White River Marathon
Cotter, AR
- Marathon, Half Marathon, 5K
- Road (Paved), Trail (Unpaved)
- Official race website
Everyone loves finishing in the park! White River Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K Boston Qualifier Shoe Recycling Drive – bring your old shoes to us! Flat Course along the White River! Registration is limited to 750 participants – sells out! Family & Runner friendly atmosphere! Pasta Dinner is back! … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Nov 21):
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| H (°F) | 76 | 52 | 51 | 57 | 60 |
| L (°F) | 59 | 42 | 44 | 19 | 47 |
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It's a good experience
This is a relatively flat race (a lot of folks disagree that it is really that flat, but it is flat for AR), running on mostly country roads along the … MORE
This is a relatively flat race (a lot of folks disagree that it is really that flat, but it is flat for AR), running on mostly country roads along the beautiful White River. The organizers do a great job and have a lot of community support. Their race supported missions in Kenya up through 2025, but I think they have pivoted to more local missions for 2026 going forward. I would recommend this for 50 staters looking for an easier track, nice scenery, and late fall weather (weekend before Thanksgiving) in AR. If you want more of a challenging run in AR, search for Mission Run in the Ozarks (March). Weather was ideal in 2025 (low 50’s).
Great small race
I love small races and this one was a gem. Very well organized and run. Lovely course. Great swag. If you need big crowds and lots of hype this probably … MORE
I love small races and this one was a gem. Very well organized and run. Lovely course. Great swag. If you need big crowds and lots of hype this probably isn’t the race for you. But if you want to be in a beautiful area with friendly people, the White River Marathon has a lot to offer.
Not flat, at all.
I decided to run this race as a double with the Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey outside of Nadhville. I think the scenery could have been vastly improved if the run … MORE
I decided to run this race as a double with the Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey outside of Nadhville. I think the scenery could have been vastly improved if the run was held before the leaves all fell for the year. The medals were beautiful.
The shoe timing mechanism was fine, but a real struggle to unlace our shoes after a full marathon.
The course was advertised as fast and flat but is almost entirely uphill the first 7ish miles until you turn around to head mostly downhill, then you hit another turnaround to run uphill, and finally turnaround to run mostly downhill.
The course is an open back highway so we had traffic flowing both directions with no real course control, didn’t love that
The amount of roadkill was unfortunately because paring with the recent rain it was nauseating to run by at times.
The majority of the run is not in view of the river but the final 2ish mile stretch was and that was much nicer.
I do not plan to have this as a future race, I would not recommend it.
Plentiful Port-a-Potties
Nice, flat course. Mostly road, last 2.2 miles were gravel road. Water stops every two miles - none ran out of supplies! Every one had a port-a-potty. Only the one … MORE
Nice, flat course. Mostly road, last 2.2 miles were gravel road. Water stops every two miles – none ran out of supplies! Every one had a port-a-potty. Only the one at mile 20 had run out of paper. About twenty minutes of light rain, otherwise perfect weather. Very friendly community and not over-crowded. Somehow I placed third in my group, so I went back to the start for my award. There was hot food being served for free! The bling was gorgeous, nice quality medal. The race shirt is a soft long-sleeve hooded shirt. I will actually wear that! Would 100% come back, great course to PR (which I did)! PS: if you like fishing, it’s the TROUT capital!
I recommend it!
This is a relatively flat race, running on mostly country roads along the beautiful White River. The people running the race do a great job and have a lot of … MORE
This is a relatively flat race, running on mostly country roads along the beautiful White River. The people running the race do a great job and have a lot of community support. Their race supported missions in Kenya up through 2025, but I think they have pivoted to more local missions for 2026 going forward. I would recommend this for 50 staters looking for an easier track, nice scenery, and late fall weather (weekend before Thanksgiving) in AR. If you want more of a challenging run in AR, search for Mission Run in the Ozarks (March).
Double Marathon Weekend, Day 1
This was a small race, which started off cold, foggy and beautiful. It starts with a downhill to local road wherein runners do a double out and back before heading … MORE
This was a small race, which started off cold, foggy and beautiful. It starts with a downhill to local road wherein runners do a double out and back before heading to a trail for the last couple miles.
After that initial hill it’s a mostly flat course but what I found interesting is that runners didn’t know what side to run on, which caused some car traffic to accumulate. I think in this regard the organizers should have directed people to run opposite the oncoming traffic. Most drivers drove slowly around runners but there were definitely others that did not appear to be happy with runners on the road. Something to keep in mind.
A big plus of this race is that they wait for all runners on the course to finish, which is great for those of us that are slower or perhaps injured as I was.
White River Marathon/Half/5k was great!
It was organized and a lot of fun! It was a little chilly at first but warmed up. There was a one hill then downhill and flat. The course was … MORE
It was organized and a lot of fun! It was a little chilly at first but warmed up. There was a one hill then downhill and flat. The course was pretty! I definitely recommend it!
A favorite on my schedule
As a repeat running I truly enjoy this event. The community comes out to support the runners at aide stations and the after race meal. The first mile of this … MORE
As a repeat running I truly enjoy this event. The community comes out to support the runners at aide stations and the after race meal. The first mile of this race is downhill and the best part is you do not have to go back up it to get back to the school. They have shuttle transportation to take you back to the school for the feast. This was my first year with the new course ending. The last part is on a trail. I love the race swag that this event gives out to those who register. They also had a store on site the morning of the race with some other merchandise available to purchase which was nice. I grabbed a light weight jacket. I plan on being back again in 2023!
Chilly but nice
Course: Started off with a very steady decline then mostly flat the remainder of the way. Last couple miles was on gravel/ dirt trail. But over all nice route. Not … MORE
Course: Started off with a very steady decline then mostly flat the remainder of the way. Last couple miles was on gravel/ dirt trail. But over all nice route. Not overly scenic but still nice. There were definitely areas that were mostly shade – and when the temp is in the 20s already, made for a chilly run.
Production: no complaints. Though when we headed to the pasta dinner we were quite surprised to hear so much cheering! Pep rally at the pre-feed. Turned out we walked into the middle school BBall game. Oops. suggestion would be to to post signs on where the pasta dinner was….Minor detail though.
Aid stations at least every 2 miles. Each one had water, Gatorade, and Gu. Many also had candy. Start and finish are not at the same spot, but there is a shuttle. Bag pick up is at the finish. Finish line had water, bananas, aluminum blankets. But back at the school there was 5 different soups, sub sandwiches, pizza, Gatorade, water, hot drinks.
Swag: nice hoodie shirt with a pouch pocket and a nice medal. I thought the shirt was unique.
This race supports charities!
Nice local run.
Flat course, great race
Easy parking and packet pickup on race day which was at a elementary school...this allowed for a warm place to congregate and use the restroom before the race...The course was … MORE
Easy parking and packet pickup on race day which was at a elementary school…this allowed for a warm place to congregate and use the restroom before the race…The course was pancake flat along the white river…very scenic in spots…it was basically an out and back twice…plenty of aid stations….Not a whole lot of spots for family to support you during the race…great volunteers…nice medal….awesome shirt (hooded soft long sleeve shirt). Great food after the race to include Macaroni and Cheese, Chili, and pizza. ..would run this again good course for PR/BQ as weather was near perfect…
Perfectly organized! RUN THIS RACE!
Relatively small race that is VERY well organized and doesn't skimp on the extras! Every detail is considered! -Plenty of parking at the school where the race starts -Coffee and … MORE
Relatively small race that is VERY well organized and doesn’t skimp on the extras! Every detail is considered!
-Plenty of parking at the school where the race starts
-Coffee and pre-race snacks
-Can hang out pre-race inside the cafeteria
-All-time best race shirt! (super soft hooded long-sleeve T)
-Course is out/back and out/back again for full marathon.
-Flat/Fast course
-Plentiful aid stations that were well-stocked with water, sports drink, gels
-Super enthusiastic volunteers!
-Easy and available shuttle vans back to the start for runners (and from the start to the finish for spectators!)
-5-year age group awards 3 deep!
-Great selection of post-race food at the cafeteria.
-Couldn’t ask for a better race!
Great race
Out and back race! There are cars on course. I loved the scenery and it was a fun race! I loved cheering on all my friends! I will do this … MORE
Out and back race! There are cars on course. I loved the scenery and it was a fun race! I loved cheering on all my friends! I will do this race again someday!
Happy to race!
So many races have cancelled due to covid restrictions so I was happy to see one event that was going forward. Paul & his group did an amazing job to … MORE
So many races have cancelled due to covid restrictions so I was happy to see one event that was going forward. Paul & his group did an amazing job to keep the race going. The participants were spread out in based upon estimated finishing times. Racers were asked to wear masks in any areas where they could not be social distanced. We were still able to be shuttled back to the school and get our after race meal which as always is nice. The hoodies for the half finishers as always are a nice touch. This was my 4th time at this event and I plan on coming back again next year.
Worth the Drive
Definitely recommend this race especially if you are a 50 stater. Great race. Awesome course. Easy in and out. Run along the river on an out and back which allows … MORE
Definitely recommend this race especially if you are a 50 stater. Great race. Awesome course. Easy in and out. Run along the river on an out and back which allows you to see your buddies.
Well run race in the midst of a pandemic
I applaud all that the race director did to adjust in the face of Covid and still keep these races live. There’s a 5K, 1/2 and full marathon. Total number … MORE
I applaud all that the race director did to adjust in the face of Covid and still keep these races live. There’s a 5K, 1/2 and full marathon. Total number of racers is capped at 750-with only about 271 in the marathon. The adjustments included temps being taken before the race; masks required at all times except while running; there was a switch to multiple corrals to spread people out; no post-race showers and changes with how the post-race food was handled. All of those changes were very smooth and handled very well. The course is along the White River and it’s and out-and-back race (once for the 1/2; twice for the full marathon). There aren’t many spectators, but that never bothers me. The volunteers at the aid stations and turn-around spots were great. They were very enthusiastic and supportive of everyone. The medal was great, and if you registered before September there was a hoodie for you. This was a small-town race where everyone was friendly. Also, there was plenty of food—even if you were not one of the earlier finishers. I also have to give a shout out to the Cotter Trout Lodge as a place to stay. It’s only about 1 mile from the start, and the folks in charge were extremely nice in allowing a late check-out. The room was everything I needed, and you weren’t far from a number of restaurants. I’d definitely return to do this race again.
Great local race
I have repeated this course three times. They have a small expo at race packet pick up. You can also bring your old running shoes to be recycled. They have … MORE
I have repeated this course three times. They have a small expo at race packet pick up. You can also bring your old running shoes to be recycled. They have tech long sleeve shirts as part of the swag.
As far as the race itself you start off by going downhill. It is a flat course. Each year that I have completed the race the weather has been different but good overall.
The half marathon you go out and back. You do not have to go back up the hill. They bus you back to the school where the after race awards ceremony are held. They also have an excellent spread of food for a race.
Speedy, flat course
Well-organized, small-town race. The medal was huge and the long sleeve technical shirt was nice. The food at the finish was phenomenal (huge selection and variety). The downhill start followed … MORE
Well-organized, small-town race. The medal was huge and the long sleeve technical shirt was nice. The food at the finish was phenomenal (huge selection and variety). The downhill start followed by flat course helped me finish strong with a good finish time despite the fact I recently found out I’m anemic. Volunteers at aid stations were good. Zero complaints.
Passionate Race Directors
This is a low key race with a lot of perks. It's an out and back course where the out and back is run two times (once for the half) … MORE
This is a low key race with a lot of perks. It’s an out and back course where the out and back is run two times (once for the half) along the White River. The scenery of the river is beautiful, but the wind can really circle around in the valley. After the race, showers are available and a truly awesome all you can eat pot luck is put on for the runners by the locals at no charge. Plus, they give you the best running shirts I’ve ever seen and the medals are classy.
Yes it's flat except for.....
The White River Marathon for Kenya is a delightful small race (less than 200 in the marathon) in Cotter, Arkansas which if you didn't know is known as "the Trout … MORE
The White River Marathon for Kenya is a delightful small race (less than 200 in the marathon) in Cotter, Arkansas which if you didn’t know is known as “the Trout Capital of the USA”. The route follows the White River although I swear you only see if for a short time. We did the race in 2012 and enjoyed it enough to return.
Packet pickup is held at the Cotter Middle School which is also the location of the pasta dinner, the post race food. and the start line for all three of the races (they offer a 5k, half marathon and marathon). The first 1.25 miles of the course presents the runners with a significant downhill and then things level off to almost perfectly flat. I would describe the course as a double out and back (but you never go up the hill you came down). The scenery is peaceful, the spectators are cows, you’ll pass a very small airport, some farms and an RV park which is the marathon (13.1 mile turnaround) and then the finish line. You are running on a road for the entire race. The course is well marked and aid stations are well spaced.
Speaking of aid stations, there was a problem which was quickly corrected by race management. During the race it appeared that volunteers abandoned one of the water stops leaving water and gatorade vats on the table without cups. I heard a race participant call the RD to report the problem and within 15 minutes (my estimate) a volunteer arrived with cups and began providing support.
I gave the course a difficulty of 3 primarily because I find flat races to be more difficult than races with slightly rolling terrain. I also gave the scenery a 3 simply because of the redundancy – it is however a very pleasant run especially if the weather is nice (which it wasn’t this year – it was cool and rainy).
There are not many lodging choices very close by. Most of the well known chains are 10-15 miles away. If you don’t mind the pre and post race drives, they are just fine. We wanted to stay closer to the race site so we selected HIS PLACE RESORT which caters to those who love to fish. It is 7/10 of a mile from the start (all uphill) and less than 1/4 mile from the finish line. We stayed there 2 years ago and found it to be more than adequate, with a full kitchen but very itsy bitsy bathroom.
The medal for the race is beautifully designed suncatcher. This year’s featured violet tones.
If you enjoy smaller races without a lot of fuss this might be for you. If I didn’t have so many other races on my bucket list I’d come back again.