FAYETTEVILLE – The Chile Pepper Festival 2023 is set to ignite the tracks at Agri Park this Friday, featuring No. 22 Arkansas among a field of 32 teams in the McDonnell Memorial 8,000m race. The event will also include the Prairie Fire Pepper 8k at 3:45 p.m., which comprises 38 teams.
Where to Watch Chile Pepper Festival 2023?
The festival will be available for free on RunnerSpace.com, with the live webcast kicking off at 3:15 p.m. on Friday and resuming at 9 a.m. on Saturday. Follow live results here
Read more: How to watch World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23?
Teams to Watch
The men’s McDonnell Memorial race will feature other nationally ranked programs, including No. 20 Tulsa and four Division II ranked schools—No. 11 Western Colorado, No. 14 East Central (Okla.), No. 15 Nebraska-Kearney, and No. 30 Missouri Southern.
Teams from the Division I South Central Region, such as No. 5 Incarnate Word and No. 6 Arkansas State, will also be competing.
Live Results Here
Friday, September 29 Schedule
| Day | Start | Friday Events | Result | |
| Friday | 3:15 PM | Women “Prairie Fire Pepper” 5k | Result | |
| Friday | 3:45 PM | Men “Prairie Fire Pepper” 8k | Result | |
| Friday | 4:30 PM | Women “Harter’s Habanero” 5k | Result | |
| Friday | 5:00 PM | Men “McDonnell Memorial” 8k | Result | |
| Friday | 6:30 PM | Tom Lewis 1 Mile | Result |
Saturday, September 30 Schedule
| Day | Start | Saturday Events | Result | |
| Saturday | 7:30 AM | The Godpepper 10k | Result | |
| Saturday | 9:00 AM | Girls “El Caliente” 5k (Combined) | Result | |
| Saturday | 9:00 AM | Girls “El Caliente” 5k (Heat 1) | Result | |
| Saturday | 9:45 AM | Girls “El Caliente” 5k (Heat 2) | Result | |
| Saturday | 10:30 AM | Boys “El Caliente” 5k (Combined) | Result | |
| Saturday | 10:30 AM | Boys “El Caliente” 5k (Heat 1) | Result | |
| Saturday | 11:00 AM | Boys “El Caliente” 5k (Heat 2) | Result | |
| Saturday | 11:30 AM | Girls Open 5k | Result | |
| Saturday | 12:15 PM | Boys Open 5k | Result | |
| Saturday | 12:45 PM | Girls Junior High 2 Mile | Result | |
| Saturday | 1:15 PM | Boys Junior High 2 Mile | Result |
Last Year’s Highlights
In the previous edition, the Razorbacks clinched the team title with 61 points, led by Patrick Kiprop, who clocked 23:24.6 and finished second.
What Coaches Say
Chris Bucknam, Arkansas men’s head coach, emphasized the team’s readiness. “Our kids are excited, and we’ve been training for over a month now without a race. It’s really going to tell me a lot of where we’re at after we race on Friday,” he said.
Athletes to Keep an Eye On
Patrick Kiprop, an All-American in both track and cross country, is expected to lead the Razorbacks. Newcomers like Kirami Yego and Lex Hilton are also anticipated to make their mark.
For those looking to catch some top-tier collegiate running action before Sunday’s World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23, the Chile Pepper Festival 2023 is the event to tune into this weekend!
