The Next Loop Endurance Series - Cliff Cave August

The course at Cliff Cave Park, featuring the River Bluff Trail, offers a scenic and moderately challenging route that winds through wooded hillsides, limestone bluffs, and overlooks of the Mississippi River. Runners will complete a clearly marked 3.1-mile (5K) loop, returning each lap to the same central start/finish area and fully stocked aid station.​

The trail surface is primarily packed dirt with sections of crushed limestone and natural singletrack, including roots, short climbs, and a few technical areas that add variety. The elevation is more pronounced than flatter park courses, with rolling hills and bluff-side sections that provide a rewarding challenge without being overly difficult. While still accessible to newer trail runners, the terrain offers enough complexity to keep experienced runners engaged over multiple loops.​​

What Is The Next Loop?

The Next Loop Endurance Series is a loop-based endurance running event designed for every type of runner — from first-time 10K participants to seasoned marathoners, ultra runners, CrossFit, Hyrox, and tactical athletes.

You’ll run a 3.1-mile (5K) trail loop, starting a new loop every hour on the hour.

After each loop, you decide:

• Run another loop
• Or stop — no penalties, no DNFs
• Every completed loop counts.

 ⏱️ How Scoring Works
This event uses a simple, transparent scoring system that rewards consistency, pacing, and endurance.

For each loop:

• Time starts when the loop begins
• Time stops when you cross the finish line
• That loop time is officially recorded
• Your overall score is calculated by combining the times of every loop you complete.

There are:

• ❌ No penalties for stopping
• ❌ No missed-cutoff failures
• ✅ Only completed loops counted. This allows athletes at every level to compete meaningfully.