A Race for the Ages

🏃‍♂️ A Race for the Ages

On the Thursday before Labor Day Weekend of 2025, ultramarathoners will once again descend on Fred Deadman Park in Manchester, Tennessee. Led by a contingent of wheezing geezers, over a hundred of America’s finest foot warriors will circle the famed Deadman Mile for days on end come September 2025 culminating in the grand finish and banquet at noon on Monday, Sept 1.

🏆 Race Format

• Eligibility: All runners 41 and over will be allotted a number of hours equal to those hard-earned years of age in which to accumulate as many miles as possible.
• Competition: All the kids, 40 years, and below, will compete over the final 40 hours of the race.
• Winner: The winner will be the runner with the most miles accumulated by the finish.
• Veteran Dominance: In 2019, 34 participants 70 years old and over completed over 100 miles and 1 participant, 74 years old completed 230 miles!

📖 The Stories

Of course it is not the competition which has made this event an instant classic. It is the stories. In the perfect setting of a one mile loop through the park, today’s ultrarunners have the opportunity to spend time with the legends and heroes of the long ago past of the sport. And the old guys and gals have the opportunity to rekindle old friendships (and rivalries) and to rehash the old days. The stories they have to tell are not tales immortalized on the internet, instead they exist only in the memories of those who were there. For all the hundreds of miles that are logged, and the fierce battles sometimes waged for position, it is the celebration of life atmosphere that has made the ARFTA a must-do event. Fathers and mothers sharing miles with daughters and sons as well as grandparents sharing miles with grandsons and granddaughters: these are moments too special to miss.

🍽️ Race Features

• Ice for Purchase: Ice is provided for purchase at the ICE HOUSE on the premises for $3.00 per bag.
• Hot Meals: Hot meals served every 6 hours (this is not aid station food, but fine southern cuisine catered by the local Cracker Barrel).
• Meal Packages: Additional meal plans may be purchased for crew members. The meals come prepackaged for each individual with whatever is on the menu that day.
• Aid Station Reminder: Allow the aid station volunteers time to set it up before you stop by to grab and go.

🚽 Facilities

There are real indoor bathrooms located on the course (the value of which cannot be overstated in a multiday run!) There will also be portapotties next to the building after you pass the start/finish line.

🏕️ Accommodations

• Motel Options: Accommodations are available at a full range of motels within 1 mile of the park for crews, or runners wishing to sleep in a “real bed.”
• Campsite Availability: Ample camping is available on site, with prime camping spots situated around the Deadman Mile.
• Parking: This is a small park with limited parking. The course is in the parking lot as well as through the park.
• Camper Policy: A camper is allowed in the back parking area near the back ball field if it fits in one parking spot.

🔗 Stay Connected

There is a facebook group for the ARFTA: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1443235495936999/

✉️ Contact Us

Any runners over 70 years of age with financial limitations precluding their entry should e-mail me, so that we can work something out. This is your day(s) in the sun, and we want to see you here!

For more details, visit the race page: A Race for the Ages.