Important Club Links
Race Series Pages
Welcome back, runners. This is your local race director and club aficionado, and today I’m giving you a quick trailhead briefing on the Upstate Trail Series.
If you’ve ever looked at a race calendar and thought, “I love trails… I just need a reason to show up more often,” the Trail Series is that reason.
The Upstate Trail Series is our annual age group race series built around a curated lineup of trail events across the Upstate of South Carolina. The concept is simple. Run a handful of the included races, earn points based on your age group finish, and stack those points across the season for standings, bragging rights, and end of year awards.
And the best part is you don’t have to do anything extra to join. When you register for any included race using the same RunSignUp profile, you’re automatically entered into the series and scored automatically. No extra forms, no secret handshake. Just sign up, race, repeat.
Now let’s talk about how the scoring works, because this is where the friendly competition starts to simmer.
Your Trail Series age group is based on your age on December thirty first of the series year. You can still place in your normal age group at an individual race, but for series standings, we use your end of year age.
At each race, points are awarded by age group finish like this. First place gets ten points. Second gets nine. Third gets eight. And it steps down from there, until tenth place and everyone after that receives one point.
And here’s the part I really love for busy humans with jobs, families, and knees that occasionally send strongly worded emails. Only your top five races count. A maximum of five races can be scored, and if you run more than five, we simply take your best five finishes. That means you can chase points hard, or you can race what fits your life and still be in the conversation.
So what kinds of races are included? This series is a true sampler platter of Upstate terrain, from runnable park trails to routes that add a little spice to your quads.
Here’s the schedule lineup in order. Sandhills Trail Race Series. Sassafras Struggle. Knock On Woodstock. Lakeside Park Eight K Trail Race. Dark Horse Trail Series. Lake Conestee Trail Eight K Race. Jones Gap Trail Half Marathon. Paris Mountain Half Marathon. Sadlers Creek Stumble. Prisoner of War Trail Race. Broad River Half Marathon. And Tacky Sweater Five K.
Now, the Trail Series isn’t only about standings. It’s also about community impact. This series supports the Upstate Running Club’s non profit youth team, helping empower young athletes to pursue running and competition. So yes, you’re chasing points, but you’re also helping fuel the next generation of runners right here in our community.
And at the end of the season, we celebrate it properly. The series recognizes the top three finishers in each age group at the annual awards ceremony, with awards made by Hickory Handcrafted. Translation, not a flimsy participation trinket, but something worthy of a shelf and a little “what’s that from” conversation.
So if you want to jump in, here’s your quick checklist. Pick your first Trail Series race and register. Use the same RunSignUp profile for every race you do in the series so your points track automatically. Aim for five races across the year to maximize your scoring. And bring a friend, because trails are better when the start line has familiar faces and the finish line has loud ones.
Alright, that’s your trail map. Until next time, stay smooth on the climbs, light on the descents, and don’t forget to look up once in a while. The Upstate has some spectacular views when you’re not staring at your feet.