Celebrate America’s 250th Birthday at the Yell County Freedom 4-Miler

Kick off your 4th of July with a historic stride! This year, Dardanelle is pulling out all the stops for a massive, family-friendly Independence Day celebration at Veterans Memorial Riverfront Park—and we are starting the day on the right foot.

Whether you're a competitive runner or just looking for a morning walk with the family, come out for the inaugural Yell County Freedom 4-Miler as we celebrate 250 years of American liberty!

Race Details:

📅 Date: Saturday, July 4th, 2026
⏰ Time: 7:00 AM sharp
📍 Start & Finish: Veterans Memorial Riverfront Park
🏃‍♂️ Route: Lace up for a beautiful 4-mile loop following our brand-new city trail all the way to the Dardanelle Community Center and back.

Packet Pickup and Same Day Registration will be from 6:00a-6:45a with the race beginning promptly at 7a.

🎉 Stick Around for the Main Event! The fun doesn't stop at the finish line. Veterans Park will be buzzing all day long with incredible festivities for the whole family:

💦 Cool Off: Slide down the state’s largest community slip 'n slide!
🍔 Eat & Groove: Grab a bite from local food trucks and enjoy live music from bands.
🎆 The Grand Finale: End the night with our biggest aerial fireworks display yet, featuring an expanded budget for an unforgettable show over the water!

Planning your day? Don't forget to check out nearby Lake Dardanelle and Mount Nebo State Parks for daytime nature walks and community bike parades!

See you at the starting line! 🥇

Race Info:

This is a scenic 2 mile out and back following the new Dardanelle Trail System. We will start and finish at the trail head near the basketball court in Veteran's Memorial Riverfront Park, you will follow the trail along front street then turn on to N Second St. where you will cross under Hwy 22 to the parking lot by the Dardanelle Community Center where you will turn around and head back.

This is a chip timed race you will need to cross the starting mat and finish mat in order to be recorded. Please make sure you have the chip securely attached to your shoe. (see image below for examples)

There is 1 water stop for this race at the turn around point near the Dardanelle Community Center.

We will have overall awards for the top 3 male and female finishers for both the runner and walker categories. We will also have top 3 age awards for 10 year increments 0-9, 10-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79 and 80+

Awards will begin @8:30a after the kids fun run (we may start sooner if all runners are off course)

Parking:

We will have parking available at Veteran's Memorial River Front Park.

Packet Pick Up:

We will have same day registration for the race and packet pick up the day of the race only at the start line beginning at @5:45a and closing at 6:45a. Please make sure you plan to get there and get your packet so we can start the race promptly at 7a.

**Register before 11:59p CST 6/22 to be guaranteed a shirt and medal.