Come run, Come all! The Clemson Experimental Marathon, Half Marathon & 10K is the largest FREE trail run in the WORLD and will take place in the Clemson Experimental Forest just outside of Clemson, SC! This is a FREE event where each participant can bring something to share with the …
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Come run, Come all! The Clemson Experimental Marathon, Half Marathon & 10K is the largest FREE trail run in the WORLD and will take place in the Clemson Experimental Forest just outside of Clemson, SC! This is a FREE event where each participant can bring something to share with the other participants.
The Clemson Experimental Marathon course was drawn up in 2017 and remains the only trail marathon in South Carolina that is not a repeated loop. The course starts and ends at the gate to the Issaqueena Dam Road and gains approximately 2,500 feet of elevation over its 26.2 miles. There are aid stations at miles 6.5, 13.1, and 19.5. Past runners have reported that the marathon is deceptively hard. Most of the big hills are contained in the final 12 miles of the race and the trail gets increasingly technical. Through two years of the race, no one has finished under 4 hours.
The Half Marathon also starts at the gate to the Issaqueena Dam Road and follows the first 13.1 miles of the marathon course. There is one aid station at mile 6.5. Note that the half marathon ends at a different location and runners will need to arrange a shuttle or find a friendly runner to transport them back to the start (which is never difficult). If all else fails, it’s only a 3 mile walk back to the starting line which can serve as a nice cool down 🙂
The 10K is actually 6.5 miles in total. The course follows the first loop of the marathon, ending back at the main Issaqueena trailhead. Runners get to run beside beautiful Lake Issaqueena from miles 2.0-4.0. This loop gives new trail runners a fantastic introduction to our great sport!
The mission of the Experimental Forest Trail Runners and the Clemson Experimental Marathon are one and the same: To introduce students, faculty, staff and the community to the Clemson Experimental Forest trail system, to promote the sport of trail running and its benefits to one’s physical and mental health, and to support the Clemson Experimental Forest.
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