Sandy Bottom 8-Hour Training Run

Introduction

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. The Sandy Bottom Training Runs are presented by the Peninsula Track Club .

Timeline and Logistics

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 .

Awards

All runners will earn a sweet, homemade medal. Swag for various durations and distances includes some combination of customized beanies, neck gaiters, and bottle openers. Custom long-sleeve shirts are available as an add-on. Shirt orders made after 12/25 cannot be guaranteed to arrive before race day, but arrangements will be made for local pickup later. We will have top 3 overall awards for women and men for each event (8 Hour, 4 Hour, 5 km).

Facilities

There is a heated restroom in the Nature Center which opens at 9AM and will be the primary facility during the race. There is an additional set of bathrooms located near the playground closest to the Hampton Roads Center Parkway entrance of the park that can be used before the Nature Center opens. The large shelter at the park is rented and will be used for race support. The shelter has 15 picnic tables underneath it; there will be space available for runners to set-up underneath on a first-come basis. Runners can also set-up small tents (no larger than 10x10 canopies), but do not bring tarps or other similar ground coverings.