Big South Fork Trail Race

BIG SOUTH FORK TRAIL RACE

TIME & PLACE:

• Start Time: The 17.5 mile and 10k races start at 8:30 am (Eastern Daylight Time).
• Location: Starts and finishes at the Bandy Creek Campground in the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

• Course Type: This 17.5 Mile out-and-back, loop course starts and ends at the John Litton General Slavens Trailhead.
• Terrain: The first 1.5 miles is paved and gravel, with the balance being a single track trail.
• Aid Stations: Aid stations at (roughly) 3.5, 5, 12, and 14 miles.
• Course Closure: Course closes at 1:30 pm. For maps, elevation profiles, and more, click here.

DIRECTIONS AND LODGING:

• Travel Route: From Knoxville, take I-75 north to Oneida, Exit 141 (40 minutes) and follow the signs to Big South National River and Recreation Area.
• Camping: Camping space is available at the Bandy Creek Campground.
• Reservations: Reservations can be made through the NPS reservation service (www.nps.gov) at 1.800.365.CAMP.
• GPS Coordinates: 36.490481, -84.700717.

REGISTRATION AND FEES:

• Fees: Registration fees above, $5 KTC member discount accepted.
• Sign Up: Not a member of KTC? Sign up here!
• Pre-registration: All runners MUST pre-register!
• Picnic Lunch: Additional picnic lunches are $10.00 each. NO LATE OR RACE DAY REGISTRATION.

BIB POLICY:

PLEASE DON'T TAKE A BIB IF YOU'RE NOT RUNNING. This is safety-related - we want to make sure that everybody who starts the race stays safe. If you take a bib, we think you're running the race. Then when you don't show up at the finish, we have to try and track you down and ensure you're not lost in the woods or hurt. So please -- if you're not running the race, don't take a bib. Also, if you have to drop out of the race, please let one of the race officials know so you are accounted for. Additionally, don't crunch or fold the bib, or tear off the bottom. We need an unspoiled bib to record your time and finish place.

SHIRTS:

• Long-Sleeve Sweatshirt: Each 17.5 Mile runner will receive a limited edition long-sleeve BSF Trail Race sweatshirt.
• 10k T-Shirt: Each 10k runner will receive a long-sleeve cotton T-shirt.
• No Shirt Option: If you choose the no shirt option, deduct $5 from the fee for either race.

AWARDS:

• Overall Awards: Top 3 Overall, top Masters (40+), Grandmasters (50+), Veterans (60+) for Male and Female.
• Special Categories: Awards to the top Clydesdale (male, 200 lbs+) and Athena (female, 150 lbs+).
• Age Division Awards: Overall winners not eligible for age division awards (three deep). Age divisions grouped in 10-year increments starting with 0-19.
• Grand Prix Points: Treadin' Trodden Trails Grand Prix points awarded for the 17.5 mile race and half points for the 10k race.

SPECIAL TTT SERIES AWARDS:

• Free Entries: This year we’ll be awarding the top 3 in each division free race entries.
• Drawing for Shoes: A drawing will be held for two lucky runners to win a pair of shoes, thanks to the generous sponsorship of Runners Market.
• Awards Presentation: Awards will be presented at the annual KTC Holiday Party in December.
• Membership Requirement: To qualify for series awards (and free shoes!), you’ll need to be a member of KTC and have volunteered two times during the course of the trail race season.

POST RACE CELEBRATION:

All runners are invited to a family picnic in the staging area immediately after the race. Extra meal tickets $10.00.

RESULTS:

Results will be available on the Knoxville Track Club website: www.ktc.org.

COURSE ETIQUETTE:

We reserve the right to disqualify anyone who exhibits unsportsmanlike conduct or is abusive to volunteers. Due to insurance regulations, no headsets, earphones, bicycles, baby strollers, roller blades or pets on the course.

SAFETY:

• Stations: Aid and water stations will be provided, but in an effort to be greener, we urge all runners to carry their own water.
• Insect Safety: We strongly recommend that anyone sensitive to insect stings or bites carry their own medication.
• Pre-Race Training: We urge that everyone do some pre-race training offroad, as there is no substitute for experience.
• Enjoy the Race: We want you to have a good time.

SAFETY POLICY CLARIFICATION:

Our primary goal is to keep everybody safe out there in the woods. If a runner is under 12 years old, he or she will need to be accompanied by an adult in order to run the race. We’ll need to start enforcing the 18:00/mile minimum pace to ensure the safety of our volunteers and participants. Moving forward each race will have a sweeper, and runners will need to be moving at greater than an 18:00/mile pace to stay in the race. Don’t get caught by the sweep!

INFO FOR RUNNING OR VOLUNTEERING:

Contact Trail Series Director Michael deLisle at 865.548.4718 or email trails@ktc.org or reach out to Race Director Bobby Glenn at 865.548.7664 or bgruns@icloud.com. For Big South Fork information, please call 931.879.3625.

Volunteer info and signup available on Runsignup.com. Runners can take their participation in the KTC TTT series to the next level by volunteering! Not only does the success of each trail race depend on our great community of volunteers, but volunteerism is required for placement in the Grand Prix Rankings. In order to qualify for a