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Take in the views and explore North Topsail Beach while running on the beach in either our Half Marathon, 10k or 5k.
Scenic City Multisport and Jacksonville-Onslow Sports Commission are proud to present the "Sledgehammer Race Series" in memory of Dr. E. B. Sledge. The mission statement of the "Sledgehammer Race Series" is: To Honor the memory of Sledgehammer and All Combat Veterans." Sledge was a lifelong Marine who spent the remainder of his post war years coming to terms with what he and his fellow combatants experienced during World War II.
E. B. "Sledgehammer" Sledge chose to volunteer for the U. S. Marine Corps in 1942. He was assigned to K company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Division (K/3/5) where he reached the rank of Corporal in the Pacific Theater. Sledgehammer was a 60mm mortarman at Peleliu and Okinawa where he served with Corporal R. V. Burgin and PFC. Merriell "Snafu" Shelton. Sledgehammer also served as a rifleman and stretcher bearer when fighting was too close for effective mortar use.
Sledge would go on to earn a doctorate in biology and was a beloved professor at the University of Montevallo. In 1981, Sledge published his memoir, With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa, which centered on his combat experiences during the Pacific Campaign. His book was used as a reference for Ken Burns' PBS documentary, "The War" and Tom Hanks and Stephen Speilbergs' HBO miniseries "The Pacific" starring Joseph Mazzello as Sledge.
Half marathon course is 10.5 miles of beach and 2.6 miles on the road.
10k & 5k course are all on the beach
In order to keep the cost of races low for runners we have created the option to purchase a shirt instead of just including one in the registration. Register and select the shirt option by January 26th to guarantee your long sleeve t-shirt!
Two local hotels are offering discounts for runners.
Hampton Inn & Suites
1248 NC Highway 210
Sneads Ferry, North Carolina 28460, USA
Save 20% with this link
Quality Inn & Suites Sneads Ferry - North Topsail Beach
1565 NC Hwy 210, Sneads Ferry, NC, 28460, US
$69 rate plus tax for single king
$79 for a room with 2 queens
Call 910-327-8282 and mention you're running the Sledgehammer Beach Run
A few updates with this event due to COVID.
CORRALS: Due to COVID-19 we will have corrals of 25 leaving every 10 minutes. Please select your desired corral time when you register.
FINISH LINE: All finishers will receive a bag with their medal, snack and water at the finish line. We ask runners not to linger too long so we can abide by the social distancing guidelines.
MASKS: Masks are required at the start line and can be removed after you start the race.
SOCIAL DISTANCING: We ask that you don’t gather in large groups before or after the event.
Staff & volunteers will be wearing masks and gloves at the aid stations.
Additional race information can be found at http://www.playjosc.com.
Our Mission: To serve the state of Tennessee and the Southeast by promoting active, healthy lifestyles through various sporting events for all socio-economic levels.
JOSC owns and operates multiple events that have a direct impact on sports tourism for Onslow County. We also strive to produce funds to contribute to the promotion of other events happening within the county. We are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with a mission to foster economic impact and quality of life through sports in Jacksonville and Onslow County.
If you have any questions about this race, click the button below.
For runners participating in person
Address: JOSC Offices
1099 Gum Branch Rd. Jacksonville, NC
Time: 4:30-7:00PM
**Special for Half Marathon runners**
USMT is offering FREE taping to Half Marathon runners that pickup their packets on Friday, February 5th.
On Site
Half Marathon
7:15AM-8:00AM
10k
7:15AM-8:30AM
5k
7:15AM-9:30AM
*Note you must stay within your corral time, even if you pick up your packet an hour before your corral time
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