Donations through Upstate Race Series Supports the Giving Series and 28 Local Non Profits
The Longest Night Challenge (50mi - 50k - 26.2 - 13.1 or 10k)
202 spots left. Price increases after November 1, 2026 at 11:59pm EST
🌙 The Longest Night
The Preserve in Mauldin SC
The Longest Night Backyard Elimination Race
The Longest Night
A backyard elimination race, run from dusk to dawn 🌙
A 1.5-mile loop extending from a central barn, run through the longest night of the year, on a lap schedule that requires every loop under 25 minutes. Four laps is a 10K. Nine is a half. Eighteen is a marathon. Twenty-one is a 50K. Thirty-four is fifty miles. It begins at six in the evening and does not care what time you would normally go to bed.
Running through the night changes the whole shape of an effort. The loop is short and the trails are wide and grassy, so navigation is never the problem — the problem is the hours between midnight and dawn, when the field has thinned out, the temperature has dropped, and the only thing keeping you on schedule is the fact that you said you would be.
The barn is the whole world for the night: packet pickup, the aid station, hot soup and broth, and the place everyone regroups between laps. When you finish, don't disappear into the dark — stick around for music and a post-race hangout where the celebration continues under the stars, with good tunes and good people.
Race Day Details
| What | The Longest Night — 50 Mile (34 laps), 50K (21 laps), Marathon (18 laps), Half Marathon (9 laps), and 10K (4 laps) on a 1.5-mile loop |
| When | Saturday evening into Sunday, December 19–20, 2026 — 6:00 PM start |
| Where | Lakewood Nature Preserve, Greenville, SC — the barn is the start/finish hub |
| Address | 220 Lakewood Drive, Greenville, SC 29607 |
| Packet Pickup | Begins at 4:30 PM inside the barn, 90 minutes prior to the start. All packet pickup is done right on site, and you pick up your own. |
| Time Limit | All runners must adhere to the posted lap schedule, completing each lap in under 25 minutes. The full lap-by-lap schedule is below. |
Course
The course extends 1.5 miles from the central barn on wide grassy trails, run as a loop. All runners must adhere to the posted lap schedule, completing laps in under 25 minutes.
View Course Map →Lap Schedule
Every lap sets off on the clock below, 25 minutes apart, from six on Saturday evening to a quarter to eight on Sunday morning. There are no early starts — if you finish a lap ahead of schedule, you wait for the next one with everyone else. Your distance ends on its final lap, marked here.
| Saturday evening | ||
| Lap 1 | 6:00 PM | All races start |
| Lap 2 | 6:25 PM | |
| Lap 3 | 6:50 PM | |
| Lap 4 | 7:15 PM | 10K final lap |
| Lap 5 | 7:40 PM | |
| Lap 6 | 8:05 PM | |
| Lap 7 | 8:30 PM | |
| Lap 8 | 8:55 PM | |
| Lap 9 | 9:20 PM | Half marathon final lap |
| Lap 10 | 9:45 PM | |
| Lap 11 | 10:10 PM | |
| Lap 12 | 10:35 PM | |
| Lap 13 | 11:00 PM | |
| Lap 14 | 11:25 PM | |
| Lap 15 | 11:50 PM | |
| Sunday morning | ||
| Lap 16 | 12:15 AM | |
| Lap 17 | 12:40 AM | |
| Lap 18 | 1:05 AM | Marathon final lap |
| Lap 19 | 1:30 AM | |
| Lap 20 | 1:55 AM | |
| Lap 21 | 2:20 AM | 50K final lap |
| Lap 22 | 2:45 AM | |
| Lap 23 | 3:10 AM | |
| Lap 24 | 3:35 AM | |
| Lap 25 | 4:00 AM | |
| Lap 26 | 4:25 AM | |
| Lap 27 | 4:50 AM | |
| Lap 28 | 5:15 AM | |
| Lap 29 | 5:40 AM | |
| Lap 30 | 6:05 AM | |
| Lap 31 | 6:30 AM | |
| Lap 32 | 6:55 AM | |
| Lap 33 | 7:20 AM | |
| Lap 34 | 7:45 AM | 50 Mile final lap |
Parking
Barn parking holds 150 spots, first come first served. Once that fills, use the field lot adjacent to the barn, and after that participants may park along the road. Your registration covers the facility reservation cost to host the event.
Aid Stations
One central aid station at the barn, which is also the start/finish hub — you reach it every 1.5-mile lap.
Available snacks:
Hydration:
Cup-less event — please bring your own hydration vessel.
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
Lakewood Nature Preserve
Lakewood Nature Preserve
220 Lakewood Drive
Greenville, SC 29607 US
View Location on Map
Any questions? Contact us today!
If you have any questions about this race, click the button below.
