Spirit of Syllamo is a tribute to forest legends and a celebration of the wilderness. Hosted in the Ozarks Highlands Range, it is described as “broken” by the National Parks Service. The trails are rugged, the forest is dense, and the terrain is inconsistent. The result is an incredibly scenic landscape and a mix of easy to challenging trails.

There are 3 distance options:

9ish Miles

37ish Miles

100ish Miles

Note: we plan to run a point to point from start to turn around this fall to get more accurate distances.

Misty Mornings

309 Riverview Trail

Norfork, AR 72658

Friday, 4pm - 6pm - Packet pick-up and gear check at

Norfork Adventure Supply.

13912 Highway 5 South

Norfork, AR 72658

We DO NOT hand out bibs until Saturday morning when you are toeing the line. This helps us get an exact count of runners on course.

Drop bags may be dropped off here or race morning at the Start/Finish.

Drop bags must be labeled with bib number, runner’s name, and aid location.

-Misty Mornings

-Norfork River Resort

-VRBOs

Primitive camping available at start/finish. Please contact Misty Mornings for reservations.

Resorts, hotels, and RV sites are plentiful. All runners will have options within a 20 minute drive.

If you are unable to find something in Norfork, search for something in Mountain Home Arkansas.

Saturday: At the large pavilion at Misty Mornings on Norfork River Road - You do not get your bib if you do not toe the line.

35 Mile and 100 Mile

5:15-5:45am - Bib Handout.

5:45am - Final announcements

6:00am - 35m and 100m Races begin.

9 Mile

6:15-6:45am - Bib Handout.

6:45am - Final announcements

7:00am - Race begins.

9 Mile - 4hrs.

35 Mile - 11hrs.

100 Mile - 34hrs.

Detailed aid station cut-off times in runner’s packet for the 35m and 100m.

You must LEAVE aid stations by cutoff. If cutoff is 9am, you must be moving and on course by 9:01am or you are out.

If you clear the last aid station by cutoff but finish after cutoff, we still count that as a finish. And hope you come back to finish under cutoff next year ;-)

READ THIS: We have created these routes with mapping tools but we have not yet had a chance to run the routes and verify accuracy of mapping tool information. We will start to verify the info in October as ticks and snakes go dormant.

Normally we provide minimal course marking for Spirit of Syllamo. As this is an unusual circumstance, there will be more course markings and fewer turns than previous years. We do not anticipate a major need for GPS. We will still try to make files available as soon as possible.

This area is steep and punchy. Expect most devices to record an average of 170 feet of gain per mile. Also, expect the course to feel more like 200+ feet of gain per mile. Many of our hills are too short and punchy for altimeters to record elevation accurately.

100 Mile Runners Only

Many of the roads are steep, narrow, and winding. We highly recommend a 4x4 vehicle - rainy/wintery weather can make roads treacherous.

Detailed instructions are in the Runner’s Packet. Print the packet for your crew or make sure it is downloaded on a device. Most locations do not have cell phone reception. You will not be able to access the runner’s packet on your phone in many locations.

Important: If you drop at a location that is not staffed by aid station volunteers, proceed to the next aid station to notify staff you are no longer on course. Do not double back. Aid stations close down as soon as all runners are accounted for. Some aid stations are too remote for cell service and can be over a 1 hour drive to notify volunteers. If you double back, they may be gone by the time you get there.

Failure to properly notify volunteers you are no longer on course could result in a search and rescue; we are not responsible for associated expenses.

100M Runners Only

Pacers may start at Moccasin Springs, mile 37ish.

Runners 60 and older may have pacers from the start.

Details on pacing sections are discussed in the runners packet.

Adequate flagging but nothing to prevent you from going off course.

These tornado routes have fewer opportunities to get lost but you can still go off course. Pay attention!

We are extremely familiar with these trails and believe this year to be the easiest route to follow.

Flags/Ribbons are hung from tree branches at eye level.

You need to look up and pay attention! If your head is down, you will miss a turn.

Major intersections that are known to be problems will have additional signage. Typically large white and orange signs and extra wide ribbons.

Ground flags are difficult to use. Our soil/terrain is too rocky and in some cases pure bedrock. You can’t stick them through rock. We know other races use ground flags. At least 1 runner tells us this at every race. It doesn’t work here. Sorry not sorry. You need to look up!

Terrain:

Highly diverse trails that are rugged, rocky, steep, and densely forested. In a single mile, runners may cross a creek, climb a mountain, traverse boulders, and have some flowy trails. It is constantly changing throughout the race.

Water Crossings:

There are several water crossings. No crossing is a significant waterway. They are all easily traversed with the exception of a flash flood. Depending on rain, most creeks could be completely dry. Safety will always be considered if creeks are deeper than normal.

At no point are you traveling up/down stream. You only cross them.

There is no good way to predict how deep the creeks will be. Creeks drain quickly, some in a matter of hours, but 100m runners should plan for at least 1 creek to get your feet wet. All we can say is to put some shoes/socks in drop bags.

9 Mile runners DO NOT have water crossings.

35 Mile runners are a maybe but probably not for water crossings.

100m runners will cross Cole Fork between Barkshed and Cripple Turkey around miles 25 and 75. There is typically water here but often can be crossed without getting feet wet.

100m runners will cross Spring Creek around 40 miles and 60. Typically you will get your feet wet here.

All other creeks will be small enough to hop over or splash through with ease (most of the time).

Winter in Arkansas is usually the best time of year to run in the Ozarks. While it can be harsh conditions, it’s typically favorable for ultrarunning.

Use “Norfork, AR” as your location on a weather App.

Race Day History:

Hi/Lo temps in degrees Fahrenheit.

Dec. 11th, 2021 - 50/18, frost at night

Dec. 10th, 2022 - 48/42, daytime rain, intermittent night fog

Dec. 9th, 2023 - 60/35, slight rain for the first few miles

Dec. 14th, 2024 - 55/37, heavy rain throughout the 35m. Heavy fog through the night. (Conditions were tough this year).

Our aid stations for this event are typically spaced in excess of 1 hour apart, even for fast runners. The origins of this event were self-supported 50k + training runs to develop a route. We wanted runners to experience a bit of self-supported ultra running.

For this year, we are still developing the aid locations and distances. This will be updated as soon as possible.

Our current plan is to offer more aid than normal because of the unusual circumstances of changing the course. Safety is our number 1 goal. More aid stations help us ensure safety and a good experience.

Standard Syllamo Events Menu:

Hydration: Electrolyte mix, ginger ale, Coca-Cola, and water

Sports Nutrition: various gels or chews

Solid Foods: Sandwiches, fruit, pickles, chips, candy (hard and/or chocolate)

Cooked/Warm Foods: Commonly prepared by our wonderful volunteers.

Note: Our aid stations are always well stocked and runners can expect the same items at each location. Specific brands could vary.

We do not supply NSAIDS or other pain relievers.

Every aid stations will have basic first aid.

Drop bags are to be labeled with bib number, runner’s name, and location.

100m and 35m distances may use drop bags.

Bags are to be relatively small/carry on size. We will not transport large duffels. You’re not Batman. You don’t need your entire arsenal of gear.

Bib numbers are assigned after registration closes.

Bags are often transported to multiple locations via the same vehicle. We are not responsible for a bag going to the wrong place if it isn’t labeled.

Drop bags are returned to Misty Mornings (Start/Finish) after the aid station is broken down. For faster 100m runners or runners who drop, please consider your bag might be at an aid station until the end of the event. We recommend you plan to be available toward the end of the event to pick up your bags. Also, to cheer on the final runners!

Some locations are treacherous to drive to. We do not permit crews to access certain locations unless it is to retrieve a runner who has dropped from the race. Please do not drive to locations to retrieve a bag unless it is a designated crew location. This is for safety and prevention of a vehicle getting stuck.

All runners may enjoy a warm post race meal. Additional meals may be purchased for family/friends during registration.

We hope for beautiful weather and a lively crowd cheering on runners. Plan to stick around and join the festivities!

All of our events are low waste, low trash events. We do not provide plates, bowls, cups, or flatware.

Custom and substantial. This is not an easy race. We feel the awards should reflect the effort it takes to finish. There are various awards from year to year that you can view on our Flickr page.

https://flickr.com/photos/192403828@N07/albums

100M Distance:

Dec 2021 - 57.1%

Dec 2022 - 63.6%

Dec 2023 - 53.3%

Dec 2024 - 25.0% - tough weather year

We typically check emails during our store hours Tuesday-Friday, 10-5:30.

It becomes more and more difficult to respond to emails the closer it is to an event. If we don’t respond close to the event, please understand we are busy and/or out of service.

Please check our website thoroughly before emailing us.

If you’re capable of running the event, you’re probably capable of reading our information.

All that said, we get good questions all the time and we understand this is a lot of information to read. If you cannot find the answer you need, please email Jake and Rusty at syllamoevents@gmail.com