The Athens Big Fork Trail Marathon is a small, grassroots out-and-back trail race through the Ouachita Mountains near Mena, Arkansas, held every January since 1999. Full marathoners climb eight named mountains twice (16 climbs, roughly 7,000 ft of cumulative gain) on the century-old Athens-Big Fork postal trail, while a companion 17-Mile Blaylock Creek Fun Run turns around partway. It is widely regarded by trail runners as one of the toughest marathon-distance courses in the South.