Upcoming running, biking, triathlon, duathlon, runs and other events in the Tennessee Valley Outsider footprint. The calendar is updated periodically several months out for planning:
APRIL
April 12: Dueling Banjos 10k & 5k trail run challenge, Gurley, pairing an extremely hard uphill 5K trail race with a net-negative downhill 10K trail race. Registration for both events required. Register here
April 12: 21st Annual Swampers 5K & 1 Mile Run/Walk, Muscle Shoals, proceeds benefit the Shoals Civic League. Register here
April 12: Salmon Run 5K, Huntsville, to benefit Russell Hill Cancer Foundation and HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology. Register here
April 12: 2nd Annual Owens Cross Roads Police Department Reserve Units 5K and Fun Run, starts at 7 p.m. Register here
April 12: 3rd annual Devil’s Racetrack Backyard Ultra, Wade Mountain Preserve, Huntsville. Challenging trails. Each loop is exactly 4.167 miles and must be completed within an hour if you wish to continue. Runners must be in the starting corral when the horn sounds. Register here
April 12: Chickamauga Chase 15K road, 8-mile trail and 5K road races, at Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. The Chickamauga Chase has been held since 1969 in the historic and beautiful Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park. The Chickamauga Chase is Chattanooga’s oldest continuously run road race, and the signature event 15K is one of America’s oldest races at that distance. Register here
April 12: First Priority Decatur 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run, to benefit First Priority / Clothe Our Kids campus ministries and students in Morgan, Lawrence, and Cullman counties. Register here
April 19: Cookie Dash 5K and 1-mile Fun Run, at Hampton Cove Middle School, to benefit the Huntsville Community Drumline and the Hampton Cove Schools PTA. Certified course is fast and fun, great for a PR. Tons of cookies after the races, too. Register here
April 19: Mustang Mud Run 5K, at Madison Academy in Madison, includes 18-22 obstacles along and through Indian Creek and the adjacent wooded areas of the MA campus. This family-friendly, fun mud run is open to anyone over the age of 10. Register here
April 19: 6th annual Stillhouse 100K by Bad Beard Events, Chattanooga. An out-and-back of the cult classic, point-to-point, Upchuck 50k that runs on the technically challenging single track of the Cumberland Trail. Register here
April 19: 11th Annual Slawburger Chase 5k/10k, kicking off the Fayetteville Main Street Slawburger Festival. Overall, masters and age group awards. Register here
April 26: National Cornbread Festival 5K, South Pittsburg, Tenn., starts in front of Lodge Cast Iron. Race entry gets you into the cornbread festival. Register here
April 26: Lost Falls Half-Marathon and 10K, at DeSoto State Park in Fort Payne. Stunningly cool, scenic and challenging course. Pro tip: get a room at the lodge the night before and wake up refreshed. Register here
April 26: David McKannan Memorial 5K, 7 a.m. at Ditto Landing in Huntsville. Proceeds benefit ALS research. Course is flat and fast. Fun run at 8 a.m. Register here
April 26: Build ‘n’ Run 5K, 5K Ruck and Fun Run, 8:30 a.m. in Florence. Proceeds will benefit Sleep In Heavenly Peace, a volunteer organization that builds beds for kids who are sleeping on the floor. Register here
April 27: Run Rocket City Night with a 5K and Huntsville City FC futbol match to follow at Wicks Family Field at Joe Davis Stadium, 6 p.m. The 5K will be before the match. Tickets required. Register here
MAY
May 3: 9th annual Dan Robinson Memorial 10K and 5K, at Grant Town Park, hosted by the Grant Playground and Recreation Association. Proceeds benefit the Kidtopia. Scenic course with lung-testing hills (take a water bottle) and a great vibe. Register here
May 10: Smoke Rise Half-marathon, 10K and 5K, at Blevins Gap Nature Preserve at Land Trust of North Alabama site in south Huntsville. Stiff climbs, challenging trails and scenic views of east and west Huntsville. A few rocks, too. Register here
May 10: Taco Trot 5K, at Civitan Park in Guntersville, with a taco and mimosa-maragarita bar afterwards. Proceeds benefit Family Services of North Alabama, which provides aid in Victim Services & Prevention and Workforce Development & Education. The course is beside Lake Guntersville. Register here
May 24: Frantic Frog Sprint Triathlon and 5K, 8 a.m. at Goose Pond Colony in Scottsboro on Guntersville Lake. Multiple categories, and a 5K added this year. The “Half Iron” is discontinued this year. The sprint tri includes a 500-meter swim, 14-mile bike and 5K run. Register here
JUNE
June 4: The Big Run 5K, 6 p.m. at John Hunt Running Park, Huntsville, includes a cookout, ice cream and live music. Pre-registration is required; no on-site registration. Register here
June 7: Heel & Crank Duathlon, Huntsville, tentatively at Columbia High School and Cummings Research Park. Participants will do a 3-mile run, roughly 15-mile bike ride and finish with a 3-mile run. Course shifts this year from Mooresville and with a new date. Run course is Indian Creek Greenway and cycling course is the US Paralympics championship course. Register here
June 14: 24th annual Wet Dog Triathlon, at Point Mallard Park in Decatur. Wet Dog is a 400 meter open water swim, followed by a 15k bike ride and a 5k run. Wet Dog is a fundraiser for Mosaic Mentoring of North Alabama, a non-profit child and family mentoring organization. Register here
JULY
July 4: Firecracker 5K, at Morningside Baptist Church on south Bailey Cove Road, Huntsville, starting at 8 a.m. Runners take off from the church, hit the Aldridge Creek Greenway and come back to finish at the church. Flat and fast! Awesome post-race refreshments, too. Register here
July 4: Freedom 5K and Independence Mile, downtown Huntsville at Big Spring Park (by the canal) starting at 7 a.m. Runners go past the Huntsville Museum of Art, through historic downtown streets and back to a raucous finish line. Plus, post-race hot dogs and goodies. Sign up for the combo to test your mile skills after the 5K. Register here
Send information to TVO at info@thetvo.com
TRIATHLONS: Chattanooga Triathlon Club has an extensive list of tri, sprint-tri and other events in the region. Look Here
LOCAL GROUP RUNS
Our thanks to Jeff Plain and We Run Downtown Huntsville for this list of free, inclusive group runs in Huntsville and Madison. Search for We Run Downtown Huntsville and these other run groups on Facebook for more information:
