HOT SPRINGS NATIONAL PARK, Arkansas — Hot Springs’ popular Gudrun-Northwoods Mountain Bike Festival is moving to new dates and partnering with Ozark Foundation, adding the festival’s enduro to the Arkansas Enduro Series (AES) list of races in 2026.
“We’re moving our festival to October 23 – 25 in 2026 and are excited to join with Ozark Foundation to add Gudrun-Northwoods to the Arkansas Enduro Series,” Visit Hot Springs Trails Coordinator Traci Berry said in announcing the changes. The Gudrun festival has been held in November since its inception.
“The AES is one of the best enduro series in North America, and I believe being part of it will take the Gudrun Enduro and Festival to the next level. Now our enduro will bring a different flavor to an already stacked group of races in the series.”
“Ozark Foundation has a top-notch staff that puts on amazing events around the state, and we are extremely excited for the opportunity to work with the organization,” Berry said.
The October event will mark the eighth year for the Gudrun Festival, which quickly became one of the premier mountain biking events in the South after its inception in 2019.
“We started with just three events — Slow Roll, Mini-enduro, and the Jump Jam plus the Attila the Hun Cross-country,” Berry said. “Now we have six events with the addition of the Full Enduro, Waffles & Coffee Time Trial, Strider Race and Dual Slalom. We have brought in competitors from nine to 18 states each year, with Canada and the UK being represented during the last seven years. The Attila the Hun XC Race is the longest consecutive-running mountain bike race in the state, with the 2026 event marking its 34th year.”
The festival also includes for the third straight year the grueling 180-mile Ouachita Triple Crown race, which takes riders on a route that departs from the Northwoods-Cedar Glades trails and circles Lake Ouachita before finishing back at the starting point.
The route links together three International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) Epic Trails into one epic bikepacking route. When connected by gravel roads, the Ouachita Trail (OT), the Womble Trail and the Lake Ouachita Vista Trail (LOViT) create a circle around Lake Ouachita.
“IMBA Epic Trails are the best of the best, and Arkansas has more of them than any other state,” Berry said. “The Ouachita Mountains, composed of rocky ridges and narrow, spring-cooled valleys, are the perfect landscape for an IMBA Epic Trail. The mountains are wild, beautiful and rugged.”
“Moving the OTC to the middle of October is a game changer,” said Chuck Campbell, the race organizer. “We’ll no longer be competing with modern gun season, and can reasonably expect better weather. I look forward to Gudrun every year. Racing in Hot Springs is always a blast, and being part of Gudrun makes it even better. Participants may expect a few small course changes for 2026.”
“Since its inception in 2017, the Arkansas Enduro Series has grown into the premier fall enduro mountain bike series in North America. It pulls gravity enthusiasts from more than 20 states each season and in 2025, out of state participants accounted for 47 percent of total registrations,” Berry said.
Enduro racing is a demanding off-road mountain bike event that tests rider endurance and bike reliability over challenging courses that combine speed, stamina and navigation skills.
In 2026 the Arkansas Enduro Series will feature four unique rounds showcasing the best mountain bike trail systems in Arkansas. Under Gudrun’s new partnership Ozark Foundation will take responsibility for producing the Gudrun Enduro, making it part of the 2026 AES. Thus, the Hot Springs Gudrun Enduro will come under management of the same production team responsible for the AES, Arkansas Downhill Series, Arkansas Graveler and other events.
“For the last decade, AES has highlighted some of the best gravity racing in Arkansas,” said Brannon Pack, senior director of operations for Ozark Foundation. “The chance to introduce AES participants to the Northwoods Trails and surrounding Ouachita Mountains has been on our list for a long time. Our team is excited for the opportunity to partner with Gudrun Festival and bring the Gudrun Enduro into our calendar of gravity events in 2026.”
The AES offers separate stages designed specifically to challenge pro and expert racers, a unique “Power Stage” for competitors on electric mountain bikes, and, beginning in 2026 , a new novice category with courses designed for beginners and juniors aged 12 and under. For information about it go to www.arkansasenduroseries.com.
Ozark Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that creates healthy and
enriching outdoor recreational experiences in Arkansas that honor and celebrate the natural beauty of the Ozarks and elevate the region as a better place to live, work and play. It partners with organizations to host, create and operate a variety of outdoor recreational events in Arkansas. From world-class championship caliber races to fun outdoor family events, the foundation aims to position Arkansas as a premier outdoor recreation destination where all are welcome regardless of ability. More info is at www.ozarkfoundation.org.
