Sandhills Trail Race Series (30 Hour - 50k - 25k - 7.5 Mile)

  Upstate Race Series Sandhills Trail & Ultra Festival Sesquicentennial State Park · Columbia, SC

Serene lake views and sandy trails beneath towering pines 🌳

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A 7.5-mile loop of soft pine-needle singletrack, run once, three times, four times, or for thirty hours straight. Rolling hills, lake breezes, and a few smooth paved sections around the water. This is the rare course that is genuinely beginner-friendly and genuinely capable of holding a hundred-mile effort, which is why the weekend turns into a festival rather than a race.

Four distances share one loop, which means the 7.5-mile runner and the thirty-hour runner spend the day passing each other, trading places, and cheering from opposite ends of the same effort. The trail is fast, runnable, and forgiving underfoot — pine needles absorb a lot of what asphalt would give back to your legs — and the loop passes both campsite locations, so crews and families are never far from the action.

The aid station sits at the start/finish, which you hit every 7.5 miles, fully stocked. Thirty-hour runners should plan for limited crew and aid support between 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM — the overnight is meant to be quiet and a little lonely. Afterward there is a music-filled post-race hangout with vibes, snacks, and trail talk. Every finisher receives a medal, hundred-mile finishers earn a belt buckle, and your entry supports local nonprofits through the Giving Series.

Race Day Details

What	Sandhills Trail Race Series — Sesqui 7.5 Mile, Sesqui 25K, Sandhills 50K, and the Sandhills 30 Hour
When	Saturday and Sunday, February 20–21, 2027 — all distances start at 9:00 AM
Where	Sesquicentennial State Park, Columbia, SC
Address	9564 Two Notch Rd, Columbia, SC 29223
Packet Pickup	Picnic Shelter #2, behind the ranger station in the open field adjacent to the start/finish, beginning one hour before your race. No proxy pickups. You can also register race morning from your phone.
Time Limit	32 hours to complete all distances. If you are in the 30 Hour, expect limited crew and aid support between 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM.

Course

A 7.5-mile loop, mostly soft pine needle-covered singletrack with a few smooth paved sections around the lake. Rolling hills and lake breezes, serene water views, and sandy trails beneath towering pines. The terrain is fast, runnable, and beginner-friendly, and the loop passes through both campsite locations.

View Course Map →

Parking

Park in the open field adjacent to the start/finish line — enter via the hidden alleyway next to the main parking lot, between the Ranger Station and the Splash Pad. The main lot is available too, but the field is closer. A $5 special use permit is paid during registration.

Aid Stations

One fully stocked aid station at the start/finish line, which you reach every 7.5 miles.

Available snacks:

Pickles Cookies Candy Chips Fig Newtons Pretzels

Hydration:

Water Coke Ginger ale

Cup-less event — please bring your own hydration vessel.

What's Included

Belt Buckles at 100 Miles Go the distance in the 30 Hour and you earn the buckle. Custom Race Bib Your badge of the journey. Chip Timing & Live Results Track your effort, splits included. Custom Finisher Medal To commemorate the triumph. Custom Race Tattoo Wear the moment proudly. Event-Themed Giveaways A little extra swag for finishing strong. Race Sticker Keep the memory riding shotgun on your bottle, cooler, or laptop. Wildly Charged Hydration Sample A little extra refresh after you've conquered the trail. On-Site Camping Nearby Sesquicentennial State Park takes reservations — worth it for the overnight distances. Post-Race Vibes

Complimentary professional race photos capture the grit and the glory — hang around at the finish line and celebrate.

Race Awards

Top 3 Overall (Male & Female) The fastest three finishers will each receive a trophy to honor their achievement at the front of the pack. Age Group Awards (Male & Female) The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers in each of 15 age categories will earn an age group medal — a custom piece to add to your finisher's lanyard at the end of the event. Series Recognition This race counts toward season-long age group recognition in these two series: Upstate Trail Series Upstate Ultra Series Giving Back

Every Upstate Race Series event is part of the Upstate Giving Series, which connects our 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 Age Group Categories 0–9 10–12 13–16 17–19 20–29 30–34 35–39 40–44 45–49 50–54 55–59 60–64 65–69 70–79 80+

Groups & Teams

$5 Discount & Refund for Groups with 5+ Members

The Upstate Running Club welcomes all local and regional running clubs to our events — the more the merrier. Calling all running clubs and social run groups: Upstate Race Series welcomes crews of all kinds to join the fun. Whether your squad is full of weekend warriors, sunrise chasers, or runners motivated by the promise of a cold drink at the finish, we've got an event for you.

Sign up, share with friends and local running clubs, and cash in on race discounts and refunds when your team, run club, or band of misfits hits 5 runners or more.

Good to Know

Are dogs allowed on the course? Yes. Are headphones or earbuds allowed? Yes. Can someone else pick up my packet for me? No. Is there race-day registration? Yes, you can register on your personal mobile device on race day. Where are the start and finish lines? Follow the signs that sneak you behind the ranger station and lead you to the open field adjacent to the start/finish line. Is there gear check or somewhere to leave personal items? You can leave things under Picnic Shelter #2. Are there restrooms near the start/finish? Yes, there are bathrooms at the start/finish line as well as around the campground loop that runners pass each time. Will I get a medal or a shirt? All finishers get a medal. Apparel is available during registration or through our online apparel site for direct shipping.

Managing Your Registration

Everything about your entry lives in your RunSignUp profile. Sign in, find this race under your upcoming events, and make the change yourself — there is no need to email us first. From there you can:

•	Transfer your entry to another runner
•	Switch to a different distance at this race
•	Transfer your entry to a different Upstate Race Series event
•	Update your personal details — name, address, emergency contact, shirt size
•	Manage add-ons, store items, and apparel purchases

All entries are final. We do not offer refunds or deferrals — but every option above stays open to you right up to race day, so a change of plans does not have to mean a wasted entry.

Manage My Registration →  

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