IF YOU GO
SAVE THE DATE!Nov. 11-13» Where: Harrison Bay State Park» COST: Half Marathon, $70; Marathon, $85; 50k, $90; 50 Miles, $100; Kids 1-Mile Fun Run, $10» SPECTATORS AND CREW: $25 per adult; $15 per child age 12 and younger. Includes all meals.» CAMPING: $5 per night for a bunkbed» REGISTER: runchattanooga.org/runamok
HEALING HARRISON:
The organizers at Run Amok may not be super-serious, but their cause is. A portion of each runner’s registration fee will be donated to Harrison Bay State Park, specifically for trail maintenance and upgrades. The park’s trails never close, Bird says, which means they sustain some damage when the weather is bad and people are still using them. As this race continues year to year, Bird hopes each donation will make the trails better and better. “We want to be a partner to the park,” she says. “We’re all working together, and we’re all trying to enhance running in this area.”
More than a Mirage
Let’s be honest. After pushing nearly 50 miles, runners might start to … see things. But at the wacky event that is Run Amok, those hallucinations could just be the real deal. Be on the lookout for:» A man dressed as a gorilla handing out bananas on the trails.» Unicorns prancing about and passing out candy.» An unreal selection of food, from burritos, hamburgers and pizza, to waffles, cupcakes and ice cream sundaes.» A feast complete with a tablecloth, candles and real dishes at the finish line. Rumor has it there will be steak.
Courtney Bird’s first 50-miler was pure chaos. For her family, at least.
Keeping up with the ultra-marathoner during the race meant her husband and three children had to rush from checkpoint to checkpoint, timing their arrival just right so they wouldn’t have to wait too long for Bird to pass by.
Driving all over Nashville took its toll on the family; especially Daddy Bird, who was tasked with entertaining three restless younglings.
That’s why Run Amok, Run Tennessee’s first official event, will introduce an entirely different kind of chaos.
Being held on the gentle rolling trails of Harrison Bay State Park, this unique event takes marathoners on a 6.5-mile lollipop course that will eliminate the guesswork for spectators and crews.
“When you’re running in circles, your family doesn’t have to move around if they want to see you the whole time,” explains Bird, Run Chattanooga founder and Run Amok race director. “They just get to stay put and hang out.”
But “hanging out” isn’t all spectators will be doing. While waiting to see their runner every 7 miles, those on the sidelines of the half-race, half-campout will be treated to mountains of food, camaraderie around a campfire and tons of activities from board games to limbo contests.
Though the party-like feel will keep supporters entertained, Bird says it will also take some of the pressure off the runners, creating an atmosphere that helps them complete distances they’ve never tried before. With unconventional food choices turning Run Amok into “an eating contest where we happen to be running” and a promise to stay with any runner still making progress past the 36-hour timeline, the minds behind the marathon have taken every measure to make sure runners will relax and enjoy the event just as much as spectators.
“We’re clearly not a serious group of very fast runners,” Bird laughs. “I could not possibly care any less who crosses the finish line first. I care that everybody has a good time and that everybody crosses the finish line, period.
“All you have to do is show up and move your feet.”