⏵ Course guide · Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas
The Full mOOn 50K/25K runs in Perryville, Arkansas, as part of the AURA Ultra Trail Series, a series that includes several genuinely low-key, minimal-aid events where self-sufficiency matters as much as fitness. I will walk you through what that format means for you, then give you a pacing and fueling plan built around carrying more than a fully-supported race would ask, with free calculators along the way to dial in your own numbers.
These facts come from the official AURA Ultra Trail Series pages. Start time, exact start location, elevation gain, and cutoff times were not published there at the time of writing, so confirm those with AURA (arkultrarunning@gmail.com) before race day.
The Full mOOn is part of the AURA Ultra Trail Series, a series whose own description warns that some of its races are low-key, no-fee, no-frills, minimal-aid events, and asks runners to plan and prepare accordingly.
The series advises carrying your own water bottle for minimal-aid races since there may not be cups provided, and keeping your own time rather than relying on race timing. Treat that as the default assumption for the Full mOOn unless you confirm otherwise with AURA for the current year, and pack accordingly.
Both distances share the Perryville course and the same series-wide philosophy around minimal aid. The choice between them should come down to your comfort with carrying your own support over the longer distance, not a difference in how the race itself is organized.
With minimal aid a real possibility, pacing decisions should account for how much weight you are carrying, not just fitness and terrain.
If you are carrying a hydration vest or bottles rather than relying on cups at aid stations, your pace naturally has to account for the extra weight, especially in the back half of the 50K. Use a realistic finish-time estimate that reflects trail conditions and your own carrying setup, not a road-race pace chart.
⏵ Free tools to plan your effort
Given the series’ own minimal-aid warning, the safest default is to plan your fueling as if you are fully self-supported, then treat any aid provided as a bonus.
Aim for roughly 45 to 65 grams of carbohydrate per hour on the move for the 50K, adjusted down slightly if the 25K runs at a harder effort, with sodium in the 300 to 500 mg per liter range as a starting point. Mid-July Arkansas heat, or the cooler conditions of a night start if that applies in the year you run, both matter, so plan your carrying capacity for the longer distance without assuming aid station backup.
⏵ Build your fueling plan
Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight, your goal time, and a July Arkansas day with the free ultra fueling calculator. Browse the rest of the free running tools at the tools hub.
⏵ Train for it with Summit Line
Get a training plan built around YOUR fitness for a self-sufficient trail effort like the Full mOOn. Summit Line reads your real training, builds the endurance this distance demands, and rehearses your fueling so race day is something you execute, not guess at.
It is a 50K and 25K trail race in Perryville, Arkansas, run as part of the AURA Ultra Trail Series. The "mOOn" name points to a nighttime element, consistent with how several UTS races are run, though this guide does not assert a specific start time since none was published on the official pages checked. Confirm the current year’s start time directly with AURA before you plan your night-running gear.
Beyond distance and Ozark-foothill trail conditions typical of the Perryville area, the format itself adds difficulty: the AURA Ultra Trail Series describes some of its races as low-key, minimal-aid events where you may need to carry your own water and keep your own time. That self-sufficiency requirement is a real factor on top of the mileage, especially if any portion runs after dark.
It depends on the specific year and how that edition is run within the UTS series, which describes some races as "low-key, no-fee, no frills, minimal aid events" where runners should "plan and prepare accordingly," carry a water bottle since cups may not be provided, and keep their own time. Confirm the current year’s aid station plan with AURA before you decide how much to carry.
No specific cutoff times were published on the official pages checked for this guide. Contact AURA (arkultrarunning@gmail.com) directly for the current year’s cutoffs before you commit to a pacing plan.
The 25K option is a reasonable stepping stone if the minimal-aid, self-sufficient format of some UTS races gives you pause about jumping straight into the 50K. If you do choose the 50K as a first ultra, plan to be more self-reliant than a typical fully-supported race, carry your own water and nutrition as a default, and confirm the current year’s support level with AURA ahead of time.
Registration and current details are linked from the AURA Ultra Trail Series schedule page at runarkansas.com/UTSraces.htm. Contact AURA at arkultrarunning@gmail.com with any questions before you sign up.
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<a href="https://runsummitline.com/guides/full-moon-50k-25k">The Full mOOn 50K/25K course guide</a><iframe src="https://runsummitline.com/embed/race/full-moon-50k-25k" style="width:100%;max-width:420px;height:180px;border:0;" loading="lazy" title="Full mOOn 50K/25K course guide by Summit Line"></iframe>This guide is independent and for planning only. Format, date, and support level come from public sources and can change year to year, so confirm the current specifics with AURA before you register or run. The fueling and pacing advice is general and not medical advice.
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