24 $45.00

Late Registration** March 25 – March 31 $45.00

Race Week Registration** April 1 – April 7 $50.00

** Due to production lead times, size and color of event shirt is guaranteed only with paid registration by no later than March 24. After March 24, size and color is wholly dependent on remaining supply of shirts.

Shirt & Bib Pick-up:

FRIDAY, April 5, from 6:00 - 8:00pm at Dick Pond Athletics, 26W515 St Charles Rd, Carol Stream

SATURDAY, April 6, from 2:00 - 4:00pm at Dick Pond Athletics, 2775 Maple Ave, Lisle

SUNDAY, April 7, from 7:00 - 8:00am at race site - St James Farm, Winfield

Water Station: There will be one water station at approximately the 2.3-mile mark, just as you exit the Pin Oak Allee. If you feel you need hydration earlier or later in the run, please stage something out on the course before the event or be prepared to carry it with you.

Entry Swag: Registered participants will receive the race-official Chauncey's 4 At The Farm top quality crewneck sweatshirt (unisex size) Size and color is guaranteed only with paid registration by no later than March 24. Choice of the following two colors: Maroon or Dark Heather.

Maroon Shirt no longer available!

Finisher Award: Each finisher will receive the race-official Chauncey's 4 At The Farm woodallion, the first in a unique set of four for the Dick Pond Athletics 2024 Trail Race Series. Representative image to be added soon.

Overall Winner and Age Group Awards: The Overall Male and Female Champion will each receive an engraved wood award.

The 1st Place Male and Female winner in each of the following age groups will receive an award: 14 & Under, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and 70 & Over.

Raffle: You receive automatic entry in the raffle with your entry. Winners will be drawn while the race is in progress. Be sure to check the Raffle Winner Board after finishing to see if you have won a prize. You must be present to win, and you must take your prize when leaving the event.

Results: Results will be available during the event by scanning the QR code on your race bib. If you are an Age Group Winner, please be sure to pick up your award before leaving the site (awards will NOT be sent out).

The Course: The one-loop 4.1-mile course consists of wide limestone and grass/wooded trail pathways meandering over the gently rolling terrain of the expansive and wooded St James property. The total distance of the course and the mile marks shown on the attached course map are approximated.

The grass & wooded trail portions are indicated on the map. Expect to encounter uneven ground, partially exposed roots and rocks, and other conditions common to a natural environment such as possible fallen branches and/or trees, water-sodden or muddy areas. Any of these can cause a stumble or fall that could result in personal injury to you. St James Farm is open to the public prior to race day, so we encourage you to visit the site to preview the course at your leisure. If you have any trepidation about the conditions, please do not sign up for this event. There are NO refunds once registration is made.

The Dick Pond Athletics - Darn Tough Trail Race Series 2024

Chauncey’s 4 at The Farm is the first of four events in the Dick Pond Athletics 4-Seasons Trail Series, comprised of:

· Chauncey’s Trail Stampede

· Hickory Knolls Trail Run (June 9, 2024)

· Summer Trail Classic (August 18, 2024)

· Big Timber XC Challenge (November 3, 2024)

Those who register for and finish each of the above will receive a BONUS premium swag item at Big Timber in November. There is nothing more to pay – simply sign up once registration opens for each event … finish each run … and the extra swag is yours! Participants who met the 4-Seasons Challenge last year walked away with a super-sweet mid-weight jacket.

Volunteers are needed on race day to assist with bib pick-up, act as course marshals, or help at the finish. You’ll receive the eternal gratitude of the Race Committee and an official race mug.

The first Europeans to settle on this land were farmers, and several structures from late-1800 farmsteads remain, including a gabled-roof-and-wing farmhouse, one of the last of its kind in DuPage County. A massive wood-planked German-style barn with cantilevered floors dates back to 1890, if not earlier, as do the remains of another barn’s fieldstone foundation.

For decades, though, the property was the retreat of the McCormick family. Chauncey and Marion McCormick acquired the initial 203 acres in 1920. Chauncey was the great nephew of Cyrus McCormick, who invented the first commercially successful mechanical reaper and in 1851 co-founded the McCormick Reaper Works, which merged with the Deering Harvester Company in 1906 to become International Harvester Corporation.

To accommodate their interest in horseback riding, the couple built a colonial-style brick stable with stalls lined with wood and iron posts from England. To support their growing award-winning herd of Guernsey cows, they constructed a state-of-the-art dairy barn with roomy stalls and assorted outbuildings. For the better part of two decades, the buildings housed a dairy operation that was a benchmark for farmers throughout the Midwest.

In the late 1950s, the property passed to the McCormicks’ son, Brooks, who managed the estate with his wife, Hope. They built the estate’s indoor arena, which not only accommodated their black-tie events but also later served as the St. James Riding School for the Handicapped, one of the McCormicks’ charitable interests.

After his retirement from International Harvester in 1980, Brooks began to aggressively develop the estate’s renowned equestrian facility, which grew to include a 62-stall stable for competitors’ horses, a 1.5-mile steeplechase track, a 200-seat concession area and dressage and jumping arenas. St. James Farm hosted several international eventing and dressage competitions and an annual steeplechase race, which drew up to 14,000 spectators and raised funds for the Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital.

In 2000 Brooks McCormick sold the 607-acre St. James Farm to the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, retaining a life estate that gave him the right to live on the property until his death in 2006. In July 2007 the District officially took possession of the property.