The Sand Monster

The Sand Monster 6 Hour Ultra

In the heart of Sesquicentennial State Park in Columbia SC you will be able to test your endurance at The Sand Monster 6 Hour Ultra, a uniquely challenging and fulfilling 6-hour timed trail race. This event is meant for runners, hikers or walkers of all abilities. Those who aim to push their personal limits but also those who simply enjoy time on trails with fellow trail runners.

6 Hours? That seems long.

6 hours indeed sounds long but most people who start one of these timed events do not go the whole time - be it 6, 12 or 24hours. In this 6 hour case it simply means athletes have 6 hours to run, hike or walk whatever distance they might find challenging. With no threats of cutoffs or being caught by the broom wagon. Instead you will have friendly company along the way to encourage you to go further.

The 6 Hour timed race explained

Athletes will have to finish only one 3.5 mile loop for it to be counted as a finish, and thus really allowing slower athletes to enter the race without feeling they will miss a cutoff. The only cutoff is 6 hours in (at 3pm) and all laps need to be finished then. A faster runner might be able to manage 9 loops which would add up to 31.5 miles and if that runner finishes the 9th loop at 5:25:06 race time he or she might be able to go out for one more loop. If the runner returns at 5:59:55 that 10th lap will count - giving that runner 35 miles total. But should that runner not return until 6:00:13 then that 10th lap will not be counted race finish wise. But clearly that runner still did 35 miles - in the result though he / she will be shown as 9 loops with a 5:25:06 finish time. Let us assume another runner managed 5 loops in 4:55 event time, that runner can then decide to be finished as there is no pressure to run a full 6 hours. But maybe that runner wants to go out one more time since it is likely based on available time to do one more lap. Should several runners finish with the same amount of loops (be it 10, 7, or 5 loops) then the place in the results is determined by the finish order of the last completed loop.

Course description

Set on a 3.5-mile loop course with 270 feet of vert athletes will find a great mix of single track and double track. The race is called Sand Monster because one of the 2 longer climbs is sandy but really is nothing like the beach and not that difficult to run on. Most of the trails are covered with pine needles and the sand underneath them is solid. With plenty of trees lining the course there will be shade and we will make sure that it is well marked.

Runner Experience

We aim for this event to be all about the experience. From communication before, during and after the event, the supportive atmosphere on course, having enough port-o-johns, having cool awards and swag - we want to do it right. Whether you are near the front of the race, spending more time in the middle or further back you’ll find plenty of like-minded runners to share your laps with. This is actually the beauty of a timed race - there is no broom wagon to pressure you and there are really no DNFs as long as you do one 3.5 mile lap within 6 hours. We also will install either a bell at the finish for folks who will go over their previous longest distance. Plus there will be hugs and / or high fives at the finish.

Swag, awards etc

Each starter (but possibly not those who register very late) and each volunteer will get a Boco Gear technical trucker hat with our very cool Sand Monster logo. The design of these Boco Gear hats changes each year so it will be different if you already have one. Each starter will also get a very personalized bib number, plus at least one personalized inspiration card from a local 5th grader. We are working with 2 elementary schools to get this done. We added an example of such a card to our images. . We will have unique awards for the top 4 overall male and female finishers. Why 4? Because missing out on the podium spot sucks. The plan is also to have an award for the top male and female grand masters (50+). That would be 1 place each and should a grand master finish in the top 4 overall that person won’t be eligible for the grand master award. There will however be no individual age group awards, but we will have some unique other awards such as a Spirit awards, a Honey Badger award and a Far Out award. At the time we are doing the awards we will also have a raffle where we will give out some cool stuff. So stick around.

The Schedule

Sunday March 21 7:30am-8:30am package pickup 8:45am pre race briefing 9am start for all athletes 3pm race ends 3:20pm awards and post race raffle