⏵ Course guide · Ozark point-to-point
The Ozark Trail 100 sends its field point-to-point across roughly 100.9 miles of singletrack through Mark Twain National Forest, about 12,000 feet of gain, 13 aid stations, and a 32 hour clock. I will walk you through the course and aid layout first, then give you a pacing and fueling plan built for a point-to-point hundred with no repeated loop to fall back on, plus free tools to dial in your own numbers.
These facts come from the official race site and the UltraSignup registration page. Aid station cutoffs, crew access, and course details can change year to year, so confirm the current specifics on ozarktrail100.com before you commit.
Unlike a loop or out-and-back course, the Ozark Trail 100 runs true point-to-point through Mark Twain National Forest, so you see new terrain the entire way to Bass River Resort. That means no second chance to learn a section you struggled with the first time.
About 12,000 feet of gain across 100.9 miles comes from nearly continuous rolling Ozark terrain, dirt paths mixed with rocky, technical stretches, and several stream crossings, rather than any single defining climb. October leaf cover can hide roots and rocks, so footing deserves real respect even on sections that look smooth from a distance.
Thirteen fully-stocked aid stations line the course, spaced anywhere from 5.2 to 9.6 miles apart. Those longer gaps mean you need to plan your carries deliberately between certain stations rather than assuming help is always close, especially through the overnight hours when some stretches run unmanned or lightly staffed.
You run the first 40 miles solo unless you are 60 or older with advance notice to the race director. From the Brooks Creek aid station at mile 40 onward, one pacer at a time is allowed, and that support opens up further once you reach Bass River Resort near the finish. Plan your crew and pacer logistics around that structure well before race week.
A 6:00 am Saturday start and a 2:00 pm Sunday cutoff give you 32 hours, but the individual aid station cutoffs tighten as the race goes on, so an early buffer matters more than it might look like on paper.
Because you never repeat a section, you cannot rely on knowing exactly what is coming the way you might on a loop course. A grade-adjusted pace target for the rolling Ozark terrain, checked against your splits at each of the 13 aid stations, is a far more honest guide than any flat-course number you bring in from outside the Ozarks.
The published aid station cutoffs get progressively tighter through the overnight stretch. A vert-aware finish prediction built off your early splits, checked against those individual cutoffs rather than just the overall 32 hour limit, tells you honestly whether you have real margin or need to pick up the pace before the gaps close.
⏵ Free tools to pace this course
A 32 hour cutoff and unpredictable late-October Missouri weather (Indian summer warmth one year, frost the next) mean your fueling plan should have room to flex.
Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour. With some aid station gaps stretching close to 10 miles, use your drop bags and pockets deliberately at the wider spacing rather than assuming the next stop is always close, especially through the overnight hours between mile 55 and mile 78.
Sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range covers most runners here, but late October in the Ozarks can swing from warm Indian summer conditions to frost-kissed mornings within the same race. Check the forecast close to race week and lean toward the higher end of that range if temperatures run warm, lower if a cold front moves through.
⏵ Build your fueling plan
Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight, your goal time, and an unpredictable late-October Ozarks day and night 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 rolling Ozark climbing profile, and your projected splits. Summit Line reads your real training, builds a plan for continuous technical singletrack, and rehearses your fueling so race day is something you execute, not guess at.
The Ozark Trail 100 is a demanding but runnable point-to-point 100, with about 12,000 feet of cumulative gain over nearly continuous Ozark singletrack. Runners describe it as beautiful and technical, with dirt paths mixing with rocky, root-covered sections hidden under October leaf cover, plus stream crossings that add real adventure to the course. The 32 hour cutoff is generous enough that a well-prepared runner has real margin, but the terrain and the point-to-point format, no repeated loops to learn the trail on, mean course knowledge and a real pacing plan matter here.
The official race site lists approximately 12,000 feet of cumulative elevation gain over the full 100.9 miles. That climbing comes as continuous rolling terrain through Mark Twain National Forest rather than a handful of big mountains, wearing you down through repetition and technical footing more than through any single defining climb.
With a 32 hour cutoff, plan for a full day and a full night on the Ozark Trail. Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour, and sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range, adjusting for whatever October weather Missouri delivers that year, anything from Indian summer warmth to frost-kissed mornings. With 13 aid stations spaced 5.2 to 9.6 miles apart, plan your carries between stations carefully since some gaps run close to 10 miles. Build your numbers with the free ultra fueling calculator before race day.
The race starts at 6:00 am Saturday and the overall finish cutoff is 2:00 pm Sunday, a 32 hour time limit. Individual aid station cutoffs are published on the official race site and get progressively tighter through the night and into the second day, so pull the current aid station chart before race day to check your buffer at each of the 13 stops rather than just at the finish.
Pacers are permitted starting at the Brooks Creek aid station, mile 40 of the point-to-point course. Runners 60 years of age or older can request a pacer for the entire race, but must notify the race director in advance of that intention. Only one pacer is allowed at a time until you reach Bass River Resort, the finish area, where you can have as many as you like for the final stretch.
For a runner with solid technical trail experience, yes. The 32 hour cutoff is generous, the 13 aid stations keep support close, and the terrain, while technical in places, is largely runnable singletrack and forest trail rather than extreme mountain terrain. What makes it a bit more demanding as a first hundred is the point-to-point format: there is no repeating a loop to learn the footing, so a first-timer benefits from studying the course map and elevation profile closely before race day rather than learning the trail in real time.
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<a href="https://runsummitline.com/guides/ozark-trail-100">The Ozark Trail 100 course guide</a><iframe src="https://runsummitline.com/embed/race/ozark-trail-100" style="width:100%;max-width:420px;height:180px;border:0;" loading="lazy" title="Ozark Trail 100 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.