3 Days of Syllamo Course Guide

Founder Steve Kirk built this event, in his own words, around "adventurous courses that challenged runners and required some thinking along the way," and that has held true since the first running in 2005. Across three days you cover roughly 94 miles on almost entirely singletrack through the Sylamore, Syllamo, and Ozark Highlands Trails, winding through creek crossings, scenic bluffs, and dense forest, with per-mile vertical gain running 130 to 175 feet and some sections exceeding 200 feet per mile.

The organizer does not publish a single total elevation figure for the event, since courses change every year, but they do describe the terrain's vertical gain per mile as generally running 130 to 175 feet, with some harder sections exceeding 200 feet per mile. Over 94 miles across three days, that adds up to serious cumulative climbing even without a single headline number.

This is a stage race, so your fueling plan has to cover recovery between days as much as intake during each run. Meals are provided after both the 50K and the 50 mile, plus a Sunday spread including leftover pasta casserole. During each stage, use the frequent aid, every 4 to 8 miles on the 50K and every 4 to 9 miles on the 50 mile, to keep your carbohydrate intake steady, aiming for roughly 60 to 90 grams per hour. March mornings in the Ozarks start cold, often below 30 degrees, with afternoons reaching the mid 60s, so plan your sodium and fluid intake to shift as each day warms up. Build your numbers with the free ultra fueling calculator.

Day 1, the 50K, has a 10-hour limit from a 9:00 AM start. Day 2, the 50 mile, has a 14-hour limit from a 6:00 AM start, which the organizer bills as "this is where the fun starts." Day 3, the 20K, has a 6-hour limit from a 9:00 AM start. All three cutoffs are generous relative to the technical, singletrack terrain, but the cumulative fatigue of running multiple days still matters.

Yes. Runners can register for the full three-day stage entry or for any single day individually: the 50K, the 50 mile, or the 20K. The full stage entry costs less per day than registering for all three individually and includes race bags, meals, and finisher awards, but there is no requirement to run every day.

The individual day distances (50K, 50 mile, 20K) and their generous cutoffs make this approachable for experienced ultra runners trying a stage format for the first time, especially since courses change year to year and aid stations are frequent, every 4 to 9 miles depending on the day. The real test is cumulative fatigue across three days on technical Ozark singletrack, so come in with real back-to-back long run experience, not just single-day ultra fitness.