Great Gobbler Turkey trots are a jolly tradition among runners, witness the annual Turkey Trot 5 K in Siloam Springs. But central Arkansas hasn’t had a big gobbler race since 2001. Saturday, the Hot Legs Road Runners Club will fill the gap with its first Great Gobbler 5 K in Maumelle. The Hot Legs, a women’s group, will donate net proceeds to two charities that help victims of domestic violence. Co-sponsored by Molly Maids’ Ms. Molly Foundation, the 3. 1-mile race will benefit Dorcas House and Women and Children First. At 8 a. m. Saturday, runners and walkers can compete on a certified course that begins and ends in Maumelle’s Lake Willastein Park. The course includes rolling hills, but the park isn’t hilly. Race awards will go three deep in 13 age divisions. Entry costs $ 20 ($ 15 without a souvenir T-shirt ). Race-day registration costs $ 25. More information is available at (501 ) 766-0098 and www. ho tlegsrunforfun. org.
Turkey Trot 5 K Speaking of the Siloam Springs annual Turkey Trot, this year’s 5 K begins at 8 a. m. Nov. 22 in the Northwest Arkansas city’s downtown. Conducted by the Parks and Recreation Department, the race provides Tshirts for the first 100 registrants. It will be followed immediately by a free, one-mile fun run. Entry in the 5 K costs $ 15 ($ 12 for students ) and is available in the parks office. Organizer Libby Wand can e-mail entry forms; her e-mail address is lwand@siloamsprings. com. Race-day registration will cost $ 20 near the start, which will be at Broadway and Washington streets. “We register people in the parking lot of the Allen Canning headquarters,” Wand says. Racers will travel on roads and a trail. “Some of it is on the road but the majority is on the Dogwood Springs Trail,” Wand says. The first three male and female finishers will win medals, as will first-place male and female racers in four-year age divisions. “Everyone in the race will be eligible for door prizes, and some of those door prizes will be turkeys, frozen turkeys,” Wand says. “Yes, we’re going to hand you a turkey.” More information is at (479 ) 524-5779. Mercy Turkey Run Turkey coupons and not frozen birds are the bonus for racers in St. Edward Mercy Fitness Center’s Mercy Turkey Run 5 K / 10 K at 8 a. m. Nov. 22 at Fort Chaffee. The first 50 registrants will receive a $ 15 coupon for a Honeysuckle White turkey. Registration costs $ 15 and two packages of individual snack items, which will be donated to the Community Clearing House backpack program. More information is at (479 ) 314-7400.
Boulder Bash Little Rock Climbing Center is hanging on to its annual traditions, including the Little Rock Boulder Bash. The 2008 Bash will be 5 to 10 p. m. Nov. 22. The event will challenge indoor climbers to solve new bouldering problems and compete in dyno-jumping and slackline contests. Participants can swap and sell gear, and support the Arkansas Climbers Coalition by entering a raffle.
Bouldering competitors will receive points for crawling up as many routes as they can between 6 and 9 p. m. without falling. The harder the problem, the more points it will be worth. At 9 p. m., score cards will be collected, and the climbers’ top five routes will determine who wins.
Entry costs $ 25 ($ 5 less for American Bouldering Series members ) and will be accepted from 5 to 6 p. m. at the gym, which is at 12120 Colonel Glenn Road in Little Rock.
The registration form is at www. littlerockclimbingcen ter. com. More information is at (501 ) 227-9500.
Adventure races
Registration closes at midnight tonight for the longer of two Lewis & Clark Outfitters multisport races this weekend.
For three-person, co-ed teams, the 12-to-18-hour Ozark Adventure Race is a qualifier for adventure racing’s national championship races. Two-person teams can also compete, but not to qualify to enter the championships.
Teams will pay $ 175 per racer, and each team member must also belong to the United States Adventure Racing Association or buy an $ 8 permit.
Without help from support crews, teams will use maps and compasses to find checkpoints hidden across 50 to 70 miles in the Ozark Mountains. The course includes orienteering, mountain biking, trekking, canoeing, climbing and surprise activities. The Ozark Adventure Race’s starting time and place are not announced until the last minute.
Another, easier event is the annual two-to-four-hour Urban Adventure Race, which will begin and end Saturday. Individuals and two-person teams will navigate using a map and compass to checkpoints within the city limits of Fayetteville and Springdale. Support crews are not allowed.
Racers will do 6 to 10 miles of hiking or running and 15 to 20 miles of biking on trails. Competitors should be prepared for single-track mountain biking, hilly terrain, rope elements and mystery events. This course is geared to teams looking for a first-time adventure race or individuals who want a hard workout.
Entry costs $ 75 per person; race-day registration will be open from 8 to 9: 30 a. m. Saturday at Lewis & Clark, 4915 S. Thompson St. in Springdale.
More information is at (479 ) 756-1344, www. ozarkadven turerace. com and www. ur banadventurerace. com.
Friends Friends of the Ouachita Trail (FoOT ) will gather for its annual meeting Saturday at Camp Ouachita near Lake Sylvia in central Arkansas. The historic lodge is on Arkansas 324, three miles from Arkansas 10. The group will have lunch and share information about its work to maintain the 223-mile Ouachita National Recreation Trail. The trail begins in Talimena State Park in Oklahoma and ends at Pinnacle Mountain State Park. These volunteers donate their time in a systematic effort to keep it clear and safe for hikers, trail runners and, where allowed, mountain bikers. More information is at www. friendsot. org.
FEEDBACK:
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online
