El Trote De Las Calacas 2026 Lively Cultural Event & Certified 5K Race

Experience the festive El Trote De Las Calacas (Skeleton Trot), a USTF-certified 5K race/walk and lively cultural event in its third annual year! With over 1,000 attendees in 2025, all will experience the celebration honoring Day of the Dead with music, food, dancing catrinas, performers, a cultural marketplace and more. The race steps off amid music and fanfare at 9 am on a course that begins at the Gail Borden Public Library at 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin, IL 60120.
Be part of the tradition. Run with the Calacas! Register here: gailborden.info/trote
Presented by the Gail Borden Public Library District Foundation and the U-46 Educational Foundation. By participating as a runner, walker, sponsor, or volunteer, you help support two of the community’s premier child-focused 501(c)(3) nonprofits. This unique partnership turns every stride into an investment for the community, combining cultural celebration with a powerful fundraising mission.
Thank you to our sponsors. Co-sponsored by the City of Elgin. Silver Sponsor: International Contractors Inc. Copper Sponsors: Shales McNutt Construction, state Rep. Anna Moeller, and Signs By Tomorrow – Elgin. In-Kind Sponsors: El Milagro, Churros y Chocolate Inc., and Woodman's.