The mission of the Bass Pro Shops Fitness Series is to celebrate health and wellness, outdoor adventures and wildlife conservation in the beauty of the Ozarks.  Our purpose is to help people become the best they can be. Completing events like ours change people from the inside out.  We celebrate the accomplishments of our participants and understand the positive impact these events can have on our total wellbeing.

Our programs are designed to include activities for people of all ages, backgrounds, fitness levels and areas of interest. Proceeds from these events are shared by local charities that align with the mission and giving pillars of Bass Pro Shops and the Fitness Series.

2025 finds the Bass Pro Fitness Series celebrating its 19th year. Over 31,000 people participated in our events as runners, walkers, bikers, spectators and volunteers in 2024. Over the course of 18 years, we have impacted over 630,000 participants, Outfitters, volunteers, community and neighborhood groups, charities, spectators, businesses and organizations.

We encourage you to bike, walk or run your way to better health and wellbeing with the Bass Pro Shops Fitness Series!  

The Bass Pro Shops Fitness Series, originally called the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor Fitness Festival, began in 2007 when several community running events needed new leadership.  These events had been part of the Springfield community for years and were highly valued by our local running groups. There was a natural fit for them under the Bass Pro Shops umbrella as we worked with another 5K/10K that was focused on the conservation and development of our local greenways.

Over the years, we have added more events and increased opportunities for local, regional, national and international participation.  In addition to our Marathon Weekend events, we offer a wellbeing conference, two day expo, trail runs in Dogwood Canyon Nature park, a two-part running/walking series for children, a run at Top of the Rock, training runs, education about health, fitness and wellbeing and much more.  While our scope of offerings has widened, our focus on helping people achieve their goals remains the same. 

These events are a partnership between community organizations, city leadership, our local police department and the many volunteers that make the Bass Pro Shops Fitness Series successful.  We look forward to serving our community for years to come.