Show Me Your Free State Ultra

Event Overview

The Show Me Your Free State Marathon and Ultra is a running event offering five distances on a single day: 100-mile, 50-mile, 50-kilometer, marathon (26.2-mile), and half marathon (13.1-mile). It takes place on Saturday, October 24, 2026. The event starts and finishes at Rosecrans Memorial Airport in St. Joseph, Missouri.

The name refers to the course geography. It begins and ends in Missouri but spends most of its distance in Kansas. The route is a 25-mile loop that follows the Missouri Riverbank and traverses areas like the Gladden Bottoms.

The Course

The course is a 25-mile loop starting near Rosecrans Memorial Airport. Key features include:

• An elevation gain of approximately 138 feet per loop.
• A mix of surfaces: roughly 10 miles of paved roads, 1 mile of dirt road through a cornfield, and the remainder on gravel or crushed limestone levee trail.
• A major crossing at US Highway 36 in Wathena, Kansas, monitored by volunteers.
• Quiet, scenic views of farmland, the Missouri River, and autumn foliage.

Distances are completed as follows:

• 100-mile: 4 laps
• 50-mile: 2 laps
• 50K: 1 lap plus a 3-mile out-and-back section
• Marathon: 1 lap plus a 1.2-mile finish loop
• Half Marathon: Out-and-back to mile 6.55

The course is marked with yellow paint, signage at turns, directional arrows, and mile markers every 5 miles.

Aid and Support

There are three manned aid stations on the loop at miles 6.5, 13, and 19. Each provides water, sports drink, soda, salty snacks, fruit, sweets, and hot food and drinks after sunset. Unmanned stations with water and limited snacks are located between the manned stations.

Drop bags are allowed for 100-mile and 50-mile runners. Crew support is permitted only at the Start-Finish area and the Wathena and Roseport Landing aid stations. Pacers are allowed for 50-mile and 100-mile runners after their first lap.

Registration and Policies

Registration has several phases opening in October 2025 and March 2026, with late registration closing on October 16, 2026. There are no refunds or transfers, but distance changes are allowed before late registration closes.

Age requirements are:

• 100-mile, 50-mile, and 50K: 18 years and older.
• Marathon: 15 years and older with a parent or guardian present.
• Half Marathon: 12 years and older with a parent or guardian present.

Packet pickup is available on the Friday before the race at Tubes Bike Shop in St. Joseph and on race morning at the venue.

Rules and Guidelines

Runners are expected to follow core principles of respect, responsibility, and safety. Key rules include: Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.

• Bibs must be worn visibly at all times.
• Littering is prohibited.
• Crew vehicles are forbidden on unpaved roads.
• Headlamps are required before sunrise and after sunset.
• A reflective vest or belt is required after dark.
• Runners must check in at every manned aid station (50-mile and 100-mile distances).