Two Day Course Preview Runs and Training Camp - Sept. 30th & Oct. 1st.
We will start at 8:00 AM both days.
This Preview Run and Training Camp is open to everyone. It is also FREE. We need to know how many people plan to run so if you intend to join us, please fill out the short application form, available soon. This will be a preview of all major sections of the Blood Rock Course. Saturday, it will not be necessary to run the section from Redbud Pavilion located at mile 15.7 to Terrace Drive 1 Aid Station, mile 23.5 although we strongly recommend everyone do this section. Sunday, we will not run the Lake Trail and Rattlesnake Ridge Trail, Terrace 1 Aid Station to Terrace 2 Aid Station. These trails are flat and easy to follow and run. The final 6.2 Miles from Peavine Falls to the finish is also optional. We will have minimal aid stations at all Aid Station locations during the preview run.
Saturday, Sept. 30th - Total Length, 15.7 Miles or 23.5 Miles:
We will meet at and start from Redbud Pavilion, start location of the 25 & 50K. Runners participating in the 25K will stop at mile 15.7, location of the Redbud Pavilion Aid Station. All others will continue to Terrace Drive Aid Station #1 at mile 23.5. (Redbud is just 600 yards from the Cabins at OMSP and will be able to run the 50 and 100 mile course. The course map is shown below by section. The run will follow a trail around Oak Mountain Lake, the lake where "Flip Side" is located and location of the 2016 race start. Runners will then cross the Lunker Lake Dam and enter the woods following a new multiuse trail for 1.5 miles before heading into the backcountry of OMSP. The next section, The Dam Aid Station to Eagle Nest Trail Aid Station is only 7.25 miles but may take as long as 4 hours for some runners to complete. Please carry enough water to last 4 hours in the heat. The Eagle Nest Trail Aid Station will be set up with water and a few other items. Runners will then climb up the Eagle Nest trail and past Eagle Nest Overlook to another backcountry section covering 4.2 miles before returning to Redbud Pavilion for a short break. Redbud is located at 15.7 Miles.
25K runners will probably want to stop here. Everyone else will continue down the Yellow Trail, the up the horse trail through the abandoned Camp Tranquility cabins, past the ruins of the old chapel and up and back down the Group Camp Road to the Yellow/White Connector. We will climb the connector to the Red Bike Road and head right, southwest, to the Green Trail. Turn right down Green to the Yellow Trail and over to and thorough the "Treetop Boardwalk." Runners will rejoin the yellow trail to the Terrace Drive Aid Station at mile 23.5.
Following the Saturday Run we will have food and drink and a brief (or long) discussion on how to run Blood Rock, course marking, aid stations, etc. We will also have question and answer session with runners that ran the 2016 race. They can give you their perspective and suggestions.
Sunday, Oct 1st. - Total Length 16 Miles or 22.2 Miles:
Sunday we will run the 50 and 100 course from mile 28 (Terrace Drive AS #2) to mile 46, (Peavine AS #2.) Runners will have the option running the final 5 miles to the finish. We will start at Terrace Drive Aid Station 2 and run up the Yellow Trail then right onto Jekyll & Hyde Bike Trail. Runners will cross Peavine Falls Road at the end of Jekyll & Hyde and continue up "Foreplay" and a short distance on "Johnson Mountain Trail." Switch to an old abandoned bike trail and follow it out of OMSP to High Hampton Drive. Go left to the power line easement and then left onto the easement. Follow the trail up the easement to a trail leading back into the woods and continue up the mountain. Reenter the easement near the crest of the mountain and continue to the top then down the other side to the High Crest Aid Station. We will have an aid station set up there. You will then turn around and backtrack to High Hampton Rd, then reinter the park and go right on the Johnson Mountain Trail. Continue down to the BUMP Trail, then up past Blood Rock. Just past Blood Rock take the Fire Pit Trail 2/3 mile over to the end of the Trail and go left up to the Green Trail. Turn right on Green down to the Peavine Falls Pavilion Aid Station. After reaching the PVF Aid Station, you will run the 2.2 Mile Loop returning to Peavine AS. We will NOT run the 4.8 mile Terrace Dr. AS1 to Terrace Dr. AS2.
Peavine Falls Aid Station to the Finish at Redbud, 6.2 miles, is optional. You will leave the PVF AS #2 and take the single track White Trail down toward Peavine Falls but do not enter the Peavine Gorge. Continue straight for about a mile on White, then turn right on the White/Blue Connector heading sharply uphill. At the Blue Trail turn left for about 3 miles. Watch for the Orange Trail on your left. Take Orange downhill, across the gravel bike road and back up the other side if the hill to the White Trail. Go right on white, over Shackleford Point (high point in OMSP) and continue along the ridge until the trail runs left and heads downhill. The White Trail "T's" into the Yellow Trail. Turn left on Yellow just past where the Yellow Trail cuts left across a foot bridge and take the Cabin Trail to the right back to the Cabins and the Finish on the paved road where it "T's" into another paved road in the middle of the cabins. Go left on the paved road and down the roadway around the west side of the lake and back to Redbud Pavilion. The trail will come out at the BMX Track and Bathrooms. Go left for 200 yards to Redbud Pavilion.
Saturday, Sept. 30th - Total Length, 15.7 Miles or 23.5 Miles:
We will meet at and start from Redbud Pavilion, start location of the 25 & 50K. Runners participating in the 25K will stop at mile 15.7, location of the Redbud Pavilion Aid Station. All others will continue to Terrace Drive Aid Station #1 at mile 23.5. (Redbud is just 600 yards from the Cabins at OMSP and will be able to run the 50 and 100 mile course. The course map is shown below by section. The run will follow a trail around Oak Mountain Lake, the lake where "Flip Side" is located and location of the 2016 race start. Runners will then cross the Lunker Lake Dam and enter the woods following a new multiuse trail for 1.5 miles before heading into the backcountry of OMSP. The next section, The Dam Aid Station to Eagle Nest Trail Aid Station is only 7.25 miles but may take as long as 4 hours for some runners to complete. Please carry enough water to last 4 hours in the heat. The Eagle Nest Trail Aid Station will be set up with water and a few other items. Runners will then climb up the Eagle Nest trail and past Eagle Nest Overlook to another backcountry section covering 4.2 miles before returning to Redbud Pavilion for a short break. Redbud is located at 15.7 Miles.
25K runners will probably want to stop here. Everyone else will continue down the Yellow Trail, the up the horse trail through the abandoned Camp Tranquility cabins, past the ruins of the old chapel and up and back down the Group Camp Road to the Yellow/White Connector. We will climb the connector to the Red Bike Road and head right, southwest, to the Green Trail. Turn right down Green to the Yellow Trail and over to and thorough the "Treetop Boardwalk." Runners will rejoin the yellow trail to the Terrace Drive Aid Station at mile 23.5.
Following the Saturday Run we will have food and drink and a brief (or long) discussion on how to run Blood Rock, course marking, aid stations, etc. We will also have question and answer session with runners that ran the 2016 race. They can give you their perspective and suggestions.
Sunday, Oct 1st. - Total Length 16 Miles or 22.2 Miles:
Sunday we will run the 50 and 100 course from mile 28 (Terrace Drive AS #2) to mile 46, (Peavine AS #2.) Runners will have the option running the final 5 miles to the finish. We will start at Terrace Drive Aid Station 2 and run up the Yellow Trail then right onto Jekyll & Hyde Bike Trail. Runners will cross Peavine Falls Road at the end of Jekyll & Hyde and continue up "Foreplay" and a short distance on "Johnson Mountain Trail." Switch to an old abandoned bike trail and follow it out of OMSP to High Hampton Drive. Go left to the power line easement and then left onto the easement. Follow the trail up the easement to a trail leading back into the woods and continue up the mountain. Reenter the easement near the crest of the mountain and continue to the top then down the other side to the High Crest Aid Station. We will have an aid station set up there. You will then turn around and backtrack to High Hampton Rd, then reinter the park and go right on the Johnson Mountain Trail. Continue down to the BUMP Trail, then up past Blood Rock. Just past Blood Rock take the Fire Pit Trail 2/3 mile over to the end of the Trail and go left up to the Green Trail. Turn right on Green down to the Peavine Falls Pavilion Aid Station. After reaching the PVF Aid Station, you will run the 2.2 Mile Loop returning to Peavine AS. We will NOT run the 4.8 mile Terrace Dr. AS1 to Terrace Dr. AS2.
Peavine Falls Aid Station to the Finish at Redbud, 6.2 miles, is optional. You will leave the PVF AS #2 and take the single track White Trail down toward Peavine Falls but do not enter the Peavine Gorge. Continue straight for about a mile on White, then turn right on the White/Blue Connector heading sharply uphill. At the Blue Trail turn left for about 3 miles. Watch for the Orange Trail on your left. Take Orange downhill, across the gravel bike road and back up the other side if the hill to the White Trail. Go right on white, over Shackleford Point (high point in OMSP) and continue along the ridge until the trail runs left and heads downhill. The White Trail "T's" into the Yellow Trail. Turn left on Yellow just past where the Yellow Trail cuts left across a foot bridge and take the Cabin Trail to the right back to the Cabins and the Finish on the paved road where it "T's" into another paved road in the middle of the cabins. Go left on the paved road and down the roadway around the west side of the lake and back to Redbud Pavilion. The trail will come out at the BMX Track and Bathrooms. Go left for 200 yards to Redbud Pavilion.
Click on the map below for larger version. Saturday and Sunday preview sections are color coded.
Click the image to watch the 2017 Blood Rock Preview Run Video by Marathon Runs. (MRuns.com)