The Snowbird Challenge (13.1 - 26.2 - 50k & Relay)

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Race Day Details

Saturday, January 23, 2027 at Riverwest Preserve, 2959 New Easley Hwy, Greenville, SC 29611. Get directions.

Course or Race Highlight

The loop format is what makes this race work in the middle of winter. Every 2.62 miles you come back through the start/finish, past the aid station, past your drop bag, past whoever came to cheer for you. You are never committing to more than the next lap, which has a way of turning a distance that sounded unreasonable in December into something you find yourself finishing in January.

Laps go off every 45 minutes, and you have 45 minutes to complete each one — a rhythm that keeps the field together and makes the whole day feel less like a solo grind and more like a group that keeps setting out again. Afterward, stick around for music and a post-race hangout with chill vibes and cool tunes. Every finisher receives a medal, and your entry supports local nonprofits through the Giving Series.

The Course

A paved 2.6-mile loop with plenty of shade, winding through the 240-acre Riverwest Nature Preserve — once a golf course, now rolling cart paths, wooden bridges, waterfalls, and riverfront views. The surface is forgiving enough to hold a pace on and scenic enough that the repetition never quite gets old. You have 45 minutes to complete each loop.

View the course map

Lap Schedule

Laps set off every 45 minutes from 9:00 AM, and you have those 45 minutes to complete each one. Finish early and you wait for the next bell with everyone else — there are no early starts. Your distance ends on its final lap, marked below.

Reindeer Relay teams split the twelve laps between them, with a cap on how many any one runner can take:

Parking

Parking is at Riverwest Preserve, allocated in the open driving range grass field. Entry to the facility is included in your registration fee, so nothing is owed on race day.

Aid Stations

One aid station at the start/finish, hit once per lap. There is no aid station out on the course, and three portable toilets at the start/finish line.

Available snacks

Hydration

Wildly Charged is our official hydration sponsor — look for the orange 5-gallon jugs at aid stations.

What's Included

Pick Your Own Distance
Five miles to 50K, or split it twelve ways as a relay team. Custom Race Bib
Your badge of the journey. Chip Timing & Live Results
Track your effort, splits included. Race Branded Finisher Medal
To commemorate the triumph. Custom Race Tattoo
Wear the moment proudly. Event-Themed Giveaways
A little extra swag for finishing strong. Race Stickers
Keep the memory riding shotgun on your bottle, cooler, or laptop. Post Race Vibes and Media Coverage
Complimentary professional race photos capture the grit and the glory — hang around at the finish line and celebrate.

From past races. See all race photos

Race Awards

Top 3 Overall (Male & Female)

The fastest three finishers will each receive a trophy to honor their achievement at the front of the pack.

Age Group Awards (Male & Female)

The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers in each of 15 age categories will earn an age group medal — a custom piece to add to your finisher's lanyard at the end of the event.

Series Recognition

This race counts toward season-long age group recognition in these two series:

Giving Back

  Visit SC Spinal Cord Injury AssociationSuperheroes in MotionDonate

Every Upstate Race Series event is part of the Upstate Giving Series, which connects our 30 races with 30 nonprofit organizations serving communities across the Upstate. Your registration and any donation you add at checkout go to work close to home — you are not just running a race, you are funding the work of a neighbor. Upstate Giving Series.

Groups & Teams

The Upstate Running Club welcomes all local and regional running clubs to our events — the more the merrier. Calling all running clubs and social run groups: Upstate Race Series welcomes crews of all kinds to join the fun. Whether your squad is full of weekend warriors, sunrise chasers, or runners motivated by the promise of a cold drink at the finish, we've got an event for you.

Sign up, share with friends and local running clubs, and cash in on race discounts and refunds when your team, run club, or band of misfits hits 5 runners or more.

Create or join a race group

Good to Know

Managing Your Registration

Everything about your entry lives in your RunSignUp profile. Sign in, find this race under your upcoming events, and make the change yourself — there is no need to email us first. From there you can:

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