Prairie Spirit Trail
A rails-to-trails ultra from Ottawa south to Iola and back on crushed limestone. Four distances share the trail and turn at different towns. Flat, USATF certified, open to the wind. Running since 2013; 2027 is the 14th.
| Date | Saturday, April 3, 2027147 days away |
|---|---|
| Start | 6:00 AMCelebration Hall, 1737 S Elm St, Ottawa |
| Limit | 30 hoursCourse closes noon Sunday, every distance |
| Surface | Crushed limestoneAsphalt through towns · 900–1,125 ft |
| Organizer | Rocking Chair RunningRockingchairrunning@gmail.com |
| Sources | UltraSignup · ATRA · 2020 race booklet · checked Nov 7, 2026 |
Course
Ottawa → Iola → Ottawa · 51 miles each way
| Terrain | Reading | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Surface | Crushed limestone | Short asphalt stretches through each town. |
| Technicality | Very low | Rail-trail footing. Road shoes are common. |
| Exposure | High | Open prairie. South wind: headwind out, push home. |
| Night running | Yes | Lights required 7 PM to 7 AM, with a backup. |
| Road crossings | One signaled | At the Iola station. Rural gravel crossings about every mile. |
| Mud risk | Low | Limestone drains. Town asphalt can be slick in rain. |
Aid stations
| Mile | Station | Cutoff | Crew | Drop bag | Pacers | Stocked |
|---|
Weather
Race weekend, April 3–4, in Ottawa over the last eleven years. Plan for all of it.
Median of the eleven race weekends. Highs ran 44° to 77°.
2018. Felt like 12° with 41 mph gusts. The 100-mile night is the exposure.
Years with a tenth of an inch or more. 2017 had nearly an inch.
Wind from the south 6 of 11 years: headwind out, tailwind home.
| Year | High | Overnight low | Felt like | Rain, Sat–Sun | Peak gust | Wind from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 77° | 40° | 31° | 0.15 in | 51 mph | S |
| 2025 | 55° | 46° | 40° | 0.30 in | 29 mph | E |
| 2024 | 53° | 37° | 29° | — | 41 mph | NW |
| 2023 | 76° | 47° | 43° | 0.13 in | 41 mph | SE |
| 2022 | 67° | 41° | 35° | 0.42 in | 26 mph | SE |
| 2021 | 69° | 48° | 40° | — | 30 mph | SW |
| 2020 | 44° | 27° | 20° | 0.24 in | 26 mph | N |
| 2019 | 65° | 43° | 36° | 0.27 in | 28 mph | SE |
| 2018 | 45° | 21° | 12° | 0.19 in | 41 mph | NW |
| 2017 | 62° | 45° | 40° | 0.84 in | 33 mph | NW |
| 2016 | 76° | 46° | 39° | — | 36 mph | SW |
April 3–4 each year · daily high, overnight low, apparent temperature, two-day precipitation, peak gust, dominant wind · Open-Meteo historical reanalysis for Ottawa, KS · a reanalysis, not a station record
Gear
What this course, this weekend, and the rules actually call for.
| Item | Why, here | Status | Our pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headlamp, plus a backup light | Lights are mandatory on the course from 7 PM to 7 AM. Flat and open, so a modest beam is fine; a second light is the rule, not a suggestion. | — | |
| Soft flask or collapsible cup | The race is cupless. Manned stations pour water, electrolyte and soup into whatever you bring. | Required | — |
| Hydration for 6 miles | Stations are 5 to 6 miles apart and the ones between towns are water only. A liter of capacity covers the longest gaps in April. | Required | — |
| Door-to-trail or road shoes | Crushed limestone and town asphalt, no technical footing. Lugs buy you nothing; cushion for a long flat day does. | Advised | — |
| Wind shell | Open prairie with gusts over 35 mph on five of the last eleven race weekends. The wind is the hill. | Advised | — |
| Hat with a strap, gloves, warm layer | Overnight lows have hit 21° and felt like 12°. Put the warm layer in the halfway drop bag so you have it for the night. | — | |
| Rain shell | Measurable rain on the weekend eight of the last eleven years. Limestone drains, but you still get wet. | Advised | — |
| Drop bags, labeled | One bag per staffed station, marked with station, your name, bib and distance. Grocery bags with duct tape and a Sharpie are the local standard. | Advised | — |
| Toilet paper | The booklet's own words: nature is your bathroom between staffed stations. Carry it. | Advised | — |
| Your own food, if you need it | Stations stock soup, sandwiches, fruit, chips, gels and electrolyte. Nothing for special diets; pack it in a drop bag. | If needed | — |
| Poles | Not addressed in the rules and not useful on a flat rail-trail. | Skip | — |
requirements from the 2020 race booklet · conditions from the weather and course sections above · "Our pick" will carry a recommendation per item once we have one
Race week
What your crew needs on one screen.
Logistics
| Start | 6:00 AM, Celebration HallFinish line closes noon Sunday |
|---|---|
| Briefing | 5:30 AM, mandatoryLast drop bags one hour before the start |
| Pickup | Friday 5–8 PMPre-race meal 5–6:30 PM · race morning from 4:30 AM |
| Parking | Grass lot across from the hallFree tent camping there |
| Airport | Kansas City (MCI)about 1 h 15 min |
| Stay | Five hotels in Ottawa, all under a mileGarnett and Iola options for crews · see the map |
| Hospitals | AdventHealth OttawaAnderson County (Garnett) · Allen County Regional (Iola) |
Rules
2020 race booklet · bags labeled with station, name, bib, distance · back by 11 AM Sunday
Key dates
credit policy · UltraSignup · dates derived
Where to stay
Every hotel in Ottawa is under a mile from the start. Garnett and Iola matter for crews.
| Place | From start | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawarace HQ | |||
| 1 | Holiday Inn Express & Suites2340 S King St | 0.8 mi | Backs onto the trail. Jog to the start. |
| 2 | Comfort Inn2335 S Oak St · 785-229-0957 | 0.8 mi | Had a race rate by phone in 2020. Ask. |
| 3 | Super 8 by Wyndham2315 S Oak St | 0.8 mi | Budget. Trailer parking. |
| 4 | SureStay by Best Western212 E 23rd St | 0.8 mi | Budget. Beside Walmart and the exit. |
| 5 | The Painted Lady B&B704 S Cedar St · 785-248-4573 | 1.4 mi | The booklet's pick. Few rooms; book early. |
| ▲ | Tent campingGrass lot across from the hall | 0 mi | Free, from the race. Park there too. |
| Garnettmile 25 · 35 min south | |||
| 6 | Garnett Hotel & RV Park109 Prairie Plaza Pkwy | 29 mi | Rooms and RV sites. |
| 7 | The Kirk House145 W 4th Ave | 29 mi | 1913 B&B by the depot. Some rooms share a bath. |
| 8 | Economy Inn604 N Maple St | 29 mi | Budget motel on US-59. |
| Iolamile 51 · 1 hour south | |||
| 9 | Super 8 by Wyndham Iola200 Bills Way | 57 mi | Laundry on site. Big lots for trailers. |
| 10 | Regency Inn14 N State St | 57 mi | Budget, downtown. |
Names open in Google Maps. Ottawa distances are straight-line from Celebration Hall; Garnett and Iola are road miles from Ottawa. Checked Nov 7, 2026; rates and race discounts not verified for 2027.
Nearby in Kansas
Within two hours of Ottawa.
| Oct 24, 2026 | Kansas Rails-to-Trails Fall Ultra Extravaganza | Ottawa · 100 mi · 50 mi · 50K | Same trail, autumn |
| Feb 7, 2027 | Psycho Wyco Run Toto Run | Kansas City · 50K · 20 mi · 10 mi | Trail |
| Apr 3, 2027 | Prairie Spirit Trail | Ottawa · 100 mi · 100K · 50 mi · 50K | Rail-trail · this page |
| Sep 2027 | Hawk Hundred | Lawrence · 100 mi · 50 mi · 26.2 | Trail |