Jackalope Jam

Event Overview

Course & Terrain

Two-mile out-and-back on short grass and a gravel farm road; only complete laps count.

Key course features to know before comparing this race:

• The Cone of Death turnaround, one mile north of the arch
• Start/finish arch, aid station and timing tent at the barn pavilion
• Tent and crew row along the first 400 m of each lap
• Friday-night Beer Mile and Jam’n Party, new for 2027
• A mounted jackalope head for every runner

The lap is a flat two-mile out-and-back on short grass and a small-gravel farm road. Runners keep right, run one mile north to the turnaround cone TROT calls the Cone of Death, go around it and come back through the start/finish arch, where a live reader logs the lap. Skip the cone and the lap does not count. Only full laps count, and the last one must finish before your race ends, so there is no partial-lap credit. Do not cross the arch with your bib except to finish a lap, and if you log a lap by mistake, tell the race director right away. If you step off the course, return at the same point. Because the course is an out-and-back, the field runs in both directions throughout.

NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for its Bellville 6NNE station, about 10 miles from the ranch, give February an average high of 65.0°F, an average low of 44.9°F and 2.69 inches of rain, with about three freezing nights in an average February. Expect mild afternoons, chilly nights and a chance of rain over a 48-hour race. TROT adds cooling buckets on hot days and hot soup, noodles and coffee overnight.

Entry & Logistics

Why This Race Matters

Trail Racing Over Texas launched Jackalope Jam in October 2015 as a 6-, 12- and 24-hour race in Hitchcock, in Galveston County. According to DUV’s results database, the 48-hour joined in 2017, the 72-hour in 2018 and the 100-hour in 2022, and the race has been held at Cat Spring since 2020; the 2021 edition was canceled, and DUV numbers the February 2027 race as the 13th. TROT, founded in 2014 and revived in 2022, is a family business run by Cal and Rachel Neff. The festival’s standout runner is Sara Portilla, who won the 2023 48-hour outright with 150 miles, the 2024 72-hour with 200 miles and the 100-hour outright in 2025 and 2026, the second time with 284 miles.

Historical benchmark notes in the directory record (verify current records with the linked official sources):

• 48-hour, men: Luis Murillo, 170 miles (273.588 km), 2017, set in Hitchcock before the move to Cat Spring (DUV).
• 48-hour, women: Sara Portilla, 150 miles (241.401 km), 2023, when she was first overall (DUV).
• 48-hour, best man at Cat Spring: Cory Torkelson, 142.5 miles (229.331 km), 2023 (DUV).
• 24-hour: men, Jeremiah Castro, 116 miles (186.683 km), 2024; women, Robin Phelps, 102 miles (164.153 km), 2019 in Hitchcock, with Melanie Yarzy’s 100.5 miles in 2020 the best at Cat Spring (DUV).
• 100-hour: women, Sara Portilla, 284 miles (142 laps), 2026, the furthest by any runner; men, Nicholas Petterson, 280.5 miles (451.420 km), 2023 (DUV and organizer results).
• TROT publishes no official course-record list; the marks above are the best in DUV’s results for each race.

Preparing for a Race Like Jackalope Jam

The 48-hour race guide covers the format as a whole. These guides go deeper:

• 48-hour races explained: Rules, pacing, sleep decisions, fueling and crew support.
• How to train for a 48-hour race: Durable movement, sleep planning, foot care and fueling practice.
• Sleep strategy for multiday races: An individual sleep plan with safe locations and clear stop criteria.
• Second-night survival guide: Sleep, crew checks and caffeine decisions for the second night.

Best Fit

• Runners trying a first 48-hour or multiday race, with breaks, sleep and come-and-go rules
• Ruckers, who get weighted-vest divisions in every timed race
• Families and groups who want to camp at a Texas ranch all week
• Buckle chasers: milestones run from 100K to 300 miles

Planning Notes

• Start conservatively and use flexible process checkpoints for effort, walking, food, fluid, alertness, and symptoms instead of forcing one hourly distance target.
• Prepare several rest options before race week. Stop for sleep or assessment if alertness, coordination, or safe decision-making deteriorates.
• The directory marks this as having comparatively simpler logistics. That editorial label is not a safety rating; verify cutoffs, terrain, support, crew access, and withdrawal procedures.
• No pacers, and crew can work only in the first 400 m of the course
• No partial laps: a lap still under way when your time expires does not count
• Miss the turnaround cone and the lap is void
• Cars parked on the course line stay put until 1:00 PM Sunday, and TROT urges runners to rest before the drive home

Event FAQs

Related Preparation

• Browse the curated 24-hour race calendar
• Browse the 24-hour race calendar
• Browse the 48-hour race calendar
• Open the 48-Hour format guide
• Compare all race formats
• Use the timed-race pace calculator
• Estimate race calories and plan fueling
• Build a crew and drop-bag plan
• Build a race-specific gear checklist