⏵ Course guide · Arkansas ridgeline ultra
LOViT, the Lake Ouachita Vista Trail run, sends its field along rocky, rolling ridgelines on the southern rim of Lake Ouachita through the Ouachita National Forest, "ankles of steel, iron will" in the organizer's own words. I will walk you through the start structure and terrain first, then give you a pacing and fueling plan built for a technical Ouachita ridge day, plus free tools to dial in your own numbers.
These facts come from the official runlovit.com race information pages. Vert, aid stations, and cutoffs are maintained on dedicated pages there, confirm the current details before you register or run.
LOViT runs along rocky, rolling ridgelines on the southern rim of Lake Ouachita, through the Ouachita National Forest, starting and finishing at Mountain Harbor Resort.
The race's own tagline is a direct warning: expect rocky, technical footing across rolling ridgeline terrain, the kind that demands ankle stability and mental toughness in equal measure. This is not a smooth, runnable ultra, the organizers explicitly frame it as a challenging distance on a difficult trail.
Start/finish and pre-race check-in have moved to the East Cove Building, close to but distinct from the pavilion used in past years. Review the current-year signage and directions before race morning, especially if you have run LOViT before and expect the old layout.
The 100 Mile starts first at 6:00 AM, followed by the 100 Kilometer at 7:00 AM, then the 50 Kilometer at 8:00 AM. All three distances share the same trail system, so shorter-distance runners will encounter longer-distance runners well into their race.
With cutoffs and aid spacing published directly on the official site rather than reconfirmed here, build your race plan around the terrain's own demands and cross-check it against the official cutoff sheet before race day.
A grade-adjusted pace target for rolling, rocky ridgeline terrain gives you a more honest number than a flat-course estimate, since ankle-turning terrain like this slows sustainable pace more than raw elevation gain alone suggests.
Because specific cutoff splits are maintained directly on runlovit.com rather than reconfirmed in this guide, build a preliminary finish-time projection from your own technical-trail training pace, then verify it against the current official Cutoffs page well before race day, not on the drive down.
⏵ Free tools to pace this course
Late February weather in the southern Ouachita Mountains can swing from cold and wet to mild, so build a fueling plan that adapts rather than one locked to a single forecast.
Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour. Check the official Aid Stations page for exact spacing before race day so you know how much to carry between resupply points on a course the organizers themselves describe as difficult.
Keep sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range, and pack for a real range of conditions, late February can bring anything from cold rain to a mild, sunny day in the southern Ouachitas. Layer accordingly and be ready to adjust your hydration plan as the day unfolds.
⏵ Build your fueling plan
Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight, your goal time, and a late-February day above Lake Ouachita 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 race-day plan built around YOUR fitness, this exact rocky ridgeline profile, and your projected splits. Summit Line reads your real training, builds a plan for technical Ouachita terrain, and rehearses your fueling so race day is something you execute, not guess at.
LOViT's own tagline sets the tone: "Ankles of Steel, Iron Will." The course runs rocky, rolling hills and ridgelines along the southern rim of Lake Ouachita through the Ouachita National Forest, and the organizers themselves emphasize that this is a challenging distance on a genuinely difficult trail, one that demands real physical and mental preparation. Expect a course that punishes weak ankles and rewards steady, technical trail experience more than raw fitness alone.
The three distances start in sequence from Mountain Harbor Resort: the 100 Mile at 6:00 AM, the 100 Kilometer at 7:00 AM, and the 50 Kilometer at 8:00 AM. Start/finish and pre-race check-in moved to the East Cove Building for this edition, close to the pavilion used in previous years, so confirm the current-year directions and signage before race morning.
Vert, aid station spacing, and numeric cutoff times were not confirmed on the pages reachable during this research pass, but the official runlovit.com site maintains dedicated Cutoffs and Aid Stations pages with the current details. Given the organizer's own emphasis on this being "a challenging distance on a difficult trail," treat those published cutoffs as real constraints and plan conservatively rather than assuming a generous buffer.
With a late-February date in the Ouachita Mountains and a course the organizers themselves call demanding, plan for variable weather, cool mornings that could still bring rain or cold snaps in the southern Ouachitas. Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour and sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range, and confirm the specific aid station spacing on the official Aid Stations page so you know exactly how far apart your resupply points sit. Build your numbers with the free ultra fueling calculator before race day.
The organizer's own framing, emphasizing "ankles of steel" and a genuinely challenging, technical trail, suggests this is not the gentlest introduction to the 100-mile distance. If you are considering it as a first 100, make sure you have real experience on rocky, rolling technical singletrack and have reviewed the official cutoffs and aid station spacing closely, since this course rewards preparation on technical terrain more than it forgives inexperience.
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<a href="https://runsummitline.com/guides/lovit-100">The LOViT (Lake Ouachita Vista Trail) course guide</a><iframe src="https://runsummitline.com/embed/race/lovit-100" style="width:100%;max-width:420px;height:180px;border:0;" loading="lazy" title="LOViT (Lake Ouachita Vista Trail) course guide by Summit Line"></iframe>This guide is independent and for planning only. The course details, dates, cutoffs, and aid stations come from public sources and can change year to year, so confirm the current specifics with the official race before you register or run. The fueling and pacing advice is general and not medical advice.