SARR Prickly Pear

IN-PERSON RACE 3/07/26 - Join the San Antonio RoadRunners for the 23rd running of the Prickly Pear — the race offers 50K, 15K, and 5K distances run on the natural trails of McAllister Park.

Start Times/ Course Cutoff - 50K starts at 6am and will run three 10.34 mile loops. 15K starts at 8am and is one 9.36 mile Loop. 5K is 3.38 miles and starts at 8:30am. All distances start and finish at same location. 50K and 15K starts will be staggered. Course Cut-Off time is 4pm (10 hours). 50K participants MUST start their 3rd and final loop before 12:45pm.

WE LOVE OUR 4-LEGGED FRIENDS, HOWEVER, FOR OUR TRAIL RACES WE DO NOT ALLOW DOGS OR STROLLERS ON THE COURSE FOR SAFETY REASONS. 

Race Details:
The race is chip-timed, you must wear a bib on the front of your shirt. 
Awards to Top 3 Overall and Masters (40+) Female/Male/Non-Binary runners in all three distances. Sorry there are no age group awards. Finishers medal for everyone who crosses the finish line!  50K Runners who cross the finish line receive a finishers hat and car sticker. Race results will be available on race day, and photos will be posted at https://runsignup.com/Race/Photos/TX/SanAntonio/PricklyPearTrailRun within 4-5 days after the race.

Race Staging Area / Parking / Restrooms - Race starts and finishes at McAllister Park’s Optimist Pavilion #3 next to the playground in the center of the park. You can find parking near the pavilion or a short walk away. There are restrooms near the pavilion, and port-a-potties with hand sanitizing stations close to the start/finish line.

Cupless Pouring / Aid Stations - There are three water stations on the 50K/15K looped course, and one on the 5K course, that will be exclusively stocked with Crazy Water and Gatorade. Look for HydraPak signage that reminds you to pull out your collapsible cup! THIS IS A CUPLESS RACE--You must carry your own hydration device or a collapsible cup to fill at stations. We will have volunteers available to assist you. We will not have any paper cups. Please give a hoot and don’t pollute the trails, please dispose of your trash at Aid Stations or carry with you. 

Course Details - The course at McAllister Park is mostly flat and fast single-track trails. We’ll run on the Blue Loop, Mud Creek Loop, and Mosquito Lake trails through rocks, tree roots, dry creek beds, and lots of prickly pear cactus. All races start and finish at the same location.

50K Route: Plot-A-Route 50K Route
15K Route: Plot-A-Route 15K Route
5K Route: Plot-A-Route 5K Route

Packet pick-up - Friday, March 6th 4-7pm, REI Co-op, 11745 I-10, Suite 110, San Antonio, TX 78230, or race day morning starting at 5:15am near Optimist Pavilion #3.

VIRTUAL RACE: Can’t join us in-person, then consider signing up for our virtual option and complete your 50K/15K/5K anywhere you choose. Virtual Race participants are not eligible for awards, or 50K finishers hats. Virtual participants will receive race tshirt, finishers medal and 50K will receive an oval finishers sticker. PACKETS ARE NOT AUTOMATICALLY SHIPPED. YOU MUST ADD-ON SHIPPING AT REGISTRATION. YOU MAY ALSO PICK UP YOUR PACKET AT PACKET PICK UP AT NO CHARGE. WE DO NOT HOLD PACKETS AFTER THE RACE.

REGISTER EARLY: This race has a cap of 600 runners, and will sell out!
SARR members save 25% with online registration thru 2/1/26 (automatically applied at checkout)

We are proud to announce that the 2026 Road Runners Club of America Southern Region Ultra Championship Race

50K Participants run a flat & fast course on the moderate, flat trails of McAllister Park. All runners start race at 6am (no exceptions) and you have until 4pm (10 hours) to complete your first or fastest race. You must start your 3rd loop no later than 12:45pm to avoid being pulled from the race. 50K finishers will receive a 2026 Finishers Hat and car window sticker, in addition to race tshirt and finishers medal. 50K in-person runners are eligible for the following awards: Overall & Masters M/F, and Non-Binary categories Top 3 in each race will receive a hand-sewn cactus award by Texas-artist Elaine Bradford. Sorry no age group awards.

50K runners have access to 3 lively and well-stocked Aid Stations on the 10.33 mile loop course, and to the exclusive 50K Aid Station just past the start/finish line to access your drop bag, and a ton of drinks, hot and cold snacks, sandwiches, sausages, Wildway granola, Crazy Water, and electrolytes/nutrition galore in between loops. Bring your camp chair, and anything you need to store there, and expect to be pampered after every loop (if you like) by our amazing volunteers. More detailed information closer to race.

SARR PRICKLY PEAR FUN FACTS:: The SARR Prickly Pear is the oldest running ultra distance race in San Antonio!; SARR Prickly Pear was ultra-runner extraordinaire Courtney Dauwalter’s first ultra race in 2011; The 2024 and 2025 SARR Prickly Pear 50K was chosen as the RRCA Ultra National Championship Race; the 2023 SARR Prickly Pear 50K was chosen as the RRCA Ultra Southern Regional Championship Race. For more information and the complete RRCA Championship Series schedule visit the RRCA website https://www.rrca.org/programs/championships/ 

Join the San Antonio RoadRunners Off-Road Training Team (SARR ORR), and the City of San Antonio’s Parks & Recreation for trash pickups on the trails at McAllister Park leading up to the race.

We will meet on most Sundays from 10am-12pm at a location we determine needs the most attention the week of the pickup. We supply trash bags, disposable gloves, and pickers (first come first served). Please bring your personal work gloves to use if you have a pair, your refillable water bottle to refill from our 5-gallon water jug (to help eliminate single use plastic bottles), comfortable sturdy shoes, and be prepared to hike.

Sign up using the links below (when they become available in late December 2025). All dates are subject to change and/or be canceled due to weather or trail conditions. Thank you for helping keep our McAllister Park sparkly and clean and for being amazing Eco-Warriors!!

January 11, 2026

January 25, 2026

February 8, 2026

February 15, 2026

February 22, 2026