If your New Year’s resolution has anything to do with more hiking or running, the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce has you covered.
According to Chamber President Steve Halter, there are scheduled events a few months away that will satisfy some fitness needs. On April 8, the chamber is hosting the Wolf Creek Trail Run for its 11th year; and modified the name into the “Wolf Creek Bark at the Moon Trail Run,” because it will coincide with the total solar eclipse. Options include a 6k run and a 1.7 mile walk, as well as a half marathon.
Anyone interested in participating is urged to register online, as there is a deadline for which a person can receive a T-shirt with their registration. Proceeds from the event will go to the Kiwanis Bacon Park.
Just one month later, the Ozark Mountain Challenge is set to test the limits of one’s endurance. The total hiking distance for this challenge is 17 miles, and Halter was quick to point out that the event is not a race. It is set to be a battle of will, where each participant competes against what they believe is possible for themselves.
After each successful ascent to the top of the mountain, competitors will get a brief rest as they are shuttled back to the base. Each person who completes the 17 miles of hiking will receive a green Ozark’s Mountain Challenge hat and one participant will win a $500 mountain bike.
“We have had an unbelievable response for this,” Halter reported. “We’ve been contacted by people from Washington. Bass Pro is sponsoring, as is Walmart and the Missouri State Tourism Board.”
There is also a deadline to register for this challenge, because the number of participants has been limited to 200. If there are still spots available for registration after April 1, there will be a price increase for registration.
“In all likelihood, if someone doesn’t register before April 1, they probably won’t get in,” Halter explained. “This event really is popular and it checks the boxes of getting people into the area. It gives people with similar interests the opportunity to get together.”