Day two of Sweet Southern Discomfort finds us in the Volunteer state, Tennessee. We’ll be running in the Tennessee Valley, nestled beneath the Appalachian mountains, near where that famous Choo Choo liked to roll through. You’ll be under the power of your own two feet though, as we party it up in the state famous for country music and whiskey, the birthplace of Dolly Parton and Justin Timberlake (you’ll find ’em both on the playlist of tunes that we’ll be cranking out all weekend), Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone. No coonskin caps to be found here though (but we hear there’s another pretty rad race, produced by the same rad crew, in March that DOES hook you up with the famous Tennessee headgear.)
So soak up our Southern hospitality with unlimited food and drink, everything from Gu and gummy bears to potato chips and cookies, along with Southern classics like pimento cheese sandwiches and banana pudding. On Memorial Day Monday, we’ll have hot dogs and root beer floats, so you don’t even need to barbeque! Take on any distance from 5K to ultramarathon and run away from those banjos you hear. Our ten hour time limit lets you go slow as molasses if you want to. And our unique multi-lap course means you’ll always be with all of your friends, who will become family, because that’s just how we do things here in the South.
The most customizable races you’ll ever be part of, you can run one, two, or all three days, mix and match your distances, or take on the ultimate challenge of three ultramarathons in three days in three states to earn a 100 miler buckle.
In honor of Memorial Day, a donation for every runner will be given to TAPS, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, offering compassionate care to family members grieving the loss of a service member.
– All courses are paved park paths that are mostly flat. Loops/out-in-backs are 2-3 miles long, depending on location. The Georgia location is in Calhoun, north of Atlanta; the Tennessee location is at Camp Jordan in East Ridge, just off I-75 near Chattanooga, and the Alabama location is in Guntersville.
– All races begin at 7am local time. Note: Our Georgia and Tennessee locations are in Eastern Time, Alabama is in Central.
– Your best bet for round-trip flights is Atlanta. The closest major airport to Guntersville, Alabama (day 3) is Birmingham.
– Register for one day of the series, receive a hat. Two days, receive a hat and an Awesomesauce mason jar. (This is the South, those are drinking glasses to us!) Three days, receive a hat, a mason jar, and a dry bag (perfect for all of those sweaty running clothes!) We don’t mind if you mix and match distances, and you can even change distances mid-race!
– You’ll also receive your choice of a plastic cup or water bottle to use at our waterin’ hole. It keeps the trash down, and helps you figure out which drink is yours. We’ll keep it full all day!
– Rather than give you an ill-fitting shirt in a color you hate, we’ve priced these races low so you can add on things like tank tops, tech shirts, and other fun stuff. Or, add nothing, we won’t judge!
– All distances receive a unique medal. How else will people know you went for a run?
– Strollers are permitted. Pets are not. Have you ever seen a dog attack a bowl of banana pudding? We have. It’s not cute.
– Ten hour time limit means walkers, run-walkers, runners, skippers, and crawlers are welcome. We’re more concerned about you crossing the finish line, not the amount of time it takes you to get there. Unlike other races, we do not pack up until the last runner finishes or 10 hours is up.
– All three races are USATF sanctioned. They are not certified courses and are not Boston qualifiers.
– We have one aid station zone, so you’ll always know exactly what to expect, and you’ll have a convenient place to leave a drop bag that you can access throughout the day.
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Not a race for a PR
This was a really unique race. They market it as “family picnic with some running” and that is what it felt like. The course goes through a park and in … MORE
This was a really unique race. They market it as “family picnic with some running” and that is what it felt like. The course goes through a park and in order to do the half marathon you have to do 5 “laps” of it. There is an aid station right in the middle with candy, cookies, gu, water, Gatorade, etc. Everything ran very smoothly and the people were all really nice and encouraging. You get a hat or a visor with your entry and then can buy additional merch at checkout. It was so hot, I don’t know if anyone could PR at this race. Pretty much everyone was walking at one point or another. Overall, a fun experience, just very different.