[Editor’s Note: This article was written by guest contributor, Brian Hurley.]
The streets of Helena, Arkansas, were mostly dark as we arrived Friday night before the race. Since I’d lived there 12 years before, the town had lost about a quarter of its population, and a good number of the buildings in its historic downtown were not only abandoned, but collapsing.
This river town, which Mark Twain had once referred to as “one of the prettiest situations on the Mississippi,” had long been in decline. Historical racial oppression, mechanization of agriculture, and the rise of chains like Walmart have contributed to Helena becoming one of the more impoverished communities in the state.
A deserted Cherry Street in Helena, Arkansas. All photos courtesy of Brian Hurley unless otherwise noted.
While Helena and the wider region known as “The Delta” lack many resources, I learned in the years that I spent there that one thing it has in abundance is incredible running. I came to love the soft morning air, the dirt paths among the soybean fields, the short-but-steep climbs up Crowley’s Ridge, the endless gravel roads that start from the middle of town.
There were no established running routes. Every run had an air of possibility. I might stumble upon an overgrown cemetery, an old Civil War site, or a flock of egrets resting in the trees along the river. So, when I heard about a new race, the 17.5-mile Delta Dash, I jumped at the chance to run it. My wife, Ana Hurley, and I signed up and headed down for the weekend.
Runners pose for a photo at the start of the Delta Dash.
Running The Delta Dash
As we made our way through town to the main street the day before the race, the pre-race jazz bands were wrapping up, but we were drawn to the lights of the Delta Dirt Distillery a few blocks away.
The distillery has been making headlines lately as the only Black-owned farm-to-distillery in the country. The owners opened it after returning to the Delta to their family’s sweet potato farm, and they were there making drinks as the post-concert crowd trickled in. I’m told they have plans to expand into the empty building next door to start making brick-oven pizza.
There aren’t many hotels and seemingly no AirBnBs in Helena itself, but there is abundant in-town camping. After drinks, we headed just over the levee to an open field along the river to set up camp. Trees block the few artificial lights from land, and except for the bright spotlights the occasional river boats shine as they fight the current, you’re in a riparian wilderness just a few blocks from downtown.
Race day temperatures were cooler than they had been in the weeks prior. At sunrise, we woke to find that the field was filled with wild-growing chamomile, and we sat among it, having our coffee and watching flood debris speed downstream. Back in town, a crowd of about 100 cyclists were gathering for the gravel ride, the Delta Grind, buzzing around the start line.
A considerably smaller group of runners (there would ultimately be seven of us, plus 10 local participants for a free 5k) mingled among them. After the cyclists headed out, we got our brief instructions and were off.
Delta Dash runners passing through the streets of Helena.
The first bit of the course runs through the town, Past the Delta Cultural Center, where the King Biscuit Blues radio show continues its daily broadcast, just as it has for over 80 years. Up the brick path of the levee walk overlooking the port of Helena. Looking down on the ruins of old warehouses and wholesalers as the bricks turn to gravel and you head out of town.
Leaving the levee and entering the national forest, the road moves further from the river. On the west side, Crowley’s Ridge rises steeply. As geologic features go, this one is pretty new. It was formed about 20,000 years ago as windborne glacial loess accumulated here. Helena is the southern end of the ridge, which extends about 200 miles north to Missouri and rises 250 feet above the otherwise pancake-flat region.
The riverside to the east is a dense tangle of thick, flat woods, interrupted occasionally by cypress swamp. At first glance, much of the scenery in the forest was not unlike the typical green tunnel you find elsewhere in the region, but as my eyes began to soften and adjust, differences appeared.
Scenery along the river on the route of the Delta Dash.
The trees that make the consistent canopy are considerably taller than most you find in the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains. The timber industry was a main source of wealth in the Delta in the 19th century, but most forests were cleared and turned to cotton, rice, and, later, soy fields. Most of the existing Arkansas mills are in the hilly parts of the state, and those forests are more likely to be interspersed with recent cuts.
The road itself was softer and sandier than non-Delta gravel roads, making for an ideal running surface.
The seven of us runners — one local, some former locals, some friends of locals — spread out and divided up into pairs and singles, encouraging one another as we passed on the out-and-back course.
Despite the shade, the day warmed, and the four or five miles between aid stations started to seem long. The bottles at the last unmanned station were as warm as the air from sitting in the sun. Fortunately, those bottles were next to “Big Spring,” which isn’t at all that big, but is very much a spring.
Clear, cool, flowing water is a rare thing in the Delta. And this spring — with only woods uphill from it — is clean enough to drink straight out of.
There were more cool drinks waiting back at the finish, with mocktails and cold local Arkansas and Mississippi beer set up in a brick-lined picnic area that had once been a building. The live blues music and barbeque kept 100% of the participants there for hours after the race ended. The liveliness of the scene on that block that afternoon gave hints of what had been and could be again in Helena.
A runner follows a grassy trail on the route of the Delta Dash.
Achieving that vibrancy and highlighting the culture and natural beauty of the town and surrounding areas is very much the intention of the organizers of the Delta Dash run and accompanying Delta Grind ride. The events are organized primarily by the nonprofit StudioDrift, which aims to revitalize the Delta through placemaking and adventure tourism.
Outdoor recreation in the Delta has typically been exclusively hunting and fishing. The region’s role in adventure tourism has been as a place to drive through when on your way from Memphis, Tennessee, to the Ozark or Ouachita Mountains.
Spurred on by the boom in gravel cycling, that is beginning to change. In the Delta, gravel roads are an abundant resource. In the town of Helena, those roads begin from the center of town, seamlessly connecting the built and natural environments.
Along with the river, ridge, national forest, and fairly new Mississippi River State Park, there is potential for Helena to draw in a new wave of adventure-minded visitors and create new opportunities for local residents. According to Ammen Jordan, director of StudioDrift, “We are on a mission to breathe new life into rural parts of Arkansas — through investments in outdoor recreation infrastructure and events, we are strengthening local communities, diversifying the economy, and improving quality of life.”
Reinvention Through Running
Helena is certainly not the first community that has fallen on hard times economically and turned to running as part of a redevelopment plan. Decades ago, in a very different landscape, the town of Leadville, Colorado, began reinventing itself as a center of endurance sports. From the mid-19th century to the late-20th century, mining was the primary — if somewhat volatile — industry of Leadville and the surrounding area.
In 1983, the nearby Climax mine, which was the largest employer in the region, essentially closed its doors. That same year, local businessman and miner Ken Chlouber organized the first Leadville 100 Mile. It proved so successful that he and his partners expanded the event into the Leadville Race Series, with multiple running and mountain biking events throughout the summer.
Clare Gallagher breaking the tape at the 2022 Leadville 100 Mile. Photo: Life Time
While the Climax mine has resumed operations, endurance sports and the related tourism have become an economic driver of the town. An economic impact study by Colorado Mountain College estimates that the Leadville Race Series brings $15 million annually to the local community.
Not all of this development has been positive for long-time Leadville residents. For years, in part due to the extreme elevation of the town, which sits at just over 10,000 feet, Leadville escaped the high property prices of other mountain towns. Some who were drawn by events like the Leadville 100 Mile moved to the area permanently or purchased vacation homes there, but most just visited.
That all changed with the COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing ability to work remotely. This influx of people has contributed to vastly higher home prices, making it challenging for longer-term residents to afford to live there.
Nevertheless, the boiled-down version of Leadville’s story is one of industrial decline turned to revitalization through running.
Vienna, Illinois, and the Tunnel Hill 50 and 100 Mile
A similar example, which is much closer geographically and in kind to that of Helena, is the town of Vienna, Illinois. Vienna is in southern Illinois, not far from the border with Kentucky. Visually, the region is very much like the Arkansas Delta, with flat, agricultural landscapes and collapsing small towns that are bleeding population.
There are some pockets of outdoor recreation and adventure tourism in the area. North of Vienna are a few small areas with relatively dramatic geologic features that draw crowds, and the River to River Trail brings in some hikers and equestrians. With plenty of miles of flat rail trails, Vienna has become a regional draw for cyclists.
In 2014, Vienna hosted the first running of the Tunnel Hill 100 Mile and Tunnel Hill 50 Mile races. With flat, fast courses and generous prize money with bonuses for new records, this event had a big draw from the start.
Camille Herron set a then-100-mile world record there in 2017, and Charlie Lawrence set a 50-mile world record there in 2023. Zach Bitter and Elov Olsson have also run world-leading times in the 100-mile event over the years. Last November, over 600 runners, plus their crews and supporters, descended upon the town of 1,500 residents.
A quick moment of aid for Charlie Lawrence en route to a new 50-mile world record at the 2023 Tunnel Hill 50 Mile. Photo: Zack Lever/@TrailLive
Still, the lasting effect of this development is less clear. Community members are pleased that people come from all over the world to compete in this race and glad that the local restaurants, hotels, and stores get an economic boost. But, despite the world-class performances, there is little local and regional coverage of the race, and few people from the area end up competing in the event.
Taking A Holistic Approach in Helena
When it comes to running and adventure tourism, Helena is a much blanker slate than either Leadville or Southern Illinois. StudioDrift, the nonprofit that puts on the race, has been deliberate in incorporating the history and culture of the Delta into all of its endurance events. It tries to draw in outside visitors while also cultivating local participation. Its partners in Helena have reinforced this holistic approach.
“I Love Helena” — Will Staley of Helena-based non-profit Thrive shows his appreciation for the town.
Will Staley, co-founder and executive and creative director of the Helena-based non-profit Thrive, has worked for years to implement community development projects in and around town through cultural events, public art, and small business support. Staley also regularly runs and bikes in Helena and participated in the gravel ride.
He recognizes the challenges of making an event like this successful but believes “Helena can deliver a mixture of high competition and a laid-back celebration atmosphere every time.”
The Delta Dash won’t be a cure-all, but Staley sees running as one potential part of a longer-term solution to some of the town’s struggles.
While only one piece of the puzzle, running could fill a unique and important niche for community development. Staley sees “a really nice alignment related to the determination and grit that both runners and Helena residents must embody to survive and succeed.”
So often in the running world, we use running to reframe personal pain and struggle. This can happen at the community level, too.
A recent report by the University of Arkansas found bicycling tourism created a state-wide economic impact of $59 million, supported 587 jobs, and generated $4.7 million in state and local tax collections.
“Between Memphis and Little Rock, there are millions of people living within a several-hour drive. If we can get just a percentage of these folks to come visit Helena to go for an adventure and stay for dinner, the economic impact will be huge, not to mention incredibly inspiring for the local community seeking a healthy, active lifestyle,” added Jordan.
Joseph Whitfield, the executive director of the Phillips County Chamber of Commerce and Delta Dash finisher, echoes many of these sentiments. Whitfield grew up in Helena and, after heading to New England and New York City for college and work, returned to the Delta. He has run all over the country and views Delta running as unique in how the heat and terrain prepare you for anything.
Whitfield sees plenty of opportunities to grow events like the Delta Dash. Ideally, he’d like to see Helena host 100 runners and a few hundred bikers for a weekend. To do so, there needs to be added infrastructure to host visitors — new restaurants, lodging, and paths dedicated to running and biking.
Changing the Narrative Around Who Runs
In addition to bringing in more people from outside to run weekend events, Whitfield is focused on developing a local running community. He is “excited about the possibility of trying to change the culture of running, why people run, and who runs.”
The Delta Dash is not just a race but part of a project to build a running community in Helena.
Distance runners in the United States have been a predominantly white, and the residents of Helena are predominantly Black. Whitfield would like to “change the narrative around who runs.” He is currently organizing a local running club to provide training support, health and nutrition information, and access to races for emerging Delta runners.
It will likely take time to grow this event, and even longer for a successful running event to lead to wider-scale change in Helena. While the challenges may be greater there than elsewhere, so is the potential. There is interest and energy — and care and creativity. This year’s Delta Dash was a starting point, and now, as Whitfield is doing, it’s time to “use the canvas that we have, and paint on it.”
Call for Comments
Do you know of any similar areas where running is making a difference socially and economically?
