With a race course designed to highlight the scenic beauty and Southern charm of this corner of northeastern Arkansas, the Midsouth Marathon & Half Marathon takes runners through a rural landscape filled with acres of delta farmland, tree-lined country roads, and the rolling hills of the Ozark Mountains in the distance.
Founded and organized by the Cross Country Ramblers, a local running and walking club, the race welcomes a few hundred runners each year, a participant field size that enhances the race’s friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Just over 230 runners and walkers crossed the finish line in the half and full marathons combined in 2016, including more than 165 finishers in the half marathon alone.
Both races start and finish at the Wynne High School football stadium, and feature out-and-back courses that take runners along the scenic highway (Highway 64) that runs along the base of the hilly mountain ridge just to the east of Wynne, known as Crowley’s Ridge.
The course features a number of rolling hills and long, flat stretches — the first hill occurs between mile markers 1 and 2, and is followed by a three-mile flat stretch between miles 2 and 5.
After the mile 5 marker, runners turn north onto Highway 163, which those running the half marathon follow only for the next mile and a half before hitting the turnaround point, while those running the full marathon continue on for the next five miles.
This section of the race is among its most scenic stretches, as the hills of Crowley’s Ridge unfold along the two-lane road on the left while the Mississippi River delta lies in the distance on the right.
Once they hit the turnaround point, runners follow the return course back to the finish line along the exact course they’ve just completed, in reverse back to the stadium parking lot at the high school.
While in town, those participating the race will have recreational options to choose from both before and after the race, from horseback rides and glider rides to a tour of Wynne’s Village Creek State Park.
