White River Marathon for Kenya (prev Mountain Home Marathon for

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!