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Marathon Details - Berryman Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > MO > Potosi > Berryman Marathon

Berryman Marathon

Berryman Marathon & 50 Mile

Potosi, MO USA

May 17, 2025

http://www.stlouisultrarunnersgroup.com/berryman-marathon-50m

Marathon Results

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Race Details

100% single track trail

Contact Information

Name:	David White
Address:	1590 Highway HH Chamois, MO 65024
Phone Number:	573-763-5035
Email:	Email the organizers

Runner Reviews (8)

Course 5.0

Organization 4.8

Spectators 4.3

Write a review

Number of comments: 8

N. K. from St. Louis, MO (5/22/2017) "Scenic, great support staff, good wayfinding" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Berryman Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This course is a wonderful ~25 mile loop through the Ozark/Berryman trail system. It starts with a .5 mile out and back to add on the extra mile. The trail winds through various mixed mesophytic forests. From oak dominant, pine dominant, to maple, it's quite a good mix. There is a lot of natural beauty on these trails. 2017 was a sloppy day for the race, with two days of hard rain leading into race day. Despite this, the race organizers did a great job of ensuring that the course was navigable. Most creek crossings have a few well placed stepping stones that get you across with minimal soaking. There is one wider creek bed right before mile 16 that was about a foot deep due to the rain. You have to expect those though! The trail has great wayfinding for the race, with markers in key areas to ensure that runners stay on the right trail. I can't stress how easy they made it. Bring a map just in case, regardless. Long runs make a person's brain less than logical. The one wayfinding exception was at just after the aid station at mile 16, you cross a paved road (at W and Paul Rd), which you are supposed to follow to the right. You meet up with the trail after about two or three tenths of a mile. There was no sign to turn and follow the road. Some runners ended up tacking on ~4 miles. Otherwise, the support and preparation was great! Aid stations were well-stocked, very helpful, and very encouraging. The start and finish campground area was well-stocked to aid runners and ready to cheer everyone who finished. Food was plentiful. The organizers grilled up hot dogs, hamburgers, and veggie burgers and had sides, drinks, and desserts. SLUGs put on one hell of a race. Highly recommend.
S. H. from Kansas (5/25/2016) "Yes, you should put this one on your list" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Beautiful pines, ferns, and pine-needle carpeted trails. Unforgiving hills, hills, and more hills. But that's why we run trails, right? Some of the best aid stations and volunteers that I have ever seen, and overall a great race. Put it on your list, and start doing hill repeats!
R. S. from Southern Illinois (5/28/2015) "A Fun and Challenging Trail Race!" (about: 2015) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Berryman Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I love this race, and this area. The forest is so peaceful and fairly dense in places, I felt like I was just on a training run. I like that&some people might not like the lack of fanfare. There were hills, just like any decent trail race, and it was pretty rocky (typical for Missouri), but it was definitely runnable. The downhills were gradual enough that I could enjoyably cruise down them for a pretty long time after tackling an uphill. The second half of the course is more difficult than the first, but still not horrible. I didn't have a particular finishing time in mind, so I just relaxed and did my best but didn't stress too much about it. Being a trail run, there weren't a lot of spectators, but the aid station volunteers were AMAZING. It was pouring rain most of the race (kept the heat down!), and not one volunteer seemed anything less than ecstatic to be helping out. This is why I went ahead and gave it four stars for spectators. There were plenty of aid stations with plenty of choices at each one. I found that gummy bears are my new favorite fuel. It was fairly muddy by the end, since it rained the whole time, but to me it just added to the fun. Great medal and shirt. One issue I had was with the volunteers handing out my bib number/packet&they weren't very friendly, but I showed up around the time the 50 milers were getting ready to start, so maybe they were distracted? Also, it would be nice to start the marathon a little earlier than eight & if we hadn't had the blessed rain we would have been really hot. The only reason I probably won't run this again is simply because I'm trying to get my fifty states in, and now I've marked Missouri off my list. If I was a repeat racer, I'd certainly sign up again next year.
R. R. from Memphis, TN (5/20/2012) "HOT but a real beauty" (about: 2012) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Berryman Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 The Berryman trail is a very rural but scenic and peaceful 25.4 mile single track course that winds its way through some of Central Missouri's most rugged terrain. It is filled with beautiful foliage and copious wildlife but don't be surprised by the 5000 feet of elevation change and the surprisingly muddy patches that seem to be a fixture even in the driest of conditions. If rain is anyway in the forecast then be ready for MUD and multiple small stream crossings. This year's conditions were dry but the heat was a major issue. It was 91 degrees and humid. I think it was a mistake to move the marathon start to 8 AM when temps were already in the upper 70's (it used to start at 6:30- the same time that the 50 mile race gets going and things are noticeably cooler according to veterans.) I hope the race directors changes it back to the earlier time for future runnings. Other than sustaining a not so trivial case of heat exhaustion, the race was great. The SLUGS (St. Louis Ultra Group) are friendly hosts and the support on the trail was good considering some of their isolated locales (AId Stations every 4 miles or so.) There is an optional bag drop for the Mile 16 Aid Station that for me was well worth the extra effort to pack and pick up after the race. I was in desperate need of fresh supplies at that point in the race and it was a God send to have my things waiting for me. There was also surprisingly good swag for a race of this size (a nice finishers medal and a decent tech shirt.) To sum it up, Berryman is a great race held on a beautiful and tranquil trail and hosted by a great group of folks. It is not an easy race with its mud, heat, hills, insects, and stretches of moderately technical trail. An earlier start is MUCH needed. Still, it is a worthwhile race filled with both beauty and enough challenge for anyone with a healthy sense of adventure. It is easy to see why this race fills in a single day year after year.
C. K. from St. Louis, MO (5/21/2009) "I had an absolute BLAST!" (about: 2009) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Berryman Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my third marathon, but first full on a trail. This race was so much fun!! The rain the night before made for crazy wet, sloppy, muddy conditions. There were tons of stream crossings and even a fairly deep creek to wade across. At times the trail had turned to stream and made for lots of quick stepping, and paying attention was of utmost importance. The scenery in the Mark Twain National Forest couldn't be topped! There were lots of downed trees to go over, under, and even around. I loved every minute of this race. The St. Louis Ultrarunner's Group race directors are the nicest people you will ever find and the post-race food was delicious. It was a great atmosphere to race in and felt like a family race. Runners here finish and stay around to cheer for everyone who makes it out of the woods. The aid stations are well stocked with food and drink, and run by experienced ultra-runners who cheer you on and make sure you are well taken care of. I will definitely be running this one again next year!
J. E. from Southern Illinois (5/23/2008) "Fantastic trail run!" (about: 2008) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Berryman Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This one is for trail runners. It is nearly all single track and features hills, rocks, roots and creek crossings. It is a splendid course through the woods. With all of the spring rain, the course wasn't in perfect condition, but most of it was good. A few very muddy stretches presented runners with the choice of squishing through in ankle-deep mud or hopping off the trail and into poison ivy. (I opted for the latter and suffered the consequences.) It is an awesome run, and if one lap isn't enough, a 50-mile ultra is also on offer. Organization and volunteers were fabulous on the day of the run. (Still waiting for results to be posted online.) Thanks for putting together a great race! In my opinion, this race has the coolest finisher medal ever!
N. M. from St. Louis (5/22/2008) "Awesome Trail Run" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Berryman Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Great trail that can be run as a marathon or 50-miler. Mostly single-track loop course with a short out-and-back at the beginning on a gravel road that helps to thin the field out. The hills were rolling but not too steep. The aid stations are about 4 miles apart and fully stocked in the ultra-way with what seems like a full buffet. The race directors are organized and extremely nice people! The only reason I didn't give a full 5 stars was because the rating system asks for a rating for spectators. Obviously, if you are looking for a bunch of spectators, then you wouldn't be doing a trail run. If you are looking for a fun marathon (or 50-miler!) in the Ozark woods, then give this one a try. You won't be disappointed!
M. H. from St Louis Missouri (5/19/2008) "Beautiful location and great organization" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 My first time running this marathon but I would highly recommend it to anyone wanting to try a trail marathon and beyond! Very runnable, scenic course!



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N. K. from St. Louis, MO (5/22/2017) "Scenic, great support staff, good wayfinding" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Berryman Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This course is a wonderful ~25 mile loop through the Ozark/Berryman trail system. It starts with a .5 mile out and back to add on the extra mile. The trail winds through various mixed mesophytic forests. From oak dominant, pine dominant, to maple, it's quite a good mix. There is a lot of natural beauty on these trails. 2017 was a sloppy day for the race, with two days of hard rain leading into race day. Despite this, the race organizers did a great job of ensuring that the course was navigable. Most creek crossings have a few well placed stepping stones that get you across with minimal soaking. There is one wider creek bed right before mile 16 that was about a foot deep due to the rain. You have to expect those though! The trail has great wayfinding for the race, with markers in key areas to ensure that runners stay on the right trail. I can't stress how easy they made it. Bring a map just in case, regardless. Long runs make a person's brain less than logical. The one wayfinding exception was at just after the aid station at mile 16, you cross a paved road (at W and Paul Rd), which you are supposed to follow to the right. You meet up with the trail after about two or three tenths of a mile. There was no sign to turn and follow the road. Some runners ended up tacking on ~4 miles. Otherwise, the support and preparation was great! Aid stations were well-stocked, very helpful, and very encouraging. The start and finish campground area was well-stocked to aid runners and ready to cheer everyone who finished. Food was plentiful. The organizers grilled up hot dogs, hamburgers, and veggie burgers and had sides, drinks, and desserts. SLUGs put on one hell of a race. Highly recommend.
S. H. from Kansas (5/25/2016) "Yes, you should put this one on your list" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Beautiful pines, ferns, and pine-needle carpeted trails. Unforgiving hills, hills, and more hills. But that's why we run trails, right? Some of the best aid stations and volunteers that I have ever seen, and overall a great race. Put it on your list, and start doing hill repeats!
R. S. from Southern Illinois (5/28/2015) "A Fun and Challenging Trail Race!" (about: 2015) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Berryman Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I love this race, and this area. The forest is so peaceful and fairly dense in places, I felt like I was just on a training run. I like that&some people might not like the lack of fanfare. There were hills, just like any decent trail race, and it was pretty rocky (typical for Missouri), but it was definitely runnable. The downhills were gradual enough that I could enjoyably cruise down them for a pretty long time after tackling an uphill. The second half of the course is more difficult than the first, but still not horrible. I didn't have a particular finishing time in mind, so I just relaxed and did my best but didn't stress too much about it. Being a trail run, there weren't a lot of spectators, but the aid station volunteers were AMAZING. It was pouring rain most of the race (kept the heat down!), and not one volunteer seemed anything less than ecstatic to be helping out. This is why I went ahead and gave it four stars for spectators. There were plenty of aid stations with plenty of choices at each one. I found that gummy bears are my new favorite fuel. It was fairly muddy by the end, since it rained the whole time, but to me it just added to the fun. Great medal and shirt. One issue I had was with the volunteers handing out my bib number/packet&they weren't very friendly, but I showed up around the time the 50 milers were getting ready to start, so maybe they were distracted? Also, it would be nice to start the marathon a little earlier than eight & if we hadn't had the blessed rain we would have been really hot. The only reason I probably won't run this again is simply because I'm trying to get my fifty states in, and now I've marked Missouri off my list. If I was a repeat racer, I'd certainly sign up again next year.
R. R. from Memphis, TN (5/20/2012) "HOT but a real beauty" (about: 2012) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Berryman Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 The Berryman trail is a very rural but scenic and peaceful 25.4 mile single track course that winds its way through some of Central Missouri's most rugged terrain. It is filled with beautiful foliage and copious wildlife but don't be surprised by the 5000 feet of elevation change and the surprisingly muddy patches that seem to be a fixture even in the driest of conditions. If rain is anyway in the forecast then be ready for MUD and multiple small stream crossings. This year's conditions were dry but the heat was a major issue. It was 91 degrees and humid. I think it was a mistake to move the marathon start to 8 AM when temps were already in the upper 70's (it used to start at 6:30- the same time that the 50 mile race gets going and things are noticeably cooler according to veterans.) I hope the race directors changes it back to the earlier time for future runnings. Other than sustaining a not so trivial case of heat exhaustion, the race was great. The SLUGS (St. Louis Ultra Group) are friendly hosts and the support on the trail was good considering some of their isolated locales (AId Stations every 4 miles or so.) There is an optional bag drop for the Mile 16 Aid Station that for me was well worth the extra effort to pack and pick up after the race. I was in desperate need of fresh supplies at that point in the race and it was a God send to have my things waiting for me. There was also surprisingly good swag for a race of this size (a nice finishers medal and a decent tech shirt.) To sum it up, Berryman is a great race held on a beautiful and tranquil trail and hosted by a great group of folks. It is not an easy race with its mud, heat, hills, insects, and stretches of moderately technical trail. An earlier start is MUCH needed. Still, it is a worthwhile race filled with both beauty and enough challenge for anyone with a healthy sense of adventure. It is easy to see why this race fills in a single day year after year.
C. K. from St. Louis, MO (5/21/2009) "I had an absolute BLAST!" (about: 2009) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Berryman Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my third marathon, but first full on a trail. This race was so much fun!! The rain the night before made for crazy wet, sloppy, muddy conditions. There were tons of stream crossings and even a fairly deep creek to wade across. At times the trail had turned to stream and made for lots of quick stepping, and paying attention was of utmost importance. The scenery in the Mark Twain National Forest couldn't be topped! There were lots of downed trees to go over, under, and even around. I loved every minute of this race. The St. Louis Ultrarunner's Group race directors are the nicest people you will ever find and the post-race food was delicious. It was a great atmosphere to race in and felt like a family race. Runners here finish and stay around to cheer for everyone who makes it out of the woods. The aid stations are well stocked with food and drink, and run by experienced ultra-runners who cheer you on and make sure you are well taken care of. I will definitely be running this one again next year!
J. E. from Southern Illinois (5/23/2008) "Fantastic trail run!" (about: 2008) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Berryman Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This one is for trail runners. It is nearly all single track and features hills, rocks, roots and creek crossings. It is a splendid course through the woods. With all of the spring rain, the course wasn't in perfect condition, but most of it was good. A few very muddy stretches presented runners with the choice of squishing through in ankle-deep mud or hopping off the trail and into poison ivy. (I opted for the latter and suffered the consequences.) It is an awesome run, and if one lap isn't enough, a 50-mile ultra is also on offer. Organization and volunteers were fabulous on the day of the run. (Still waiting for results to be posted online.) Thanks for putting together a great race! In my opinion, this race has the coolest finisher medal ever!
N. M. from St. Louis (5/22/2008) "Awesome Trail Run" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Berryman Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Great trail that can be run as a marathon or 50-miler. Mostly single-track loop course with a short out-and-back at the beginning on a gravel road that helps to thin the field out. The hills were rolling but not too steep. The aid stations are about 4 miles apart and fully stocked in the ultra-way with what seems like a full buffet. The race directors are organized and extremely nice people! The only reason I didn't give a full 5 stars was because the rating system asks for a rating for spectators. Obviously, if you are looking for a bunch of spectators, then you wouldn't be doing a trail run. If you are looking for a fun marathon (or 50-miler!) in the Ozark woods, then give this one a try. You won't be disappointed!
M. H. from St Louis Missouri (5/19/2008) "Beautiful location and great organization" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 My first time running this marathon but I would highly recommend it to anyone wanting to try a trail marathon and beyond! Very runnable, scenic course!

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Marathon Details - Berryman Marathon