GORUCK Star Course (Chicago)

Chicago's about to become your personal OCR proving ground—GORUCK's Star Course is dropping April 30-May 1 with three brutal distance options (12, 26.2, and 50 miles) that put the power of route-finding directly in your hands. Grab your crew, load up your ruck with serious weight, and navigate the Windy City's iconic waypoints on your own terms, with zero cadre, zero predetermined paths, and 100% self-guided adventure. This is terrain-conquering, grit-testing rucking at its finest.

Here comes the coolest and most exhausting way to tour the Windy City! The GORUCK 50, 26.2, and 12 miles Star Courses are set for April 30 and May 1 in Chicago.  

GORUCK founder, Jason McCarthy, likes to tell the story of President Teddy Roosevelt’s 1908 executive order to members of the military to “Do 50 miles in under 20 hours.” The order was later echoed by President John F. Kennedy. So, using the 50 miler as our example, here’s how the GORUCK Star Course works. 

Star Course Need-to-Know

Teams of 2-5 will show up at the assigned start point and receive a list of waypoints. Unlike other GORUCK events, there’s no pushups and no Cadre leading the event. Teams will hit the waypoints in whatever order they want using whatever routes they want as long as it’s all on foot with a weighted rucksack (pack 10 lbs. for bodyweight under 150 lbs.; pack 20 lbs. If you’re 150 lbs. or over). Participants will text selfies from each waypoint to confirm. 

For a better understanding of GORUCK Star Courses, check out this video from Washington D.C. 

As you can see, GORUCK always manages to include the city’s best sites in their Star Course events. Chicago will be no exception. 

Find a GORUCK event near you. Then, weight up, and start walking!