DEWAYNE HOLLOWAY
montcnews2@windstream.net
Lake Ouachita Vista Trail will push 60 participants from 16 states to the physical Limits as they compete to become the first to finish either the Lake Ouachita Vista Trail (LOViT) 100 Mile, or the 100 Kilometer Endurance Run to be held the weekend of February 23.
The two races are among the most grueling races in the South. Participants will have 34 hours to cross rugged trails up and down the ridge lines south of Lake Ouachita totaling 40,000 feet in elevation change to the finish at Mountain Harbor Resort.
The LOViT 100K race takes place on the difficult Lake Ouachita Vista Trail every year in February. Runners test their skills in a race that winds its way around Lake Ouachita on a trail that is as beautiful as it is difficult.
Competitors have two races to choose from with a 100 mile race scheduled for the experienced runner and a 100 kilometer race planned for others. LOViT 100 is one of two 100 mile races in Arkansas, the other being the long standing Arkansas Traveller 100 held in October each year. It is also one of 160 North American 100 milers held annually. The LOViT 100k is the only race of its distance in the Natural State.
The 100 mile race will begin at 5 p.m., Friday, February 23 from The start point will be at the East Cove Wilderness Pavilion at Mountain Harbor Resort.
It’s not enough to just finish the race. Runners have 34 hours to complete the grueling 100 mile course. Along the way they have four check points which must be reached by a specific time, or runners or eliminated from the race.
The 100K race follows the same format with runners required to finish the race in 21 hours. They face three checkpoints along the way. Competitors of the 100K will begin at 6 a.m., Saturday, February 24.
100k finishers will receive a medal and 100 Mile finishers a custom finisher’s buckle to commemorate their accomplishment. There were 21 runners who earned the coveted 100 mile buckle last year. There are two runners who have earned three belt buckles since the race’s inception and four others who have earned two belt buckles.
LOViT 100 is a non-profit organization that donates all proceeds from both events to the development of trails in the area.
A banquet will be held Sunday morning as participants are recognized and the top three overall male and female finishers in each race will be presented with awards.
The course is a grueling off terrain run that leaves runners in the dark for most of the race with runners in the 100 mile race beginning Friday evening and finishing sometime Sunday morning.
There are several rest stations scattered along the course, but the reclusive nature of the track requires runners to carry water with them.
Sponsors of both events include Mountain Harbor Resort in Mount Ida, Go!Running in Little Rock, Tailwind Nutrition in Durango, CO, The North Face, Pinnacle Valley Liquor in Little Rock, and Road ID.
The race is the brainchild of Dustin and Rachel Speer. The Speers founded the Soaring Wings Half Marathon in Conway, in 2008 and directed the event until moving to Hot Springs in late 2012. The Speers were named the 2012 Arkansas RRCA Race Directors of the Year. Both are avid trail runners and have participated in events such as Kettle Moraine 100, Tahoe Rim Trail 100, Rocky Raccoon 100, Cajun Coyote 100 and Thunder Rock 100.
Race information can be found at www.RunLOViT.com and race directors Dustin & Rachel Speer can be reached at info@runlovit.com.
Current Course Records:
Men’s 100 Mile: Hunter Dodds (2016 – Victoria, AUS – 21 hrs, 52 mins, 34 seconds)
Women’s 100 Mile: Bailee Wilkerson (2017 – Russellville, AR – 23 hrs, 34 mins)
Men’s 100K: Chris Ho (2017 – North Little Rock, AR – 10 hrs, 18 mins)
Women’s 100K: Carmen Cheadle (2016 – Fayetteville, AR – 11 hrs, 30 min, 42seconds)
LOViT 100 is a non-profit organization that donates all proceeds from both events to the development of trails in the area.
Race information can be found at www.RunLOViT.com and race directors Dustin & Rachel Speer can be reached at info@runlovit.com.
