Catsmacker

Lake Sylvia Day Use area, Perryville AR

Saturday, May 23rd, 2026

📅 Event Details

Distance: 20-ish miles for the Catsmacker, 12-ish miles for the Kitty Run option. You can choose your distance on the day of the event.
Start/Finish Area: the start is at the Lake Sylvia Day Use area (where you would go if you went swimming in the lake). NOT at Camp Ouachita (where the Full Moon and Traveller start).

Donation-based: This is a donation-based run. We need to cover costs for Forest Service permitting, insurance, aid station supplies, finish line cookout, and other race equipment/transportation/logistics.
Payment: Please make sure that we can cover those costs and continue offering low-cost events. You can make an online payment here, or a cash/check donation on race day.
Suggested Donation: A suggested donation to cover costs is $20. Thank you!
Non-refundable: Donations are non-refundable, and any proceeds will be donated to the non-profit AURA.

Location: Find Williams Junction, AR on most maps: it is approximately 30 miles west of Little Rock on Hwy 10, or 20 miles south of Morrilton on Hwy 9.
Directions: From Williams Junction, go north on Hwy 10/9 for 1.5 miles, then take Hwy 324 west and follow for three and a half miles. The Lake Sylvia day use area will be on your left about 1/2 mile after Camp Ouachita.
Parking: Parking is limited in the Lake Sylvia Day Use Area. Please carpool if possible!
Road Rules: Parking along Hwy 324 is limited to the west side only. Ensure your car is all the way to the right of the white line when you park.

Terrain: The course will utilize Forest Service roads and a small portion of the Ouachita Trail. There will be a combination of pavement (just a little!), gravel (mostly), and single/double track trail.
Marking: Course marking will consist of signs, colored ribbon flagging, and flour arrows drawn on the ground. In general, course marking is focused on marking turns and intersections.
Maps: We recommend that participants print off maps if they are unsure of the course or unfamiliar with the area.
GPX Files: Catsmacker 20-ish mile GPX file: Link: Kittysmacker 12-ish mile GPX file: Link.

FSR 152 (from start), turning right on FSR 132
FSR 132 staying straight on FSR 94 (follow sign to Flatside Pinnacle)
FSR 94 turning right onto Ouachita Trail
Ouachita Trail turn right onto FSR 805, then turning right onto Hwy 324 to finish at Lake Sylvia day use area.

Fun Run: This is a no-UTS-points fun run that is a season-closer and celebration of the end of an amazing year of Arkansas ultrarunning.
Awards Ceremony: The 2025-2026 UTS awards ceremony will be held after the run, with a cookout-style lunch. Celebrate with us!

Aid Stations: There will be at least 2 aid stations for the Catsmacker, and 1 aid station for the Kitty Run.
Essentials: Please carry a water bottle and any snacks you want. Food choices at the aid stations will be basic.
Dogs: The park allows dogs on a leash. Please don’t assume that your dog is an exception that doesn’t need a leash.
Communication: It’s always a good idea to carry a cell phone. The service is spotty, but the higher hills often have signal available.

Cut-off: Cut-off is 6 hours, which is a 16:30ish pace for the full Catsmacker.
Early Start Option: There will be one early start option at 6:00am if you anticipate needing more time to finish. This option is not for convenience.
Aid Stations: Early starters will not have aid stations available, therefore, they need to be self-sufficient with food/drink.

Community Effort: This event is volunteer-based, and it takes effort from the entire community to put on a race. Please consider volunteering so that we can continue to offer events such as this.
Areas to Help: We need help in areas such as: set-up and runner check-in, cookout helpers, course sweepers, aid stations, and finish time recorders.
Volunteer Link: Go to this VolunteerSignup link to sign up.
Thank You! Your assistance is appreciated!

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