Event Description
Saturday, January 4, 2020
Race start: 8:00 AM
Join Gulf Winds Track Club for the 2020 Swamp Forest Trail Run on Saturday, January 4, at Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park. The seventh annual event will offer runners a chance to complete a one-loop Quarter Marathon (6.85 mi), two-loop Half Marathon (13.7 mi), or three-loop 20-Mile Challenge (20.55 mi). Proceeds from the event benefit the Tallahassee Friends of Our Parks Foundation, Inc., and One More Child.
Registration
Opens Friday, October 18 and closes Saturday, November 30.
Late registration
December 1-31 (If available).
Note
December 15, 2019 is the last day to register to be guaranteed a race shirt.
Event Limit
This event is limited to 150 runners; sign up early to guarantee your spot!
About the Course
The course consists of beautiful rolling terrain on both single-track and multi-use trails. The Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park Trail is comprised of three main loops: Swamp Forest, Coon Bottom, and Oak Hammock, along with several connecting trails. The course connects these trails into a 6.85-mile loop.
- The Swamp Forest Loop runs next to a seepage basin swamp and a profusion of ferns, passes ephemeral ponds, and a Beech-Magnolia forest.
- The Coon Bottom Loop runs beside a clear sand-bottom seepage stream in many places, and passes through Beech-Magnolia and Spruce Pine forests. The trail crosses a black-water stream that drains a seepage basin swamp. Along the north side of the loop, the trail passes through an upland forest.
- The Oak Hammock Loop runs near the shore of Lake Jackson. Deer can often be seen along the edges of open fields. The adjacent fields contain many fenced gopher tortoise holes.
- The Creek Forest Trail runs around the head of a seepage stream, curves around an ephemeral pond, then encounters a series of meander loops of the main stream. There are large patches of Giant Cane and Arundinaria gigantea along the trail.
- The Big Tree Cutoff passes a swamp that contains Pinckneya, Needle Palms and a stand of huge Tulip-Poplars.
Course cut-off
The cut-off time for this event is 1:00 PM. This will give runners 5 hours to complete the 20-Mile Challenge. If you do not finish your second loop in 3.5 hours, you may not continue and will be awarded the half marathon finish time.
Packet Pick-up
Friday, January 3, from 4:00 - 7:00 PM at Trail & Ski (2743 Capital Cir NE) and Saturday morning at the race from 6:30 AM - 7:30 AM. We encourage everyone to make any attempt possible to pick up your packet on Friday so we can start the race on time Saturday morning without any delays.
Additional Information
Bobby York at byorkjr@msn.com
Read about the 2019 event and view past years results:
