Hit The Road, Jack! 50K

Hit The Road, Jack! is the Joplin Roadrunners' long-distance day on the Ruby Jack Trail, and the 50K doubles as the RRCA Missouri state championship with cash prizes across open and masters groups. Proceeds support club charities and trail improvements, and 25K, 10K, and 5K races share the same corridor.

The 50K runs a USATF-certified 25K out-and-back twice on the Ruby Jack rail-trail, a flat, shaded former rail line west of Carthage. There is no meaningful climbing, so the race rewards steady rhythm rather than hill strength, and chip timing produces a certified 25K split along the way. A 3-hour cutoff applies at halfway.

Late November in southwest Missouri often starts near freezing and climbs into the 40s or 50s. Tree cover blocks some of the wind, but a cold rain or an early front can make the return leg of the out-and-back feel much longer.