About
The eleventh running of The Three Sisters Ultra Festival is once again a 24 hour, 12 hour, or 6 hour timed event that will be run on the trails in the beautiful Maryville College Woods -- and we added back in relays for the team experience. A few years ago we added in the 6 and 12 hour night option -- run under the stars in the cool night air! There's an extra question for day vs. night on the 6 and 12 hour, so if you want to run at night, make sure and choose the night option. We want more people in the woods at night!
Also a very popular option that we are bringing back: Tennessee's Double Ultra Festival --- run BOTH the 2026 Three Sisters Ultra Festival 24 Hour and the 2026 Fort Frenzy Ultra Festival 24 Hour and both medals will be designed to fit with a custom frame, creating a large custom award. ***Be sure to register for the 24 hour race on both race events.***
A couple years ago we had to shorten the course, and everybody liked it -- this year the course will once again be a 2-mile loop that will start and end at the McArthur Pavilion at the edge of the woods. You'll be able to access aid (and enjoy the warm fireplace!) every loop, as well as have the opportunity to set up your own personal aid area underneath the pavilion or in the large yard around the pavilion.
This your first ultra? We think this will be a great one: 16 loops = 50K, 31 loops = 100K, 50 loops = 100 Miles! (Even though this isn't a 100 mile race, we have a sweet buckle for you!)
Once again we'll have live music, as well as other activities in case you want to take a break from all the running. For instance, when have you ever played a quick nine holes of disc golf in the middle of an ultra?
Details
REGISTER EARLY! We've had late registrants in the past (as in begging us to get in after the cutoff, you naughty runners!) -- some of you didn't get the super nice shirt and other swag. So register early! We'll be allowing registration all the way through Friday, June 5th, but we have to order shirts and other goodies by May 25th (the printers need time to get the shirts and other things in & printed). After May 25th at midnight, you're not guaranteed a t-shirt and other swag. This year we'll return to the super soft hoodie sweatshirts -- I'll update this when we get a proof: AGAIN: If you register after May 25th at midnight, you're not guaranteed the shirt and goodies. So register early! We're cheap - there's no reason not to.
AID STATION & PACERS
We learned a few lessons in years past -- most importantly we had a hard time keeping food available for runners because all the non-running folk kept getting to it first. (For instance, the bacon was gone almost as soon as we put it out -- if you were a runner out on a loop you were just out of luck. It was even worse when pizza showed up!) In order to take care of our beloved runners, this year we'll require you to be a runner or a pacer to access the aid station amenities. If you plan to use a pacer, you can pick up her bib at packet pickup -- tell her to wear it while she's pacing you and she'll be good to go. And tell her to save you some bacon! 🥓🥓🥓
Packet Pickup
We’ll have packet pickup the evening before the race at Maryville College (5:00-7:00pm) at the McArthur Pavilion , and also after 6:00am Saturday morning, day of race. We would love if you could pick up your packet Friday night 'cause it's going to be hectic race morning. If you would like to set up your popup canopy, tent, or personal aid station Friday night you are welcome to, however the college won't let us have overnight camping on Friday night. Just a note, we won't be mailing any items, so make sure and get your race gear Friday night or Saturday morning. You are, however, welcome to send somebody else for your swag if you can't make it.
Timing
Two IMPORTANT details about timing:
RACE START TIMES:
The 24 hour race and other DAY races will start at 7:00 AM. The night races (6hr, 12hr NIGHT) will start at 7:00 PM. Sunset is at 8:50 PM, so you'll have time to get in a lap or two in the daytime / twilight before the scary night sets in, and you start hallucinating beady eyes looking hungrily back at you in the dark. 👻👻👻
CHIP TIMING:
We'll be chip timing the race once again this year. Please don't fold your bib (especially around the chip), and please wear your bib on your shirt, pinned to your shorts, or somehow attached to your vest, and place your bib on the FRONT of your person. We'll be positioning the readers (square white antennas) so they'll best read your chip if it's near your midline. Again - place your bib on the FRONT of your person (to be really really clear, NOT on your back ) or your hard earned laps might not get counted!
The Three Sisters
The Three Sisters, pictured above, are a close-set group of peaks on Chilhowee Mountain south of Maryville in Walland. They can be seen from the higher parts of the Maryville College campus, up above the volleyball courts. The highest peak is 2,843 feet - it's a bit of a trick of the eye, but that peak is the far left one in the picture. There's an old lookout tower (which Blackberry has since turned into a fancy restaurant) on that peak, and a radio relay tower (now another Blackberry building, The Library) on the middle one. The right hand peak is reachable by a trail after about a 4 mile run up Chilhowee mountain.
