Cotter is a small town on the White River in the Arkansas Ozarks, and this race feels like it. You start at Cotter School, drop down a hill in the first mile and a quarter, and then run an out-and-back along the river that is almost perfectly flat, with bluffs rising on one side of the road; marathoners run the stretch twice. The whole event is capped at 750 entrants across three distances, so you will recognize the volunteers by your second lap. The final couple of miles turn onto gravel before the finish at Big Spring Park beside the water. The November air is cool, the 7-hour limit is forgiving, and the course's BQ rate has topped twenty percent in some years. Register early; this small field sells out.
Starts at Cotter School, drops down a hill in the first mile and a quarter, then runs a flat out-and-back along the White River with bluffs on one side of the road (marathoners run it twice), finishing at Big Spring Park with the last couple of miles on gravel.
Open on RunSignUp; as fetched, Marathon $105 (16 spots remaining), Half $90, 5K $35, with prices increasing after October 31, 2026 at 11:59 pm CDT. No race-day registration. Total event capped at 750 participants (homepage says 800) and the organizer forecasts a sell-out. The 5K has its own limit of 160. Register ↗
- The organizer's FAQ says 'the time limit is 7 hours. Runners still on the course at 2:00 pm will be picked up,' and that the total field is limited to 750 participants. ↗
- The course starts at Cotter School, runs down the hill, does an out-and-back along the White River with bluffs on one side, and finishes at Big Spring Park. ↗
- The 2026 race is the 23rd annual White River Marathon; the FAQ notes 2024 was the 21st year, putting the first edition in 2004. ↗
- Formerly run as the White River Marathon for Kenya, the race supported missions in Kenya through 2025 and pivoted to local missions from 2026. ↗
- findmymarathon recorded 147 marathon finishers in 2025 and a BQ rate of 24.6% in 2024 and 22.6% in 2023 on a mostly flat road course with multiple out-and-backs. ↗
Checked 2026-10-13. Always confirm on the official site before booking travel.