Sandy Bottom 8-Hour

The Sandy Bottom 8-Hour (and 4-Hour) "Training" Runs are held at Sandy Bottom Nature Park in Hampton, Virginia. This is your chance to dust-off the winter cobwebs and run flat, fast loops on an approximately 5-km-long trail course in Hampton Roads. 

Parking & Set Up: The park opens at sunrise, and you can park and set-up anytime after that.

Timeline:

• Check In: 7:30 am until 8:15 am
• Race Briefing: 8:15 am
• All Races Start: 8:30 am
• 4-Hour Event Ends: 12:30 pm
• 8-Hour Event Ends: 4:30 pm

Late starts are allowed for the 8-hour and 4-hour events, but please let the race director know if you plan to show up after the start.

Weather: It's Hampton Roads, so be prepared for anything. The historical min and max for January 10th in Hampton are 8°F and 73°F! Year 1 of the event it was quite pleasant (even with a little rain at the start), Years 2 & 3 it was super cold (which was fun!). The event will proceed as long as the park is open.

Hydration and Nutrition: Bring your own hydration device - this is a cupless event. We will have water, sports drink, and food available in abundance at the aid station. Gluten-free, vegan, and nondairy options will be available. We'll provide a list of aid station items as we get closer to race day. (Suggestions are welcome!).

The Course: The course is approximately 5 km long and very flat. The course includes portions of the Fallen Oak, Wetlands, Whispering Pines, Otey Shelton, Trillium, and Lake trails. The course will be very well-marked and easy to navigate. The Start/Finish will be located adjacent to the Lakeside Pavilion. The course can be seen and a GPX file can be downloaded here. The official map of Sandy Bottom Nature Park can be found here.