Donations through Upstate Race Series Supports 30 local non profits through the Giving Series
Snow Bird Challenge (13.1 - 26.2 - or 50k)
Reindeer Relay (12 x 2.62)
🐧 Waddle, Waddle, Welcome, Pals!
Upstate Race Series Presents
Snowbird Challenge
Riverwest Preserve
Now, flap those flippers, get your gear, and join us for a race that’ll keep you sliding with glee! 🐧🎉
The Snowbird Challenge
Waddle, waddle, welcome, pals
A 2.62-mile paved loop through a 240-acre nature preserve that used to be a golf course, run as many times as you have the legs for. Five miles, a half, a full, 50K, or twelve laps split across a relay team of friends — you decide how deep into January you want to go. Rolling cart paths, wooden bridges, waterfalls, and riverfront views, over and over, until you are done.
The loop format is what makes this race work in the middle of winter. Every 2.62 miles you come back through the start/finish, past the aid station, past your drop bag, past whoever came to cheer for you. You are never committing to more than the next lap, which has a way of turning a distance that sounded unreasonable in December into something you find yourself finishing in January.
Laps go off every 45 minutes, and you have 45 minutes to complete each one — a rhythm that keeps the field together and makes the whole day feel less like a solo grind and more like a group that keeps setting out again. Afterward, stick around for music and a post-race hangout with chill vibes and cool tunes. Every finisher receives a medal, and your entry supports local nonprofits through the Giving Series.
Race Day Details
| What | The Snowbird Challenge — 5 Mile, 13.1, 26.2, and 50K solo, plus the Reindeer Relay (12 × 2.62 miles) |
| When | Saturday, January 23, 2027 — 9:00 AM sharp. The relay runs 9:00 AM to 5:45 PM. |
| Where | Riverwest Preserve, Greenville, SC |
| Address | 2959 New Easley Hwy, Greenville, SC 29611 |
| Packet Pickup | An hour before the race at the start/finish area. All runners attend packet pickup 60 minutes prior to race start to receive their race bib and timing tag. |
| Time Limit | 45 minutes to complete each loop. Laps set off at 45-minute intervals from 9:00 AM through 5:15 PM. |
Course
A paved 2.6-mile loop with plenty of shade, winding through the 240-acre Riverwest Nature Preserve — once a golf course, now rolling cart paths, wooden bridges, waterfalls, and riverfront views. The surface is forgiving enough to hold a pace on and scenic enough that the repetition never quite gets old. You have 45 minutes to complete each loop.
View Course Map →Lap Schedule
Laps set off every 45 minutes from 9:00 AM, and you have those 45 minutes to complete each one. Finish early and you wait for the next bell with everyone else — there are no early starts. Your distance ends on its final lap, marked below.
| Lap | Starts | |
| Lap 1 | 9:00 AM | All races start |
| Lap 2 | 9:45 AM | 5 Mile final lap |
| Lap 3 | 10:30 AM | |
| Lap 4 | 11:15 AM | |
| Lap 5 | 12:00 PM | Half marathon final lap |
| Lap 6 | 12:45 PM | |
| Lap 7 | 1:30 PM | |
| Lap 8 | 2:15 PM | |
| Lap 9 | 3:00 PM | |
| Lap 10 | 3:45 PM | Marathon final lap |
| Lap 11 | 4:30 PM | |
| Lap 12 | 5:15 PM | 50K & Relay final lap |
Reindeer Relay teams split the twelve laps between them, with a cap on how many any one runner can take:
| Relay team size | Maximum laps per runner | |
| 2-person | 6 laps | |
| 3-person | 4 laps | |
| 4-person | 3 laps |
Parking
Parking is at Riverwest Preserve, allocated in the open driving range grass field. Note that there is a $5 special use permit fee that will gain you entry into the facilities on race day — plan for it so it is not a surprise at the gate.
Aid Stations
One aid station at the start/finish, hit once per lap. There is no aid station out on the course, and three portable toilets at the start/finish line.
Available snacks:
Hydration:
What's Included
Complimentary professional race photos capture the grit and the glory — hang around at the finish line and celebrate.
Race Awards
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.
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
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.
Let's Stay Connected
Follow along, gear up, and keep up with everything Upstate Race Series
Race Location
Riverwest Preserve
2959 New Easley Hwy
Greenville, SC 29611 US
View Location on Map
Any questions? Contact us today!
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