Walking Tall 50/25k
Pocahontas, United States • 17 Oct 2026
Walking Tall 50/25K - Pocahontas, TN
Walking Tall 50/25K is scheduled for October 17, 2026 at Big Hill Pond State Park in Pocahontas, Tennessee. The event offers two distances on trails that are made up almost entirely of single-track with only short sections of park road.
The race distances:
- 50K - about 31 miles on mostly single-track trail
- 25K - about 15.5 miles on mostly single-track trail
The course includes a fire tower that participants may climb and a swamp boardwalk that crosses more than half a mile. The fire tower is treated as a special feature: runners who ascend to the top and get their bib punched receive a special challenge coin in addition to the finisher item. To place in the top three or set a course record, participants must climb to the top; an alternate stair punch on the first floor is accepted for a valid finish.
Aid and course details are provided for each distance. The 25K has full aid stations at miles 6.5, 9.6, and 12.5. The 50K follows the 25K route to the split and then continues with full aid stations and a drop-bag location at mile 15.5, plus additional aid at miles 18.4, 23.0, 26.1, and 27.5.
The event enforces strict time limits: a nine hour cut for the 50K and an eight hour cut for the 25K. There is a course cut at the inbound railroad tracks at mile 26.1. Walking Tall is a not for profit event; 100 percent of proceeds go to charity, with 90 percent to Big Hill Pond and 10 percent to the Tennessee Park Rangers Association. Year-round camping is available at Big Hill Pond. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.