Night at the Arcade Trail Run

⚠️ OFFICIAL RACE SIGNUP IS ON ULTRASIGNUP

This page is for race info only. Signing up here does NOT enter you in the race or hold a spot.

👉 REGISTER HERE ON ULTRASIGNUP

If you aren't on the UltraSignup entrant list, you are not registered.

Night at the Arcade Trail Run

57K • 28M • 14M • 7M • 5K
Saturday, June 5, 2027 (night race)
Buescher State Park, 1606 State Park Road 1E, Smithville, TX 78957
400 runner cap

Course

The trails are a good mix of narrow paths and singletrack, with some smaller inclines and rocky spots along the way. The course is a 7.2-mile loop that starts and finishes under the same arch, with about 450 ft of gain/descent per loop. There are showers at the finish.

Route, GPX and elevation: plotaroute.com/route/3105818

Distances & Start Times

57K – 6:00 PM – 5 loops
28M – 7:00 PM – 4 loops
14M – 7:30 PM – 2 loops
7M – 8:00 PM – 1 loop
5K – 8:00 PM – 1 loop

Schedule

Saturday, Jun 5 – Packet pickup 5:00 PM – 8:30 PM at the Start/Finish
6:00 PM 57K • 7:00 PM 28M • 7:30 PM 14M • 8:00 PM 7M/5K

Cutoffs

6:00 AM (Sunday, Jun 6) is the hard cutoff for all races. You CANNOT start another loop after 3:30 AM – NO EXCEPTIONS.

Drop Downs & Distance Changes

Once your race begins, that is the distance you must finish to receive a medal for that distance. There is no dropping distances during the race – you will be listed as a DNF.

Online distance changes are open until the Wednesday of race week on UltraSignup: log in, go to Registration History, click Edit on this race, choose the new distance under Switch Event? and check out right away (there is a small UltraSignup fee when moving up). All other changes must be made in person and may not be possible for sold-out distances.

Aid Stations

Mile 3.6 – Gate L off Turkey Run
Mile 7.2 – Start/Finish

Both are FULL aid stations stocked Texas-style: Gatorade, water and electrolyte mix; Coke, ginger ale and maybe orange soda; cookies, candy, peanut butter and Nutella; Pringles, trail mix and chips; PB&Js, bean burrito rolls and fruit. Overnight: quesadillas, soups, ramen, potatoes and other fun concoctions. Medical basics (bandages, Vaseline, band-aids – NO NSAIDs) and feminine care products. There is usually a surprise too – we have had sheet cake, pies and watermelon!

Cupless Racing

We DO NOT have cups at the aid stations. Please bring a reusable cup, bottle or hydration pack.

Drop Bags

There will be a large tarp area for drop bags at the main aid station. This is the only drop bag location.

Pacers & Crew

There are no pacers, and no crew at the other aid station.

Photos

Parking & Shuttle

There is parking in the park for around 150 cars; after that we will shuttle runners in from Rocky Hill Ranch. The BEST option is a camping spot in the park so you can walk to the start.

Turn into the park and make a hard left on KLBJ Road, right on Ann Powell and right on 1C. The start is on your left – there will be signs and cones for drop-off.

Park entry is $5 per person (under 13 free). Rise Racing collects it at bib pickup so there are no lines at the gate on race day. Your Texas Parks Pass cannot be used for the $5 since this is a special event.

Shuttle: Runs from Rocky Hill Ranch (578 FM 153, Smithville, TX 78957, about 4 miles away) to the start and back, 4:45 AM – 2:00 AM. You must sign the Rocky Hill Ranch shuttle waiver. Route from the shuttle location: plotaroute.com/route/3162849

Lodging

Camping at Buescher State Park (100 Park Road 1E, Smithville, TX 78957 • 512-237-2241), with more camping just down 1C at Bastrop State Park.
Closest hotels: Pine Point Suites (Smithville), Super 8 (Bastrop), Days Inn (Bastrop).

Getting There

The park is two miles northwest of Smithville. Take State Highway 71 to FM 153, then travel north on FM 153 for 0.5 miles to enter Park Road 1. Park HQ: 100 Park Road 1E, Smithville, TX 78957.
Closest airport: Austin-Bergstrom International (AUS)

Swag & Awards

Race swag and finisher awards: TBD.

Winners Awards
Top 3 in each distance
Top 3 relay teams
Top 2 Masters (50+) in each distance
All awards are Male, Female and Non-Binary.

Costume Contest: Top 3 costumes and the top relay team win a free race credit.

Volunteer With Us

Volunteers are the most important part of any race. Shifts run 4–8 hours, and every volunteer gets free park entry, an area to camp, race merchandise, and a meal on race day.

1 shift = 50% off a future Rise Racing registration
2 shifts at one race = a FREE entry into any one of our future races

VOLUNTEER SIGN-UP • Questions? Email rob@riseracingco.com

Thank You to Our Sponsors

Race website: riseracingco.com/night-at-the-arcade-trail-run