Three Sisters Ultra Festival
About the race
The twelfth running of The Three Sisters Ultra Festival is once again a 24 hour, 12 hour, or 6 hour timed event run on the trails in the Maryville College Woods.
Relays are back for the team experience. The 6 and 12 hour night option, run under the stars in the cool night air, was added a few years ago.
Live music and other activities will be available if you want a break from running.
Registration and shirts
Registration stays open through Friday, June 4th.
Shirts and other swag must be ordered by May 22nd, because the printers need time to order, ship and print them. After midnight on May 22nd, a t-shirt and other swag are not guaranteed.
This year the swag returns to hoodie sweatshirts. The design will change from previous years, but it will be similar.
Register early to make sure you get the shirt and goodies.
Packet pickup
Packet pickup is available at the McArthur Pavilion at Maryville College:
- Friday evening, 5:00-7:00pm, the day before the race
- Saturday, after 6:00am, on race day
Picking up your packet on Friday night is recommended, because race morning will be hectic. You may set up a popup canopy, tent or personal aid station on Friday night, but the college does not allow overnight camping.
Items are not mailed, so collect your race gear on Friday night or Saturday morning. Someone else may pick up your swag if you cannot come.
Race start times and chip timing
Start times
- The 24 hour race and other day races start at 7:00 AM.
- The night races (6 hour and 12 hour night) start at 7:00 PM.
Sunset is at 8:50 PM, so you will have time to run a lap or two in daylight or twilight before dark.
Chip timing
The race is chip timed. Do not fold your bib, especially around the chip. Wear your bib on the FRONT of your body, pinned to your shirt, shorts or vest. Do not place it on your back or in your pack. The readers (the white antennas) are positioned to read your chip near your midline. Laps may not be counted if the bib is not on the front.
The Three Sisters
The Three Sisters 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, above the volleyball courts. The highest peak is 2,843 feet. It is a bit of a trick of the eye, but that peak is the far left one.
An old lookout tower, which Blackberry has since turned into a fancy restaurant, stands on that peak. A radio relay tower, now another Blackberry building called The Library, stands on the middle peak. The right hand peak is reachable by a steep trail after about a 4 mile run up Chilhowee Mountain.
The course
24 Hour Solo
24 Hour 6 Person Relay
12 Hour 6 Person Relay
12 Hour Solo
6 Hour Solo
6 Hour 4
The course is a 2.2-mile loop that starts and ends at the McArthur Pavilion at the edge of the woods. Aid is available every loop, and you can set up your own personal aid area underneath the pavilion or in the large yard around it. The course was shortened a couple of years ago.
Location
City insight: Maryville
Maryville is a city and the county seat of Blount County in Tennessee, USA, with a population of 31,907 at the 2020 census. Summers are warm and humid in this part of the state, with mild winters, so spring and autumn are the best seasons to race.
Know from the athletes
Good to know
Can I set up my own aid area?
You can set up your own personal aid area underneath the pavilion or in the large yard around it.
Can I camp at the venue overnight?
You may set up a popup canopy, tent or personal aid station on Friday night, but the college does not allow overnight camping.
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