Tennessee is home to some of the most beautiful terrain in the country. One minute you may be passing through a valley in awe of the gorge, the next you could be on top of a mountain viewing a spectacular sunset, or you might end up wandering through towering trees. Many trail runners endure very rough terrain to get to these views. Luckily, Tennessee State Parks offers endless breathtaking views and a well-built and managed system of trails. These two very important qualities of Tennessee State Parks led two Park Rangers to come up with the idea of organizing and hosting a trail race at Montgomery Bell State Park in Burns in 2014. This would be like no other race the park system had seen. With the ultra-running community on the rise they knew this could become something huge, which ultimately brought the Bell Ringer Trail Run to life.
Trail running is defined as “a sport/ activity which consists of running and hiking over trails. It differs from road running and track running in that it generally takes place on hiking trails, often in mountainous terrain, where there can be much larger ascents and descents.” The ultra-running community is made up of men and women from all over the world that all share the love for the outdoors and running; not only running, but running long distances over terrain of varying difficulty.
Since its inception, the Bell Ringer Trail Run has been a great success within the ultra-running community. The central location close to Nashville, the beautiful trails, and the top-notch Tennessee State Park staff make it a popular race for trail runners. It is no wonder this race has continued to grow and flourish with participant numbers increasing by 70 percent over the past five years.
This increasingly popular race begins by sending runners out to the race course with the ringing of Montgomery Bell State Park’s infamous bell. Once past the start line, participants run along the road, allowing runners to warm up and find their pace before hitting the trails.
The first few miles of trail are fairly wide, and then the trail transitions into a single-track trail and a mountain bike trail. The final piece of the race requires runners to climb stairs and then the final hill climb to the finish. All of these trails offer runners a great view of Tennessee’s natural resources.
The runners come up against many different types of trails and terrain before they catch the first glimpse of the finish line. Many people are brought to tears as they cross the finish line and are able to ring “The Bell.” Each race finisher is encouraged to ring the bell and it has become an iconic feature of the race that draws participants to the Bell Ringer Trail Run. The goal of ringing the bell is the runners’ reward for strength, persistence, and a job well done – an incredible challenge completed.
Over the last few years, the Bell Ringer Trail Run has gained quite the reputation and has drawn runners from across the state and country. The beautiful park offers a great landscape for the race, a unique history with influences dating back to the Civilian Conservation Corps efforts in the 1930s, and excellent facilities to host this large-scale event with an inn, cabins, campground, restaurant, and conference center. The Conference Center at Montgomery Bell is where you can find all of the runners after their races as they enjoy a hot lunch, cold beverage, great music and other entertainment.
Park Rangers and other park staff travel to Burns from across the state to help with the event each year. They specialize in medical services, special event logistics, safety and security protocols, and search and rescue operations. This is one of the unique aspects of this race that differentiates it from other ultra-trail runs. The staff makes sure that all participants have a safe and enjoyable experience while they enjoy one of the many great state parks that the Tennessee has to offer.
Not only is this a one of a kind experience for the runners, it also benefits a great cause. All the proceeds from the Bell Ringer go straight back to the Friends of Montgomery Bell State Park. This organization is the non-profit group whose mission is to support the park by providing a quality place for families to recreate and educating visitors on the importance of protecting and preserving the park. This allows Montgomery Bell State Park to continue to go above and beyond to serve park visitors, while continuing to host events, like the Bell Ringer.
Join us at Montgomery Bell State Park on the second Saturday of December to ring the bell!
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