More About the Dec. 10, 2011, LOViT Marathon
As in years past, 8:00am and 24 degrees in December along the shores of Lake Ouachita is downright frigid. But cold or not, December 10, 2011, was a beautiful, sunshiny day as 53 participants lined up near the Denby Bay trailhead for the annual Lake Ouachita Vista Trail (LOViT) Marathon. Observers doubted that the lycra shorts would be that warm but the runners were dancing in anticipation. At 26.2 miles, the LOViT Marathon’s path passes through the Tompkins Bend and Joplin trail heads heading for the top of Hickory Nut Mountain and then turns around for a return trip. The trail rises 900 feet in elevation along the way, with half the elevation being in the last mile to the summit. At the top, the runners were provided fluids and snacks by a group of Traildog volunteers who, between runners, clustered around a roaring fire and enjoyed a pot of hot … Click to read the full article