The TRIDENT combines the most difficult trails and hottest time of the year (can we say heat index of 105?) to bring runners an unmatched challenge!
What:
– The “OG”: 13.1 miles starting at HIGH NOON, 4hr cutoff, 100% sugar sand, and 1,200 ft gain!
– The Trident Twilight Half: Same course as the “OG” but starting at 8pm & ending at MIDNIGHT!
– The Maraton de las Muertas! Run BOTH the day and night races to get your FULL marathon distance! Must complete BOTH events in allotted times or you’ll be listed as a DNF.
– The Ridge to Nowhere 12 Hour/40 miler: Run one 3.3 mile Trident loop every hour with a “last man standing” element.
You know we’re always pushing the envelope of what’s possible through physical and mental endurance, so we proudly offer our first 12 Hour Trident race! But this is no ordinary 12 Hour race!
Runners will run one 3.3 mile Trident loop every hour from noon to midnight beginning at the top of each hour. Sounds easy so far, right? All runners will have to be back at the starting line before the hour is up or you will be mercifully released from the race.
To make it even more interesting, beginning at 1 p.m., and every other hour after that until 11 p.m. we will eliminate the last runner on the course who comes in under the hour. (All runners coming in AFTER an hour will be automatically eliminated) You know the saying about “you don’t have to be faster than the bear to get away, just faster than the guy next to you” – that applies here. So at 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m., 7 p.m., 9 p.m., and 11 p.m., we will eliminate the last runner on the Trident course while everyone else moves to the next hour.
The top male and female competitors will be crowned king and queen of The Ridge – final placements will be a result of the combined times of all 12 hours, so the faster you did your 12 loops, the higher your placement will be.
We will have finishers awards for all finishers of this devious challenge!
You will end up with approximately 40 miles and 2,500-3,000 feet of elevation gain! This race is no joke – temps in late July hover in the mid 90’s with daytime heat indices pushing 110-115 degrees! Sand temps during the afternoon are upwards of 125-130 degrees! This is a fully supported race with ice and goodies every 1.25 miles or less.
Sound too intense? Maybe dip a toe into the summertime madness that is the Trident with a “kinder” offering like our original noon half marathon, our twilight half marathon, or both half marathons, our “Maratón de las Muertes!
The Maratón de las Muertes
Run BOTH the day and night versions of the Trident for a ridiculous 26.2 mile marathon of pain and suffering! You’ll get over 2,000 feet of elevation gain entirely on sugar sand dunes! You’ll face the heat and horseflies of the day, and the humidity and mosquitoes of the night! And, you’ll have 4+ hours in between to convince your body to go one more round with the Ridge.
Maratón runners must complete BOTH events in the allotted times for each or they will be listed as DNF for the entire event.
Maratón finishers will receive an award that is ONLY AVAILABLE to finishers. Flaunt it with pride. Or shame. Whichever applies.
Run the ancient sand dunes!
Jupiter Ridge Natural Area is one of the last stands of Florida Coastal Scrub habitat in Palm Beach County. Only 2% of original Scrub in the county and less than one-third of the original Scrub in the state remain today. A gently rolling landscape of prickly, dense thickets spotted with bare patches of sparkling white sand, these 271 acres are protected by Palm Beach County as part of a countywide system of natural areas. Over 200 species of plants and animals call this home.
These natural areas are managed by the Palm Beach County Environmental Resources Management team, and we are tremendously fortunate to be working with them to make this race a reality.
The Trident portion of Jupiter Ridge Natural Area is ran on the dunes south of the FPL easement road. These dunes have remained unchanged since the last ice age over 2 million years ago and contain “peaks” that are the highest natural points in Palm Beach County!
The Horrible Half & Full
The race itself, both the day and night version, is an out-and-back “loop” of 3.29 miles repeated 4 times for a distance of 13.1 miles. While it’s not an ultra marathon, it is very much an endurance event. This race is held during the hottest, most humid time of the year, with a noon start time for the day Trident, and an 8 p.m. start time for the night Trident. August temperatures can peak in the 90’s during the middle of the day, and humidity hovers around the 70-80% mark making for a ridiculous heat index topping 110+ degrees! The white sand temperatures blaze to a searing 120+ degrees! Heat management is crucial. This race is not for everyone. The course is made up entirely of ancient sand dunes, some of it very soft and fluffy, with some gentle rollers and some outright steep climbs. This is the only Half Marathon in south Florida that will give you 1,200+ feet of elevation gain over the entire distance. Combine the brutal terrain with the unrelenting heat and humidity, and you’re running easily the most challenging trail half marathon in Florida.
There is a strict 4 hour cutoff time for both the day and night events! Day Trident runners must have completed all 4 loops by 4 p.m., or they will be listed as Did Not Finish in their results. Night Trident runners must be finished with all 4 loops by midnight! We will have a “soft cutoff” an hour before each race’s finishing time. Race management reserves the right to remove anyone from the course who displays distress above and beyond “normal and expected” for this type of event. We will have a medical staff on hand who will be evaluating runners as they make their way through the race.
Same rules apply for the night version! You must be on your last lap by 11 p.m. or you will not be permitted to continue. Think the night version will be easier? Think unrelenting mosquitoes and 100% humidity!
Schwag!
As this race is brought to you by the same folks who brought you the Sand Spur, you can expect the same level of goodies and bling, including amazing finishers medals, shirts, stickers, and other goodies! You’ll also be escorted to and from the race site to a nearby public parking area in an air conditioned van. We’ll also have custom top finishers awards for the top male and female winners. Aid stations will be stocked with plenty of ice, water, liquid fuel, chilled fruit, and other goodies! The race will be professionally and accurately timed by our friends Justin and Jill at Trailhead Ultras and results will be posted to Ultrasignup shortly after the race.
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