The Golden Hour

-hour sunset race, free post-race s'mores, and the Evening Golden Hour finisher medal. The Golden Double (Sunrise & Sunset) · 7:16 AM & 4:19 PM Race the sunrise, spend the afternoon at the festival, race the sunset. The full Golden Hour experience, and the only way to be eligible for Overall Golden Hour Awards. Fair Pass · 7:00 AM - 6:00 PM General festival admission for anyone who wants to spend the day without racing: the Family Zone, the Social Scene and the Golden Games, no bib required. Spots are limited. Current prices are shown when you click Sign Up. Race Day Timeline • 7:16 AM · Morning Golden Hour. We start as the sun comes up. You have 60 minutes on a one-mile loop: complete as many full laps as you want before the Golden Hour expires. • 8:16 AM · Pancakes. When the hour is over, stick around for free pancakes for our morning runners as the festival gets underway. • Midday · The Golden Hours Festival. The venue becomes a fall festival for runners, families, kids and anyone who wants to spend a beautiful fall afternoon outside. • 4:19 PM · Evening Golden Hour. As the day begins to fade, we line up and do it all over again. One mile. One hour. As many complete laps as your legs will give you. • 5:19 PM · S'mores. Race through sunset, then gather around the fire for free s'mores and the final celebration. • After · Results and photos. Live results post to the RunSignUp results page as each runner finishes. Want your finish time the moment you cross the line? Sign up for result notifications by text or email. Free event photos are usually up within 48-72 hours. Course A one-mile loop at Lakewood Nature Preserve. Complete as many full laps as you can in 60 minutes. The Rules • Only completed laps count. Every lap must be finished before the 60-minute mark; there is no partial-lap credit. • Morning and Evening participants each receive their respective finisher medal. • Overall awards are reserved exclusively for participants completing both Golden Hours, determined by combined mileage from the two races. Start/Finish on Google Maps The Golden Hours Festival The race may stop. The energy doesn't. Run in the morning. Bring the family. Grab some food. Play some games. Hang out with friends. Then get ready to race again. The Family Zone • Pumpkin painting, fall face painting and temporary tattoos • Inflatable obstacle course, hay-bale play area and yard games • Kids' scavenger hunt and friendship-bracelet station • Mini Kids' Dash, Golden Mile Kids Challenge, pumpkin rolling race and family relay • Costume contest • Cornhole, giant Jenga and Connect Four • Local food vendors and a small makers market all afternoon. Jump in, jump out, no rigid schedule required. The Social Scene (20s & up) • Music, trivia and a photo booth • Cornhole tournament, Spikeball and pop-up pickleball • Food trucks plus local brewery and cider vendors • Team relay competitions and a Best Fall Outfit contest • College football on the big screen • Recovery and stretching area The Golden Games A ridiculous mid-festival competition: beer-stein hold, pumpkin carry, partner wheelbarrow race, and the 100-meter costume dash. Under consideration: an AM-vs-PM festival competition, where morning and evening runners earn points throughout the afternoon. Stay tuned for details. What's Included • A custom Golden Hour finisher medal for every registrant • Free post-race pancakes (morning) and s'mores (evening) Race Awards Overall: Golden Hour Champions Reserved for Golden Double finishers. The top three men and top three women by combined AM + PM mileage each take home a Golden Hour trophy. Age Group Awards Awarded separately for the Morning and Evening races, based on laps completed in that race. 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers in each of the 15 age groups earn a Golden Hour age group medal. Golden Double runners are scored for age group medals in both races and remain eligible for Overall honors. Age Group Categories 0-910-1213-1617-1920-2930-3435-3940-4445-4950-5455-5960-6465-6970-7980+ Supporting Children's Cancer Partners of the Carolinas Children's Cancer Partners of the Carolinas pays for travel, lodging and meals so Carolina families can get their child to cancer treatment. They host their own race too: Upstate Strut. Visit Children's Cancer PartnersUpstate StrutDonate Part of the Upstate Giving Series This race is part of the Upstate Giving Series, which connects 30 races with 30 nonprofit organizations serving communities across the Upstate. Your registration and any donation you add at checkout go to work close to home: you are not just running a race, you are funding the work of a neighbor. Upstate Giving Series Groups & Teams Run it with your crew! Groups of 5 or more registrants receive a $5 discount per person, and early sign-ups get it back automatically as a refund once the group hits 5. • Find your club. 50+ Upstate run clubs are preloaded. • Join at sign-up. Pick it during registration, or start your own crew. • Hit 5 runners. Everyone in the group saves $5. Find Your ClubRegister with Your Crew Race Day Photos Free event photos are usually up within 48-72 hours after the race. Race Photos Let's Stay Connected Questions? Use the contact form or tap the chat button in the corner. Contact the Race Director