The Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd 100 Mile, 100K, 50K, 25K and 10 Mile Race is held at Eagle Bluff Resort, 9800 HWY 10 northeast of Tahlequah, Oklahoma.
The loop course outlines the J.T. Nickel Family Nature and Wildlife Preserve and includes 26 miles of gravel country road and approximately five miles of paved road. The course contains several rolling hills and few not-so-rolling hills. (See the History section for a better definition of the race directors reasoning for the "relatively flat" definition.) The course is surrounded by trees, pastures and prairies. The leaves are usually beginning their massive production of fall colors.
The aid station volunteers are simply outstanding. All are staffed with ultra-runners and "professional" volunteers. Many aid stations are manned by race directors and small business owners. They really know how to make runners feel special.
The Pumpkin Holler course is a 29 mile loop. 100 mile runners will run this loop three times, 100K runners twice and the 50K runners only get to see this beautiful course once. Each distance has an out-and-back spur through the middle of Nickel Preserve. Runners only run this spur on the first loop.
Don’t ignore the Great Gourd Challenge this year. The GGC is an extra 1-mile out-and-back that gets you nifty bonus swag. This challenge is just past the East of Eden aid station (the fifth aid station you encounter on the course). The turn-off will be clearly marked.
The Great Gourd Challenge is open to 100 mile, 100K, and 50K runners but you must complete it on your first lap. Just think – when was the last time you ran 101 miles and got bonus swag?
The Start/Finish area is at Eagle Bluff Resort located on Highway 10 just northeast of Tahlequah, Oklahoma. There is plenty of parking within Eagle Bluff. Eagle Bluff provides access to showers and restroom facilities.
Finish line activities include campfires, BBQ, ample aid station supplies, music and spontaneous dance parties.
Driving directions to the start/finish area at Eagle Bluff Resort can be found on Google maps by clicking here.
From Tahlequah:
Just past the sign and general store turn right onto a gravel road. In 500 feet turn right again to enter the Eagle Bluff campground area.
There are plenty of tent camping sites at Eagle Bluff Resort near the start/finish area. Some of the tent campsites have electrical hookups, and some also have water. There are a few RV campsites with full hookups.
You can call to make a reservation at 918-894-5369. Or you can reserve online at: http://www.eaglebluffresort.com/makereservation.html.
Some people prefer 'Holiday Inn' camping. There are several hotels in the Tahlequah area. You can find a list provided by the Tahlequah Chamber of Commerce.
The Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd course includes eight first-class aid stations (The 100 mile runners will see a ninth decent one). All aid stations are staffed with the best and most-friendly people you could ever meet. Most are ultra-runners and race directors and look forward to giving back to the running community at PHH.
Some aid stations will include drop-bag support or crew access so you can have your preferred supplies and supportive friends nearby.
Aid Station | From Start/Finish | To Next Aid Station | Crew Access | Drop Bags | Last Lap Cutoff |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Start/Finish | 0 | 1.5 | Yes | Yes | 6:00am |
Meego's Cantina | 1.5 | 4.1 | No | No | n/a |
Mad Dog | 5.6 | 2.4 | No | No | n/a |
Dem Country Outlaw Idiots | 8 | 3.3 | No | Yes | 7:30am |
Savannah Corner | 11.3 | 4.3 | Yes | Yes | 8:00am |
Nature Center Intersection | 13.3 | 1.8 | Mile marker only, no aid at this location. | ||
Out & Back Waffle Stop | Your milage may vary. 3.25M to Waffle Stop then 2.6M to East of Eden. | ||||
East of Eden | 15.6 | 4.3 | No | No | n/a |
Hard Up Ahead | 19.9 | 3.1 | Yes | Yes | 11:15am |
Bathtub Rocks | 23.0 | 2.9 | No | No | n/a |
Last Gasp | 25.9 | 2.3 | No | No | n/a |
Meego's Cantina | 28.2 | 1.5 | No | No | n/a |
Start/Finish | 29.7 | Yes | Yes | 2:00pm |
There is a high probability of a bandit aid station at the Y intersection about 1.5 miles from the Start/Finish. Expect liquid encouragement and more cowbell as you near the finish line.
Crew access is provided at three aid stations along the course – Savannah Corner, Hard Up Ahead, and the Start/Finish area. The course map shows the preferred route to these aid stations. Crew is not allowed to drive on the course for safety of the runners. The designated crew route provides faster routes to the aid stations since most of these roads are paved.
It’s all relative. This is the course elevation of ONE of the 29.7 mile loops. As you can see--the course is relatively flat. Take out the 6-8 nasty hills, and it's a pancake. :-) Seriously, the hill at mile 4.5 is a bitch. The hills around 13-15 are decent but do not seem as bad. The hills at mile 25-28 are doozies. All of the hills are longer and steeper on the second time around. They are off the charts for those doing three loops. For those who feel like dying on their last loop, we do have a local cemetery on the course.