By Runners. For Runners.
The Driftless Trail Collective was established in 2022 with the intent of putting on grassroots trail and ultra events in Madison and the surrounding area. We bring a passion and love for trail and ultra running to each event as well as to all the members of this amazing community.
Your Race Directors
Emma Cameron
@emma.eclogite
Emma first got into trail running after realizing she really didn’t enjoy the drills, the pounding of the pavement, and the rigidity of running on the roads in the track team in middle school. She had no idea what she was doing other than enjoying running on her own in the woods until she went to college in Ohio, where she ran her first trail marathon in 2014.
Once she moved to Madison, WI in 2015, she dived into the running community through the November Project workout group, where she met similarly-minded trail runners who encouraged her to try her first 50K in 2017. Afterwards, it was a steady, slippery slope to 50-milers, 100 km, and 100-mile races and trail running becoming a crucial part of how she lives her life and finds community in southwestern Wisconsin.
She’s passionate about inclusive running communities–movement is for everyone–and is excited to join the Driftless Trail Collective to plan events in the Driftless area!
Nick Zaborek
Nick is a Wisconsin native and now lives in the deep hills of the Driftless region, only a short way from Governor Dodge. Trail running lets him combine his three favorite hobbies in one go: running, foraging food, and cooking it.
He is excited to be an organizer with the Driftless Trail Collective, a group that came to be from some excited conversations between volunteers at an aid station.
Jessi Monk
@monkjessicam
Jessi is excited to help bring an event to Governor Dodge State Park — its one of her favorite destinations for trail running in southwestern Wisconsin! She stumbled on trail running accidentally back in 2011 at the Afton Trail Run, and was immediately drawn to the community, the vibe, and the adventure of being off-road.
She loves planning run-adventures with friends and hopes to get some more multi-day fastpack excursions in all over the US and beyond. She hopes the DTC can help others to find their own inspiration out on trail!
If you have any questions about our organization, our mission, or our races, use the Contact Us form to send a question our way! We’d love to hear from you!
the driftless trail collective 