White River Marathon for Kenya (prev Mountain Home Marathon for - Race Reviews

Course is double out-and-back, very flat and a little monotonous...but it was perfect for me. The out-and-back meant I didn't feel lonely! Organization was fantastic, and had a very friendly feel to it. Police and cyclists patrolled the course, particularly toward then end. Lots of gatorade and GU's. Stayed a couple extra days in Eureka Springs, which I highly recommend. My overall ranking doesn't look that high, but overall, I would give it 4.5 stars in the aspects that matter to me.

Excellent organization and communication from the race team going into race weekend. Packet pickup was a breeze & race morning was made better by the ability to hang out inside the local school to stay warm before heading to the starting line. I was surprised that the first mile has a big, extended downhill, but thankfully racers don't have to go back up it, so the race is indeed flat as advertised after that. Given the size of the race, the later miles get a bit lonely - but the view was pretty once the fog burned off. Yesterday's weather was pretty much perfect for a marathon - starting temps in the mid-30s and rising to the mid-50s a few hours later. I was wary of the last two miles on the small crushed gravel trail, but it wasn't bad! I slowed down a bit, but I had also run out of people to chase and was admittedly tired, so I won't blame it on the footing. This was a great race to check off the state of Arkansas. If you are flying in, I'd recommend NOT flying into Harrison though - it's a very small airport and made for a unique hassle at my layover in Memphis. Locals here have said people typically fly into Fayetteville and drive two hours instead. Additionally, my mom and I stayed in an AirBnB for the weekend - it was PERFECT. Less than 5 minutes from the race start and race finish (the race doesn't finish where it starts). I even had time after the race to head back to the house and change into dry clothes before heading to the local school to pick up my award. Mountain Home would also be a nice place to stay if you want to stay somewhere a little more populated.

I found the new course less to my liking because the last two miles are the most difficult. It's no longer paved and the incline to the trail is quite steep and lengthy. Moreover, the trail is strewn with leaves, so you really can't see the surface that you're running on. I walked about 1.5 miles of the trail the day before the race and removed some large rocks out of the way. It just seems less safe for an old guy on the last two miles. I'm on the fence about running it again, but overall after 11 marathons here, it has been a great experience!

Anyone who complains about any aspect of this race should think twice. The organizer (safely) held a live marathon during Covid when most of the rest of the country could not or would not do so. I was VERY impressed with their organization and by the fact that they kept reassuring runners that the race would go on (helpful when traveling from out of state). Runners run. Volunteers were great, the race was great. Cotter itself was great (shout out to the Trout Lodge!). I traveled from Maryland for this, my 20th state. I would run it again if I didn't have 30 more states to check off the list. Again, kudos to the good people of Cotter. If you're a runner go to Cotter, if you're not a runner go to Cotter, because I hear the fishing is great, too. Thank you Cotter!

Happy to get to run this during the covid era. Great day (not too warm), pretty course along the river, nice runners and volunteers. A little chaotic at the start: was to be waves to allow spacing but the spacing was not maintained and it involved crossing the road at which time the waves all started to congeal together. A little slow with buses at end to return to parking at start but was an easy (and actually welcome) walk of less than a mile back. All in all worth doing and really wouldn't have above complaints if no covid.

I did this one because it was a non-virtual run in a state I haven't visited, and also because the proceeds go to an impoverished village in Kenya. It was a fairly well-run small-town race with good and bad. Crowd support non-existent but for the volunteers, fantastic as usual. (Thank You!) Full marathon a fairly boring double out-and-back along a river road, but mainly flat. Pre-race rigatoni dish at local motel was ho-hum, but abundant portions. Lousy Top-40 music blasting at starting line. Post-race medal huge, maybe too huge. (Why are medals constantly getting larger? Is it a competition between marathons? Bigger not always better.) Post-race food (pizza and hot soup) was delicious, especially the chicken enchilada soup. Since this was the pandemic year, the biggest takeaways were virus-related. The organizers spelled out many precautions on their website, including cancelling a traditional group pasta feast, having volunteers wear latex gloves (most obeyed), asking runners to don masks except for the actual run, taking temps before the race, and using a corral start. But all the precautions in the world don't matter if you cram people into a shuttle van, most of the windows closed, with no social distancing, or let them mingle shoulder-to-shoulder pre-race in the school cafeteria. Humans are pack animals and there are always fools who will disregard necessary precautions, so there needs to be better control. Why not place tape on the cafeteria floor to encourage 6-foot distancing? Why not use a larger bus and keep people limited to one person per seat? I brought up the crammed van to the tournament director and his response was 'You don't have to get in the van.' So I'm supposed to walk three miles to my car? The assistant director did come over later to clarify an uncomfortable conversation, so I'm grateful to her. My wife and pregnant daughter were upset at me for running this race. So when I see people packed together in a cafeteria pre-race, and packed in a small van post-race, it kind of justifies their anger. Fortunately, no symptoms so far.

I must defend the honor of the White River Valley! It is late November, so of course there will be some barren trees, but as the 2016 video shows, there is still some fall color. Unless you have to have Mt. Denali staring you in the face at every twist and turn, this is a scenic course. To each their own, but I think most runners would love to own a vacation home alongside this course. The majority of the spectators might be the runners themselves, but along with the volunteers and public spectators, everyone is very encouraging. Given the way I look at the end of a marathon, fewer photos may be a blessing. lol

This race was well-organized, and all the volunteers I encountered were lovely people. But it sure was a boring course. Flat, which was nice, but the scenery consisted of bare trees and farmhouses. And there were virtually no spectators out on the course. This would be a good race for someone who is fast and wants to BQ. But for slower folks like me, I would not recommend it. The finish area was pretty much shut down by the time I finished, and there are zero professional photos of any back-of-the-packers. Kind of disappointing.

Cotter is not super close to any major hub if you live far way. But it is well worth the effort to travel to this race. This small town race is extremely well organized, much of the town/area is involved, and the race proceeds help support a village in Kenya. If that's not enough, they also organize a shoe drive to help those who are less fortunate. I came to Cotter to bag Arkansas as a 50 Stater. What I got was a lesson in COMMUNITY. As a marathoner, you belong to a tribe. The volunteers and organizers of the race also belong to a tribe, and it is focused on helping people. From the people handing out bibs, to the folks at the aid stations, to the nice people serving piping hot homemade stew at the end of the race ... every single person was kind, displayed gratitude to the participants, and was proud to be involved in the cause. It was really heartwarming in every way. The race is a nice easy run. The first mile is downhill, and the rest is pancake flat. As others have observed, it's an out and back twice, but it really FEELS fast. There are not many places for spectators, so it's a good race for podcasts... I gave the race higher marks for spectators, though, because the volunteers and residents are SO incredibly supportive. So bottom line: Come to Cotter and enjoy some good people and a good race ... and help do some good for others to boot!!

The first mile is a strong down hill and then dead flat after that. Nice asphalt road with very little crown and no holes or rough spots. A lot of well stocked and well organized aid stations. No spectators really except the cheering aid stations. There IS parking for spectators at the finish off of the course. Very little traffic on course,but pay attention for cars with runners going both ways. No shoulder. No road crossings after the first mile. It was windy, but the race is in a narrow valley that had no wind at all. The road winds and you end up going all directions. Quite a few good motels and restaurants in Mountain Home 9 miles away. The shuttle system from finish back to the start parking lot worked OK for me. Nice medal and hoodie. Good scenery. The runners talk to each other unlike some races. Ran the half which had about half of all runners. Full is the half twice.

As others have said, this is a small race in a small town, in other words, my kind of race. This was state #39 for me. The first mile is down hill then a double out and back on very flat asphalt road. It is not closed, but there wasn't much traffic. Packet pick up was at THE school in Cotter and was easy and quick. Warning: the restaurants in town close early, so plan ahead for your pre-race dinner. We stayed at the Cotter Trout Lodge, don't let the outside fool you, the rooms were nice.

When I say 'easiest', I am talking about every aspect of the event. It's well organized, the expo was small but had all I needed. Even free gloves for the cold morning. The course was a no brainer. I was worried about the two out and backs, but it is so beautiful that it was a nonissue. I enjoyed being able to see the other runners, that was all I needed as far as spectators. I thoroughly enjoyed this 26.2

We benefited from cool temps32 or so at start. (It was 79 two days prior). Race starts with fairly steep decline for first mile then gentle downhill slope for next 6, come back on same road with slight uphill grade and then repeat. I avoid up and back on training runs, but the scenery was quite nice so it didn't become boring. I enjoyed seeing runners the whole way (and avoided getting lapped by the winner). Open road, but difficult for spectators to park. Nevertheless, my wife saw me and delivered Gatoraid throughout. Very well organized and well stocked.

This race has taken me to Boston the past five years. 'Nuff said.

If you like a large event with a bunch of sponsors and spectators, this race is not for you. If you like a beautiful fast course and to run with a whole bunch of other people who like to run this is the perfect race. With the out and back the runners cheered each other on. I liked going to the race without any pre-race nerves and acting like it was a long run. The finishers medals, shirts, awards, and REAL food at the end were great. The race's staging area was near Cotter School. You could keep warm before and after the race, and the food at the end included homemade soups, pizza, and chicken wings.

This was my first time at this event, and I was highly impressed with everything from start to finish. It is a smaller event (I think they limit it at 750), but that gives it a really cool vibe. The race is a fundraiser for an awesome charity in Kenya, and you could tell that the promoters we're really passionate about there charity. Great course, great food at the end, really cool event!

First marathon (63yrs old). Used the standard 16 wk training program. Didn't miss a day or mile of training. Been running for 35 yrs just for health/recreation. This course layout was very level/scenic. Carried my own Cliff bars/gels, depended on aid stations for hydration (bad idea). Power ade was diluted so far, it was useless. Could not even taste it. Made the turn at 20 miles & no one at station, only water in cooler, no cups. Had to gather water in hands to try to drink. Was running on empty last 15 miles due to poor hydration. Had carried/stashed Gatorade Endurance G drinks during longer runs at the course during training practice,on race day I should have used support person for hydration (but shouldn't have had to).Always maintained 10 min pace up to & including longest run of 20 miles before race without running out of gas. Even 20 miler was pretty easy & ran 10 min pace. This was a pace I set for myself to finish & not have to walk (did accomplish those goals). With the amount of money they took in, it is unacceptable to not provide proper race hydration-shame on them cutting back on power ade to save money at our expense! Ended up with 11:08 pace due to crashing last half of race. For all I went thru, running at 5am when hot, 7am when cooled off, thru all kinds of wx including morning of thunderstorms & then them not being there for us with critical hydration-terrible!

Pros 1. Good organization and communication from the race director 2. Ample close parking 3. Latest in chip technology results delivered quickly 4. Nice long sleeve technical shirt with acacia tree emblem and zero sponsor tags (very nice) 5. I heard the post-race food was good 6. Hotels in Mt. Home cater to runners (early breakfast/late checkout) Cons 1. Open course to traffic, by 3:30 clock time, there were only a few runners still on the field so they are strung out along the course and cars with frustrated/impatient drivers were taking risks in dodging runners and passing other cars. I saw at least 2 examples of unsafe vehicle use near runners 2. Medal doesnt state which race was completed 5K, half, full (that is unacceptable for all parties) This is a nice moderately-organized race with a fast course. The previous reviews show a 4.5 star rating and I personally feel that this isnt a fair representation of the event. The course, in particular, is hardly noteworthy other than it was flat (and seemed protected from the elements  not on an open ridge, etc). There is very little creativity required from the planners when running out and backs and I personally avoid them during training runs. I ran this with family, some of who were running the half and it was perfect for seeing them multiple times as we all had different paces. If you want fans, this is not your race. I personally could care less so I rated 3 stars, but for others it would be a 1 or 2. It is an open course and there was a fair amount of traffic. It seems that one side of the road could be for the race with cones or perhaps run facing traffic. I dont know if there has been an accident but in the age of texting and driving, I want to see the vehicles coming at me not coming up behind me. The entry fee was lower than some races but it seems like there should be enough money for a small police presence other than just at the beginning of the race. This even supports Kenya? The website states that the race has raised thousands of dollars for the village of Katito. I think it would be nice to know the amount raised. I couldn't find that anywhere. Thanks to the Director and the wonderful volunteers we really appreciate you being there.

This is great small race. I love small ones and this is good. Not much crowd support but you just visit with the person next to you and life is good. The out and backs help with seeing people all along the way. When they say flat they mean it.

Way too boring. Out and back of some boring Arkansas farm land. Not many fans except for the end.

This was a great small marathon. The staff and volunteers were very friendly. Having the pre and post race in a warm school was very nice. I liked the double out & back because I knew what to expect the second time around and the other runners were very encouraging to each other. I did not have to wait for the shuttle back to the start either. The post race food was great (soup, pizza, and tacos). The course is very flat, I set a PR and got my BQ. As far as things I would change: A timing mat at the start, and one of the stops ran out of Gu. Other than that, a great race!

A speedy downhill first mile will get you off to a good start, and the rest of the course is easy on the eyes and legs. Awesome volunteers and organization. Don't fear the out-and-back. It's not boring. It's all good. What are you waiting for?

This was the smallest marathon I have ever run but one of the best. It doesn't have the bells and whistles of the big town races but I didn't miss them. A group of us drove almost 5 hours to the race and it was well worth it. I was nervous about the out-back-out-back for the full but it was so neat to see my other friends when we would make the turns. It did get lonely on the last 6 miles but the volunteers were great! They were the encouragement I needed to get to the finish line. The post race food was great (soup, pizza, bbq, rolls, etc..) and having it all at the warm school was nice. The post-race massage was awesome! Medals were pretty cool too. The best part was I set a PR AND I BQ'd!! Just a few things I would change: Timing mat at the start, if no mat then a wave start for 5k or half marathon, Gatorade at the finish line and some fruit to hold you over until you get to the school. Thanks for the hospitality :)

What a great trip!!! I've done a few big city marathons. I love the crowds, the signs, the cheering of a big marathon. White River has very little of that, but if you want your marathon to be about the run itself, you can't pick a better marathon. The route is flat and fast. Passing the other runners during the out-n-back route, there are sincere words of encouragement. I truly loved the camaraderie between the runners more at this race than any other. Between the few spectators, water stop people recognizing you after your first pass by, and the encouragement from the other runners, this was also my favorite spectator experience yet. The scenery is beautiful. I'm sure I'm partly biased due to the cool temps, no rain, and first BQ, but I really can't picture anything I wish had been different about this race!!!

What a great weekend! I cross the marathon finish line, walk literally next door to the cabin where we were staying, take a shower and before you know it, I'm out on White River hauling in rainbow trout after rainbow trout. If the fishing part isn't your thing, do this race anyway. Friendly people, nice flat course and an incredible spread afterward. Also a very cool medal, though I wish both it and the T-shirt had said where this race took place. And another minor disappointment: For the first time ever, I actually won my age group (it helps to get older, not to mention running in an age group where there aren't many people). Alas, by the time they got to us old folks, they were all out of the plaques. Also, be aware that although it's chip timing there's no mat at the start. If you're on the cusp of Boston, line up near the front. My official time was almost three minutes off my watch time. Not a big deal because it wasn't a BQ or a PR, and the rest of the experience was so much fun that it made up for that.

This was my 1st White River and 4th marathon. It will be hard not to ink this race into my 2013 race calendar. Everything was beyond any race I have been to. It's a MUST run!!

Drove in from Oklahoma on Friday. Wanted a change of scenery from White Rock and we got it! Small, flat, fast. Perfect. As stated in other comments, the weather couldn't have been better-33-39 degrees for the half. Used to 20,000 + people and loved the smaller non crowded road. It was nice to see the horses and homes along the foggy river. I thought it was pretty. I had a great PR because of the temp! Our group of 5 will be back next year and will bring more of our running group. The homemade soups and food was wonderful, as well as the massages after the run. Thanks for the Gu along the route. It's the extra little items that make this race better. Wouldn't mind packet pick up earlier, but I know that takes volunteers. Overall, this race gets an 'A' for a well ran race. Great medals also. Thank you Cotter!

Great marathon. Love race day pickup, small race, great volunteers and SHOWERS after! When my friend and I checked into the hotel the night before, our desk clerk told us he was volunteering at it - great to see him at the water stop!

Thank you for a well-organized, fun (despite the fog) event. The post-race hot meals and snacks were so appreciated; great volunteers, wonderful cause! See you next year!

My husband and I loved this race! The race course was so pretty and the weather was perfect!! One thing that we both loved was that it was a small race. It was so nice just being able to just run and not worry about walkers or bumping into anyone. A must do race!!!

Get there early, parking is a breeze. No spectators (awesome not a single cow bell), great group of runners. First 3/4 mile is steep downhill, remainder of the course is pancake flat. Course is open to vehicles as advertised, had no issues with vehicles. Only 600 runners so that was nice. Shuttle back to the start was fantastic, more than enough vans to handle it. BTW I ran the Half

This was my kind of marathon. Small enough that there were no problems with things like bathrooms and parking, but not so small that you feel alone on the course. The course starts with a big downhill, but the organizers laid our the course so you don't have to go back up that hill. The weather was niceabout 30 degrees with heavy fog at the start and I'm guessing in the high 40s at the finish. I wouldn't call this a scenic race, but it was in a nice area nonetheless. I gave the spectators 4 stars because I prefer a quite course to one with cow bells and screaming. If you're like me, you'll like the quiet of this run. But if you feed off crowds, you won't find them here. A couple suggestions to the race director: Turn the music down at the finish line. It was so ear-splittingly loud it was impossible to stick around and wait for my wife to finish. I had to walk over to the RV park and watch from there so my ears wouldn't start bleeding. At the very least, move the speakers to the north side of the finish line so they face out onto the course instead of the finish area. Start the packet pickup earlier. Having to wait until 5PM to get our packets was a hassle, and by 5PM before a marathon we prefer to be finishing dinner, preparing our gear, and winding down so we can sleep early. At the latest, packet pickup should start at 3PM.

It took some effort to make it to Cotter on a Saturday, but it turned out to be worth the trip. No PR, but my best time in three years. Once you're in town, everything is easy to get to. Great organization and friendly folks. A truck driver did run me and another runner off the road  there is no shoulder  but I wouldn't hesitate to run it again, although I definitely hope it stays small. It might be nice if marathon runners had a separate start. It would also be more convenient to have the race on Sunday, so I wouldn't have to take a day off from work.

A beautiful as well as flat course, great organizers, great charity. Cotter is a wonderful small town. The out-and-back out-and-back course was perfect for this race as you got to see friends and Maniacs several times so you didn't feel alone. Very friendly runners on the course. The medal was my only disappointment of the race but the Race Director says they will do better next year. Make sure to go to Nima's Pizza in Gassville after the race&world pizza competition winner!

This is a small but well organized run... even with the half marathoners and 5K races it wasn't too congested. A nice downhill start over the first 1200 meters gave way to a flat course along the scenic White River. Packet pick-up and the homemade soups at the post race meal were definite pluses. The only downside was the course was open and sharing the road with local traffic was a bit annoying. Otherwise, it was a very good event.

I have ran 5 half marathons and I chose this one as my first full marathon. I thought it was the perfect race. It was super flat, the volunteers were great, I loved how every mile was marked and there were plenty of water stops along the way. I was able to achieve my goal too! I will definitely run in this race again, and I have already talked my friends into it too.

Great experience with very helpful race officials, staff & volunteers who went out of their way to make this a truly enjoyable event for all. Home-cooked soups & chili really hit the spot afterwards. Course well-marked and well-manned by aid stations.