We will have a clear list of mandatory gear (we are cupless for cold/room temp liquids, for example) that will be unveiled and promoted closer to race day. There are sections of this trail that are more remote where getting someone out in an emergency situation could take a little time.

We will be committing to educating people about headlamp options, proper headlamp etiquette and awareness on 2-way trail sections, and what products have reactive light technology (will automatically dim a little when it detects the light of someone approaching). Our original thought was to limit the brightness of headlamps because of numerous complaints over the years. However, this goes against our inclusivity policies of bringing more people into the sport and helping aging and impaired runners who might struggle with their night vision. So we are still committed to change based on the feedback, but we've decided the best course of action of change is to educate both the participants through email communications and the Runners' Manual but also our volunteers to remind those with bright lights to exercise etiquette regarding this on the trails.

Registration is set up and opens December 15th at 8 pm CST. Register here then...

Shuttles were by far the least fun part of race weekend for both us as race producers and the athletes as participants. We have talked to the State Park, and we will be working with them to create a safe and workable solution for parking that will remove the need for shuttles while still utilizing the land in the most environmentally conscious way that we can.

Fewer restrictions on allowable crew supplies. Without shuttles, we will be allowing more items to be brought onsite, but if you bring it to the race, remember that tired hands and legs have to take it down and haul it out.

Crew areas will be changing. We had a lot of success with professionally erected tents for crewing. We will add to those areas to make them a more enhanced amenity while creating an area for personal pop-up canopy tents that athletes want to haul in and out themselves. More details on that later.

Course records updated. We had several course records reset. See them here...

Shorter distances races on Saturday morning (50K, 25K, 5M) will start at 8 am instead of 9 am. See the Schedule page...

New names for the Saturday morning and Sunday morning races, giving them their own identity. Each day is its own standalone events, and finish times from each day won't be combined. Each event will have its own awards. More info on the Race Information page...

New 5 mile added on Saturday evening. With an 8 pm start, races get a chance to try out nighttime racing. Hiking is encouraged! More info on the Race Information page...

A special Mesozoic Maniac reward for those doing the 3 5-mile races offered during the weekend. You're "in your Mesozoic era" with these 3 races bearing the names of the time periods of that era: the 5 Mile on Saturday at 8 am, the 5 Mile on Saturday at 8 pm, and the 5 Mile on Sunday at 8 am. Complete all 3 and receive a special reward that will be revealed closer to the race. This is perfect for crew members who want to push themselves and want to see what the course is like at night! More info on the Race Information page...

There will be no 50K race start offered on Sunday of race weekend. A lot of racers found hitting the cutoffs on that day to be difficult. With a Saturday start and 100 mile runners running until Sunday afternoon, it takes away cutoff anxiety! The 50K will now ONLY start on Saturday at 8 am.  See the Schedule page...

New change to how close to the race we will allow distance changes. We will not limit distance change requests to as long as we have room available (must email to check) AND before November 14. This allows us to focus our small team on setting up the race site and lower the amount of computer work and redoing race packets!

We will introduce a new buckle design in 2026. We have no many returning runners year after year that we want to be able to offer a new buckle design for them. More details on this later!