South Mountains Trail Half Marathon – February 23, 2013 – South Mountains State Park – Connelly Spring, NC

This looks like an awesome race at South Mountains State Park. A great winter challenge and what’s really intriguing to me is that it’s limited to 100 runners. It’s unlikely you’ll be jockeying for trail position too much when there’s only 100 runners in a half marathon. Here’s more information from the race organizers:

Make plans to attend South Mountains Half marathon. Part of the 2013 “Search for the Mountain Goat” trail race series. Nestled deep in the woods, South Mountains State Park is the perfect place to enjoy nature. Here you can see a majestic mountain range peeking out from the gently rolling landscape of the Piedmont. This course will challenge you from the start as you make your way up the mountain. You will rise up and up and up until you will think you will penetrate the earth’s atmosphere. When you reach the top its down – down – down with a thrilling insane downhill and fast race to the finish. Fun for all on this extra wide double track course.

The park’s other areas include elevations up to 3,000 feet, a waterfall dropping 80 feet and more than 40 miles of trails. From equestrian camping to trout fishing, mountain biking to picnicking, a number of activities are available at South Mountains State Park. Visit one of the state’s most rugged parks. Hike the trail to High Shoals Falls to witness the roar of the waterfall as it pours into a large pool. Backpack through the woodlands for primitive camping. Fish for trout in miles of mountain streams, or bicycle along the 17-mile mountain-bike loop.

Don’t forget to Register early. The race is limited to the first 100 entrants.

Online registration is available at Active.com. For more information, visit the race website.