Spa Running Festival in Hot Springs

The Spa 10K in Hot Springs was recently listed by Runner’s World as one of the top 10 races in a national park. The race, which takes place November 21 this year, has been part of the Hot Springs running scene for the past 33 years. New this year is the addition of a half marathon, called the Summit2 Challenge, to the lineup. With these changes, race officials have decided to rename the race the Spa Running Festival. The festival now includes a half marathon, a 10K, a 5K, and a kid’s 1K  “squirt” race.

As to details of the 10K, which is part of the Arkansas RRCA (Road Runners Club of America) Grand Prix Series, the course takes runners through downtown Hot Springs and by landmarks like Bathhouse Row. The route goes up the summit of West Mountain and also through the Quapaw-Prospect Historic District. The half marathon entails running the 10K route plus running up the summit of West Mountain twice. The half marathon starts at 7 a.m., the 10K and 5K at 8 a.m., and the kid’s race at 9:30 a.m. All races start and finish on Convention Boulevard in front of the Embassy Suites hotel. For more details on the running festival, visit sparunningfestival.com.