Old Fort Strong Endurance Festival

The Old Fort Strong Endurance Festival is 6/12/24hr trail run and mountain bike ride on the trails that encompass Camp Grier, right in the backyard of Old Fort, NC. The weekend will have a festival atmosphere with multiple vendors, live music, and. special guest speakers across the trail running and mountain bike world. Full schedule will be sent out soon.

The goal of this event is to raise awareness and funding for the Old Fort Strong Fund, which aims to put money directly into the hands of Old Fort residents and businesses as they rebuild their homes and repair their businesses affected by Hurricane Helene. Over 50 homes in Old Fort were either damaged or completely destroyed. Our goal is to raise a minimum of 2 million in donations for this fund to help provide relief, rebuild homes and support local businesses that have suffered in Old Fort.

There are 400 spots (200 runner/200 riders) open for the in-person event at Camp Grier. There will will be separate loops, roughly 3 miles each, for runners and mountain bikers with a common start/finish area. If you can't make the event in Old Fort or our physical numbers are filled, there is a Virtual option as well so you can participate anywhere across the country.

Runners and riders who sign up also agree to become a fundraiser and seek out donations from their networks. As soon as you register, an individual fundraiser page will be created for you in runsignup that you can share within your network to seek out donations. Each participant's goal is to raise $1,500 minimum for the fund. We know this is big goal, but as endurance athletes, community and trails are what really bring us together! Let us show how strong that community really is and help rebuild homes in Old Fort, NC!

Prizes packages from our sponsors will be given to those who go above and beyond the minimum fundraising amount. There will be a prize package given out for those raising $5,000+ prize and $10,000+.



WEEKEND SCHEDULE

December 6th, 2024

3pm - check-in begins
6pm - Endurance Athlete Panel
8pm - live music
10pm - quiet time hours

Demember 7th, 2024

7am - vendors open
8am - race checkin begins
10am - 6/12/24 hour run/ride begins
4pm - 6 hr ends
10pm - 12 hour ends



December 8th, 2024

10am - 24hr ends



SWAG, AWARDS, RAFFLE
All participants in all distances receive a high quality branded race t-shirt, race sticker, plus other items from our sponsors.

First place M/F in all timed events receives a hand-crafted award and swag from our sponsor.

Runners who complete 100 miles will receive an Old Fort Strong belt buckle. Riders who complete 200 miles will receive an Old Fort Strong belt buckle.

All participants who register will automatically be added to the race the raffle, which will include multiple big ticket items from our sponsors! Extra tickets for the raffle can be purchased during registration or afterwards on the store page on runsignup. Raffle tickets are $25 each and you can purchase as many as you want to increase your chances of winning. All funds raised from the raffle go to the Old Fort Strong Fund.



PACKET PICKUP

We encourage all participants to join us Friday, Dec 6th to pickup your packet early, socialize with fellow athletes, support our vendors, and attend our guest speaker sessions under Beech Pavilion. Packet pickup will run from 3pm-8pm on Friday. Checkin on race morning is available as well and will start at 8:30am.



EXTRA INFORMATION

Parking for the event will be held in the upper fields of Camp Grier. Please carpool as parking is limited. 4 persons per car is highly encouraged.
Aid Stations

There will be one aid station near the start finish line and tent village near Camp Grier Lake. Basic race food options will be available and some heavier items during meal time hours will be prepared.
Crews will be able to setup in the tent village area in the fields between the lake and pool adjacent to the start/finish area to support their runners. Crews are limited to one 10x10 tent area.
Pacers are allowed starting at 6pm Saturday for 12 and 24 hour participants only.
Spectators are encouraged as we want this event to be a huge trail party. Vendors will be open throughout the weekend in main camp.



RACE RULES

Stay on marked trails, DO NOT CUT SWITCHBACKS!
Must cross the finish line after completing each lap
Use proper trail etiquette when passing other participants
Be courteous to other trails users
No littering
Obey any race official's request
If dropping from race, you must inform a race official that you are dropping from the race
Pacers can start at 6pm on Saturday.
Pacers cannot mule for their runner.
Crews must stay within the defined crew zone.



LODGING AT CAMP GRIER

Camp Grier can offer lodging from private cabins, bunk beds, and primitive camping. You can register for lodging options during checkout on RunSignup or separately here.
Note - camping is automatically included for participants and there crew in the 24 hour events for Saturday night only. If staying Friday night, you will need to purchase camping for that night