Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival 2026
The Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival is one of America’s premier running events. It was created to bring together three Northwest Arkansas cross-country races under a single meet and is now among the largest cross-country festivals in the nation.
The 38th edition is Friday–Saturday, 2–3 October 2026, on the University of Arkansas cross country course at Agri Park (University of Arkansas Experimental Farm) in Fayetteville. Typical years see more than 80 college teams and 120 high school teams, plus about 500 individuals in the open events — the Tom Lewis 1 Mile Pepper Dash on Friday evening and the Godpepper 4K and 8K community races on Saturday. The festival hosts about 6,500 runners and more than 7,000 spectators.
Race proceeds support public high school cross-country programs in Benton, Washington, Carroll and Madison counties. Lifetime giving has surpassed $1,086,525.
Friday, 2 October 2026: course and festival grounds open 11:00; junior high races from 16:30; Tom Lewis 1 Mile Pepper Dash at 18:00.
Saturday, 3 October 2026: packet pickup from 06:30; Godpepper 4K/8K at 07:30; high school El Caliente 5K heats, collegiate McDonnell Memorial 8K / Harter’s Habanero 5K / Prairie Fire Pepper races, then open 5Ks through 13:25.
No pets or drones on the Experimental Farm grounds. Saturday spectator parking and shuttle from Washington County Fairgrounds on N McConnell Ave. Organiser Chile Pepper, Inc. (501(c)(3)); mailing PO Box 176, Fayetteville, AR 72701.
Register for entry or booths
Venue Map and Hotels Around
Fayetteville - University of Arkansas Agri Park, North Carolina, United States