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⏵ Course guide · Tennessee ultra

Strolling Jim 40 Miler Course Guide

The Strolling Jim is one of the oldest ultras in America, a figure-8 on the rolling back roads of Bedford County out of Wartrace, Tennessee, and it has a reputation for being deceptively hard: it is on roads, but it never stops climbing and it is really about 41.2 miles, not 40. I will walk you through the course first, then give you a pacing and fueling plan that fits the endless rollers and the late-race Walls. There are free calculators along the way to dial in your own numbers.

⏵ At a glance

Strolling Jim 40 quick facts

Date
First Saturday in May (2026: Saturday, May 2)
Location
Wartrace, Bedford County, Middle Tennessee (through Wartrace and Bell Buckle)
Distance
One distance, called the 40 but really about 41.2 miles (figure-8 road loop)
Elevation gain
Deceptively hilly: roughly 2,300 to 3,000 ft over the rolling course (the “90 hills”)
Start
7:00 AM, assembly 6:45 AM at the Wellhouse
Cutoff
No hard cutoff; aid goes unmanned around dusk (about 12.5 hours after the start)
History
Founded 1979 by Gary Cantrell (Lazarus Lake); one of the five oldest ultras in America
Qualifier
No Western States, UTMB, or Hardrock qualifier status listed by the race

These facts come from the official race listing and public race history. The exact distance, start, and aid stations are confirmed; elevation is a range because sources disagree. Check the current date and details with the race before you commit, since logistics change year to year.

The course: where Strolling Jim is won and lost

The race is a single figure-8 loop of paved and gravel back roads through Walking Horse country, starting and finishing in Wartrace and swinging out through Bell Buckle and the Highland Rim. About 41.2 miles, no real flat anywhere, and a late section of steep rough road called the Walls that does most of the damage.

The rollers: 41 miles of up and down, no flat to hide on

The thing nobody warns first-timers about is that this course never lets up. It is roads, so people picture a fast flat ultra, but it rolls the entire way through what the locals call the 90 hills, and the climbing quietly adds up to somewhere around 2,300 to 3,000 feet by the finish. None of the hills are mountains. The problem is that there are dozens of them and you never get a real flat stretch to settle into a rhythm, so the rollers nickel-and-dime your legs all day.

Because it is open farm country on quiet roads, you also carry your own pace. There is not much shade and not a lot of crowd, so the discipline has to come from you: run the ups easy, let the downs come to you, and do not torch your quads racing every little descent in the first half.

The Walls: the steep, rocky gut-check near mile 30

The Walls are the signature of this race, a roughly 3.5-mile stretch of steep, rough, rocky road that shows up late, somewhere around miles 29 to 33. By then you already have thirty-plus hilly miles in your legs, so these short brutal pitches feel way bigger than they look on paper. Almost everyone walks them, and that is fine. The mistake is getting there with nothing left because you spent yourself on the early rollers.

Plan for the Walls from the start of the race, not when you hit them. Keep a little gas in reserve through the middle miles, then hike the steep parts with real purpose, arms driving, eyes up. Get through that section in one honest piece and the run back into Wartrace is yours.

Heat, humidity, and self-reliance

Early May in Middle Tennessee is a coin flip. Some years are cool and perfect, and some years it turns warm and sticky by late morning, and on the open roads there is not much shade to duck into. Treat heat and humidity as something you plan for, not something you react to: start conservative, drink to the conditions, and keep your sodium up if the day cooks.

This is also an old-school, low-key race. There are seven aid stations (roughly miles 7.5, 13.1, 18, 23.5, 29, 35, and 39) with water jugs out on the road between them, but they carry basics like water, Gatorade, oranges, chips, and Slim Jims, not a custom buffet. Carry your own gels and drink mix and run the day self-sufficient. The aid is a bonus, not your whole plan.

Pacing strategy for a relentlessly rolling road ultra

Strolling Jim looks like a course you can run by a pace chart because it is on roads, but the constant rollers and the true 41.2 miles mean it is really about managing effort. Run the hills by feel, not by your flat-ground splits, and respect the extra mile.

Pace by effort on the hills, not by your flat splits

Your flat road pace lies to you on a course like this. Every climb costs you, every descent gives a little back, and if you chase one even number all day you will overcook the ups and trash your legs early. Hold a steady effort instead: ease off and shorten your stride on the climbs, open up and let the downhills run on their own, and keep the whole thing comfortable for the first half. A grade-adjusted pace turns your real flat fitness into honest targets for these rollers, so you are spending the same effort uphill and down instead of blowing up on the climbs.

Predict your finish off 41.2 miles, not 40

Do not build your goal time off a clean 40-mile guess or off a flat road marathon. The extra 1.2 miles, the nonstop rollers, the Walls, and a possibly warm day all add real time, and people who plan for 40 are the ones who fall apart in the last hour. A finish prediction that accounts for this course’s climbing and its true distance gives you a realistic window, and you can work back from it to set honest checkpoints so you know whether you are on track or going out too hot.

⏵ Free tools to pace this course

  • Grade-adjusted pace calculator to turn your flat fitness into honest effort targets for the nonstop rollers and the Walls.
  • Race-time calculator for a finish prediction built on this course’s climbing and its true 41.2-mile distance, so you can set real checkpoints.
  • Race-equivalent calculator to turn a recent marathon or ultra result into a Strolling Jim goal you can actually hold.

Fueling strategy for a long, rolling, possibly warm day

Most runners are out on the Strolling Jim for somewhere around 6 to 10-plus hours, on open roads that can get warm, with basic aid. That makes carbohydrate, sodium, and fluid just as important as your fitness, and it makes carrying your own nutrition non-negotiable.

Carbs: steady, trained, and carried with you

For a 6 to 10-plus hour effort, aim for somewhere around 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour, and only push the higher end if your gut is trained for it. Because the aid stations are basic and spread out, do not assume you will find your specific gels or chews out there, so carry what you actually plan to eat. Heat and the constant hills both blunt your appetite late, so keep your intake steady and easy to swallow rather than gambling on big doses in the last third when your stomach is grumpy.

Sodium and fluid: plan for the heat and the gaps

On a warm, humid May day, lean toward the high end on sodium, often around 500 to 700 milligrams per liter of fluid, and more if you are a heavy or salty sweater. The aid is roughly every 4 to 6 miles with water jugs in between, which is decent, but on a hot day you still want to carry enough fluid to cover the gaps comfortably instead of rationing to the next cooler. Weigh yourself before and after a hot long run to find your real sweat rate, then build the plan around your own number instead of a generic guideline.

⏵ Build your fueling plan

Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight, your goal time, and a warm Tennessee May 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 Strolling Jim rolling profile, and your projected splits. Summit Line reads your real training, builds a plan for the endless hills and the Walls, and rehearses your fueling so race day is something you execute, not guess at.

Start free →Explore the demo

Strolling Jim 40 FAQ

How long is the Strolling Jim 40 Miler, really?

It is called the 40, but the course is actually about 41.2 miles, and that extra mile and change is part of the legend. Gary Cantrell (the guy you may know as Lazarus Lake) laid it out in 1979 as a figure-8 loop of his favorite back roads around Wartrace, and the distance is what it is. So plan your day around 41-plus miles, not a clean 40. Mentally banking on a 40 and then finding another mile waiting for you is a rough way to end a long day.

How hard is the Strolling Jim 40?

It is hard in a sneaky way. It is on paved and gravel back roads instead of mountain single-track, so people assume it is a fast road ultra, but the course rolls the entire time and racks up something like 2,300 to 3,000 feet of climbing across what locals call the 90 hills. There is no flat to hide on, the late section called the Walls is genuinely steep and rough, and early May in Middle Tennessee can turn warm and humid. Respect the rollers and the heat and it is very doable; treat it like a flat road race and it will humble you.

What are the Walls at Strolling Jim?

The Walls are a notorious stretch of steep, rough, rocky road that hits late in the race, roughly around miles 29 to 33, right when your legs are already cooked from all the earlier rollers. After thirty-some miles of constant up and down, these short brutal climbs feel enormous, and almost everyone walks them. The smart move is to expect them, keep something in reserve for that section, and hike them with purpose instead of trying to be a hero.

Is there a cutoff time for the Strolling Jim 40?

There is no strict, hard cutoff that pulls you off the course. The aid stations get set up early and then go unmanned around dusk, roughly twelve and a half hours after the 7:00 AM start, and after that you are helping yourself to whatever is left. Practically speaking that gives you a generous day to cover the 41-plus miles, but you do want to keep moving so you are not finishing alone in the dark with empty coolers behind you. Always confirm the current year’s timing details with the race.

What are the aid stations like at Strolling Jim?

There are seven aid stations, set at about miles 7.5, 13.1, 18, 23.5, 29, 35, and 39, with water jugs out on the road roughly halfway between them. They carry the basics: water, Gatorade, and light snacks like trail mix, oranges, chips, and Slim Jims. This is an old-school, low-key race and the stations are not catered buffets, so carry your own nutrition and do not count on finding your specific gels or drink mix out there. Run it self-sufficient and treat the aid as a bonus.

Should I run Strolling Jim as my first ultra?

It is a great first ultra for a road or marathon runner who wants to step up, as long as you go in with eyes open. The footing is mostly forgiving (paved and gravel roads, not technical trail), the vibe is friendly and historic, and the long open cutoff takes the time pressure off. The catch is the relentless hills and the true 41-plus miles, so train on rolling terrain, practice your fueling on long runs, and do not let the road surface trick you into starting too fast.

This guide is independent and for planning only. The course details, date, distance, aid stations, and timing 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.