Welcome back, runners. This is your local race director and club aficionado, Matthew Hammersmith, and today I’m giving you a quick road-racing briefing on the Upstate Road Series.
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If you’ve ever looked at your year and thought, “I love racing… I just need a reason to show up more often,” the Road Series is that season.
The Upstate Road Series is our age group race series built around a lineup of road events across Upstate South Carolina, and it’s built to keep things fun, competitive, and community-driven. This is the sixth annual age group competition, and it’s made up of thirteen different events throughout the year. Upstate Race Series has been hosting a wide range of trail and road events since 2013, so this series is the greatest hits album of what our road community loves.
Here’s what you can expect. A dynamic schedule. Scenic routes across the Upstate. A mix of distances that welcomes beginners, challenges experienced runners, and keeps everyone coming back for one more start line. Some races are fast and snappy, some are endurance-flavored, and all of them are designed to give you a distinctive racing experience.
Now, how do you get “in” to the series?
You don’t have to do anything extra. When you register for any included race and you use the same RunSignUp profile each time, you’re automatically entered into the series and scored automatically with our timing software. No extra forms. No guessing. Just sign up, race, repeat.
Alright, let’s talk scoring, because this is where the friendly competition starts to simmer.
You’re entered into the age group category based on your age on December thirty first of the series year. You can still place in your current age group for the individual races, but the series standings are scored based on your end of year age. So the scoreboard stays consistent all season long.
At each race, points are awarded by age group finish like this. First place gets ten points. Second gets nine. Third gets eight. Then it keeps stepping down until tenth place gets one point. And here’s the key detail: all finishers receive one point. So if you show up and finish, you’re on the board. The top ten in each age group just gets rewarded with bigger points.
And here’s the best part for busy humans with jobs, families, and calendars that look like a spilled bowl of spaghetti.
A maximum of five races can score. If you compete in more than five, we take your top five finishes. That means you can chase points hard all year, or you can pick the events that fit your life and still be right in the conversation.
Now, what sets the Upstate Road Series apart isn’t only the pursuit of personal bests. It’s also the purpose behind it. By participating, you’re supporting the Upstate Running Club’s non profit youth team, helping develop young talent and grow a love for running in the next generation. So yes, you’re racing for points, but you’re also racing for something bigger than a finish time.
So what races are included?
Here’s the thirteen-event schedule:
We kick things off with the three, six, and twelve hour Resolution Run. Then the Snowbird Challenge. Then the Greenville Half Marathon and 5K. Sassafras Struggle. Chase the Rainbow 5K run and walk. Take Flight 5K and one mile. Mountains to Main Half Marathon and 5K. The Downville Mile. The Carolina Reaper Challenge. Lake Summit ten mile. Run2Overcome 5K and 10K. Electric City Gobbler 5K and one mile. And then we close it out with Holiday Hustle 5K.
It’s a full year of opportunities to line up, test yourself, and stay connected to the running community that makes the Upstate such a special place to lace up.