Welcome back, runners. This is your local race director and club aficionado, and today I’m giving you a quick, five-minute trailhead style briefing, but with more pavement and a lot more cheers, on the Upstate Brew Series.
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If you’ve ever looked at a race calendar and thought, “I love running… and I love a good post-race hang,” the Brew Series is your kind of year.
The Upstate Brew Series welcomes all runners and, of course, beer drinkers alike. This is the fourth annual Upstate Brew Series, and the goal is simple: bring the running community a little closer with some liquid courage. It’s a competitive point series built around a lineup of events right here in the Upstate, and every stop is designed to feel like a race and a reunion at the same time.
Here’s what I love about it. It’s a series that works whether you’re a seasoned runner hunting for age group wins, or you’re brand new and just want a fun reason to show up, run hard, and celebrate the finish with friends. The whole thing is about community, camaraderie, and a shared appreciation for craft brews and good miles.
Now, how do you get “in” to the Brew Series?
You don’t have to do anything extra. When you register for any included race, you’re automatically entered into the series and scored automatically. The key is to use the same RunSignUp profile each time so your points follow you from race to race. No extra forms, no guessing, no spreadsheets on your end. Just sign up, race, repeat.
Alright, let’s talk scoring, because this is where the friendly competition starts to bubble up.
For the series, you’re entered in the age group category based on your age on December thirty first of the year. You can still place in your current age group for the individual races, but the series is scored based on your end-of-year age. That keeps your category consistent from the first race to the last.
At each race, points are awarded by age group finish like this. First place gets ten points. Second gets nine. Third gets eight. So on and so forth.
And here’s the best part for busy humans with jobs, families, and calendars that look like a plate of spaghetti. A maximum of five races can score. If you compete in more than five, we take your top five finishes. So you can chase points hard, or you can pick the races that fit your schedule and still be right in the mix.
So what races are included?
The series is built around a set of events that bring their own flavor and their own vibe. The Brew Series kicks off with events like Hare of the Dog two mile, Lovers Lane two mile and relay, Chase the Rainbow five K, The Downville Mile, Red White and Brew five K, and Beer and Barbecue five K. Each one is a little different, but they all deliver that same combination of fun competition and post-race celebration energy.
For the two thousand twenty-six included events, here’s what’s on the calendar.
Hare of the Dog two mile, on Saturday, January third, in Simpsonville.
Lovers Lane two mile and four mile relay, on Saturday, February fourteenth, in Simpsonville.
Chase the Rainbow five K run and walk, on Saturday, March fourteenth, in Simpsonville.
The Downville Mile, on Saturday, May thirtieth, in Greenville.
Cottonmouth eight mile and Beerlay, on Saturday, June sixth, in Greenville.
Red White and Brew five K run and walk, on Saturday, June twenty-seventh, in Simpsonville.
And Beer and Barbecue five K, on Saturday, October third, in Fountain Inn.
That’s your lineup. A year of reasons to lace up, race your friends, meet new ones, and keep the running community close.