The Heart of the Ozarks Half Marathon is an awesome running event that brings together runners from all over Southern Missouri and the midwest. There’s a race for everyone. Participants can choose from a half marathon, a 10k, or a 2.5-mile fun run (Mindy’s Run.) The course is a mix …
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The Heart of the Ozarks Half Marathon is an awesome running event that brings together runners from all over Southern Missouri and the midwest. There’s a race for everyone. Participants can choose from a half marathon, a 10k, or a 2.5-mile fun run (Mindy’s Run.) The course is a mix of challenge and speed. The race support and atmosphere are difficult to beat in a race of our size. The swag and post race food is second to none. Overall, you’ll love this race experience that supports the West Plains Running Club.
The Heart of the Ozarks Half Marathon is Southern Missouri’s premier winter running event. We have everything you want in a race: nice race shirts, an interesting and challenging fast course, amazing course support, beautiful medals, and unbelievable post race food. Come run with us and see why so many people come back year after year.
The races will start and finish at the Historic Post Office Event Center. Courses will run through the scenic streets of West Plains Missouri. Traffic is controlled well by personnel from the Missouri Highway Patrol, West Plains Police, other area emergency organizations, and race volunteers. The course is a mixture of rolling hills and flat ground. The vast majority of the course is flat, but there is one tough hill and one medium sized hill on the half marathon (there’s 1 less on the 10k). Where’s the challenge in running yet another ultra flat course? Let’s see what you can do.
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Interesting run!
I thought about this race a lot during the race. The course showcases the town of West Plains. This is a poor town and you run past trailer parks and … MORE
I thought about this race a lot during the race. The course showcases the town of West Plains. This is a poor town and you run past trailer parks and old dilapidated houses. The highlight of this course is the start and finish, running through the town square. That is not a negative comment, actually. If you travel to run a lot then you have learned to expect historic houses, sweeping views, or other kinds of eye candy. But as I ran through West Plains, I contemplated the state of things in parts of the country that thrived when the railroad and rivers brought thousands of people to live in towns like this one. That America is never coming back, and towns like West Plains are hanging on (some aren’t hanging on). Anyway, as I ran, I began to feel a bit more sentimental toward places like West Plains and was really so glad that I came here to support a small race like this one. I would run this again, but if you travel to run this, then temper your expectations about a scenic run. The highlights here are the race org., not the course… or maybe the course IS the highlight?
The morning of the race it was raining. Hard. The historic post office near the square is where you start and finish. You can go inside before and after the race. There are port-a-pots in multiple places on the course, and there were aid stations along as well, with sports drink and water. The SWAG was okay, but the tee-shirts were / are hot pink, with a heart (for the name of the race) on the front and center that was hotter pink. Not exactly the sort of shirt a lot of guys would wear. They might have an option of another color for those who don’t want to wear hot pink to the grocery store on a Sunday morning, lol. It is cotton, not a race shirt. Minor complaint.
The post-race food was decent, but nothing for vegetarians except for granola bars, water, and chocolate milk. It would be great if more races would have veggie stuff. I imagine there are more vegetarians that run than vegetarian RDs. A bit of a gap there. It isn’t hard to do. Include some eggs with no bacon, or… anything hot. But I don’t expect veggie food anyway, so that’s also a minor complaint.
Would I run this again? Yes. I’m glad I drove up from Chattanooga to do this run and I explored the area. I probably would have stuck around and explored the town but not in the rain, so I got the hell out of Dodge.
Parking is easy. There are a couple of parking lots that are far larger than the number of people running within half a block of the start line. Toilets are plenty. A warm place to wait is also welcome. Decent food at the end. If you are local’ish, or can drive a few hours, go to this race. I’m glad I did it.
Nice local small town half, HILLS
Very hilly course with one giant hill in the middle of the half, lots of support, for some reason this years was very cold, 25 degrees, with a 15 mile … MORE
Very hilly course with one giant hill in the middle of the half, lots of support, for some reason this years was very cold, 25 degrees, with a 15 mile an hour wind, brisk, good snacks inside after the race, nice medal
Small-town run with plenty of support
Thankfully, an ice storm the evening before the race didn't wipe it out. Organizers were good about sending out information, including course conditions in the early hours of Saturday morning. … MORE
Thankfully, an ice storm the evening before the race didn’t wipe it out.
Organizers were good about sending out information, including course conditions in the early hours of Saturday morning. The course was in very good shape considering the elements, as the storm was not too bad compared to a few miles north.
The start/finish is in a shopping mall parking lot, and a nearby fire station houses the check-in and post-race activities. Not a lot of room but better than standing out in the cold.
This is not chip timed, no splits on the course.
The course has some hills, notably one in the first mile, another in the sixth mile and then one around the 11-mile mark that may have the steepest grade of any hill I’ve run all year.
Good on-course support. For a small town, there are some people out to cheer you on in addition to monitoring intersections.
West Plains is a Missouri high school cross country power so the field for this event includes several young runners, and I believe that contributes to some of the spectators coming out to watch, which is nice.
This is well-organized for a small town, and the course was a good challenge.
Swag included a long-sleeve shirt. Finisher medals are nice and age group winners get a second one.
I stayed in a new hotel just up the hill from the start and had Friday night pasta at Roma, also near the starting area.