2026 Belle Isle Blitz (5k)
2026 James River Scramble (10k)
2026 Bust the Banks Half
👟 Belle Isle Blitz
📅 Friday, May 15 at 6:00 PM
The Belle Isle Blitz is a 5k-ish trail race winds around Belle Isle with tough climbs and super fun downhills. Sign up for the Dog Wave, a part of the Belle Isle Blitz, and bring your favorite canine through the trails, along the dry way, and across the river. There’s no better way to spend a Friday night than with man’s best friend!
👟 James River Scramble
📅 Saturday, May 16 at 8:00 AM
Beware: The James River Scramble is not your typical Saturday stroll in the park! Along this 10k-ish course you may encounter roots, gravel, rough terrain, and low-hanging branches. Up for the challenge? You’ll get to experience firsthand some of RVA’s best outdoor gems. This is not a race for walkers.
👟 Bust the Banks
📅 Sunday, May 17 at 7:00 AM
Prepare to take on Richmond's urban single track system on foot. The great trails along the banks of the James River will provide a tough test for all in the Bust the Banks Half Marathon at Dominion Energy Riverrock. It’ll be gritty, and it’s gonna be dirty, but it’s not an event you want to miss. Dodge tree limbs, climb banks, coast downhill, and navigate to the finish. Run the banks alongside rapids, rocks, and see some amazing views of the city skyline.
👟 Trail Takedown - Pick 2 Trail Running Events
Take on the challenge of completing two of the three trail races over the course of the weekend, with the Belle Isle Blitz (5k) on Friday, May 15, the James River Scramble (10k) on Saturday, May 16, and Bust the Banks (Half Marathon) on Sunday, May 17. With two courses in three days this challenge comes with some serious bragging rights!
* Note, if you would like to purchase event insurance, DO NOT register for the challenge through the Trail Takedown event. You must register for each race separately. We will mark your registrations as part of the Takedown.
🐕 Dog Wave
Dogs are allowed to participate in all Trail Running races. The final wave for all races is the Dog Wave. Dog Wave Unique Rules:
- Only one dog per human participant
- All dogs must be leashed
- Leashes cannot be retractable
- Leashes cannot exceed 8 feet in length
🚧 Help Us Maintain Our World Class Trail System & Riverfront
The James River Park System and the Richmond Riverfront are extremely important asset to Richmond, and Dominion Energy Riverrock provides the opportunity to celebrate the Park System and Riverfront and all of the outdoor recreation opportunities RVA has to offer. Please consider a donation to benefit Richmond’s outdoor amenities. Your gift will help maintain, improve and enhance the James River Park System trails and Richmond’s riverfront. Donations and volunteerism make both our trails and riverfront nationally acclaimed… they would not be what they are today without the hard work of countless volunteers throughout the year and it is donations like yours that make this work possible. In the past Dominion Energy Riverrock donations were able to support not only general trail maintenance but also very specific infrastructure and equipment improvements like supporting the universal access ramp at Huguenot Flatwater, funding a Northbank retaining wall, the purchase of a chainsaw & trimmers to maintain trails, two new trail ramps, the replacement of all bike pumps at the bike repair stations around the James River Park System, and the Brown's Island improvement project. The James River Park System and riverfront continues to see heavy use so donations to maintain and make improvements are important to the overall sustainability of this RVA asset.
📖 Our Story
We live and work by Richmond’s picturesque riverfront. With a network of trails and amazing views just steps away from a vibrant downtown, we knew we had to let everyone in on the secret that was Richmond, VA. And what better way to celebrate than with the nation’s premier outdoor sports and music festival?!
Sports Backers and Venture Richmond both work to make RVA a vibrant place to live. Bringing our two nonprofit organizations together to create one of the nation’s most beloved outdoor festivals was a no-brainer! Venture Richmond provides the entertainment, and Sports Backers brings the athletes. It all adds up to a great showcase of Richmond’s riverfront and all it has to offer!
Sports Backers is a nationally recognized nonprofit whose mission is to inspire people from all corners of our community to live actively. Since 1991, Sports Backers has fostered a culture of active living in Central Virginia through its participatory sporting events and community-based programs that have inspired hundreds of thousands of people in the region to set fitness goals and pursue an active lifestyle. In everything that we do, we strive to promote health equity and create accessible opportunities for active living throughout our region. We fulfill our mission by: (1) advocating for bike and pedestrian infrastructure; (2) energizing the community through events; and (3) building a network of community-led group fitness programs in schools and neighborhoods.
Venture Richmond is a nonprofit organization formed to engage business and community leaders in partnering with the City to enhance the vitality of the community, particularly Downtown, through economic development, marketing, promotion, advocacy and events, to include: Friday Cheers, the 2nd Street Festival, the Richmond Folk Festival, and more.
🚨Cancellation Policy
Entries are non-refundable, non-transferable, and non-deferrable, even in the case of a event cancellation, postponement, event format changes, and/or if you are unable to participate.
Questions❓Feedback❓
Questions or Feedback please reach out below
