The Ozark Trail Association is proud to announce the inaugural Taum-A-Hawk Hiking Race, a one-day event open to the public, to take place on Saturday, June 10, 2017, along 13 miles of the Ozark Trail Taum Sauk Section from Taum Sauk Mountain State Park to Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park located in Iron County, Mo.

Traversing the most scenic and rugged areas of the entire state, mixed-gender teams of two, up to 50 teams total, will hike a time-trial formatted race beginning in the morning at the summit of Taum Sauk Mountain, the highest point in Missouri, then heading down, alongside Mina Sauk Falls and west into the Taum Sauk Creek Valley, past the Devil’s Tollgate rock formation, and then back up across Proffit and Wildcat Mountains before finishing at beautiful Johnson’s Shut-ins State Park.

The Ozark Trail Association Taum-A-Hawk 2017 is a one-day hiking race open to the public, not a trail running race. Participants must be over the age of 16 in co-ed teams consisting of two people where classic hiking items will be required of each participant like a backpack, trail map, appropriate footwear, a minimum amount of carried water (1L) and other safety items like battery-powered flashlight/headlamp.

The entrance fee for each team is $75; all race participants receive a one-year membership to the Ozark Trail Association, a race day T-shirt with special logo, and complementary food and beverage provided at day’s end. A trophy will be presented to the winning team with fastest time.

For more information on race requirements, rules, details on location and where to officially sign your team up, please visit ozarktrail.com or contact Abi Jackson at abi.jackson@ozarktrail.com.