Event Description
Gulf Coast Runners is pleased to add a trail race to our lineup! The Picayune Strand State Forest was originally logged in the 1940's and then drained in the 50's for development. This land was home to the infamous "swampland in Florida" scam. Prospective real estate investors were shown this land from the air during dry season, only to have it covered in feet of water during rainy season. We are using these protected wetlands to host our 10 mile trail run during MOSTLY dry season (But expect to get dirty and possibly a little soggy depending on the weather leading up to the race.... This is a trail race after all!) The route features 1 mile down a gravel road to thin out the field before heading into Jeep Trails and eventually single track mountain bike/ hiking trails. The route is a loop and would not be considered "spectator friendly", as you would watch the start and then wait for your finisher to appear out of the woods at mile 9.9. The route IS CONSIDERED runner friendly, as you will rave about the views and tranquility of the Picayune. This area is some of the last untouched wetlands, and sits on the border of the Florida Everglades. We encourage you to take out the headphones and take in a deep breathe of Olde Florida at its finest!
Awards/Swag
Finisher medals are a sustainable wood block with the Picayune 10 miler logo. We can not be amongst all this beauty and hand out another metal medal that will one day find its way to our landfills. We are in the process of exploring having the wood medals "branded" for a unique medal to display, apart from all others! Stay tuned, you won't be disappointed.
A "Picayune 10 miler" logo button is included to the first 250 people to sign up! Throw one on your running bag, because you'll want to brag about this race to your friends.
Course description
Coming soon we will post a more detailed mile by mile description. Remember that much of the course will be weather dependent. It could be mud or sugar sand in the exact same spot depending on a good couple inches at the right (wrong!) time.
Downloadable GPS Maps for Garmin
Once it is runnable (*aka dry enough) we will post a GARMIN COURSE that you can download to your GPS watch. (Coach Moomaw will post a video explaining how). The coordinates will keep you on track, and this is a great feature many people have but never use on their watch. Regardless, the course will be well marked with ORANGE blazes and plenty of spray paint but it will require a "heads up" runner!
