The Longest Night 50mi
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The Longest Night Challenge
The Longest Night Challenge is a lap-format trail event held Saturday evening into Sunday, December 19–20, 2026 at Lakewood Nature Preserve in Greenville, SC. Participants run repeated laps on a 1.5-mile loop that starts and finishes at a central barn. The loop uses wide grassy trails and returns to the barn each lap, where a single central aid station and race hub are located.
Distances offered:
- 50 miles (34 laps)
- 50K (21 laps)
- Marathon 26.2 (18 laps)
- Half marathon 13.1 (9 laps)
- 10K (4 laps)
All runners must follow a posted lap schedule and complete each lap within 25 minutes; laps depart on a strict clock and there are no early starts. The barn serves as packet pickup, the aid station, and the primary regrouping spot. Available food and drinks at the barn include hot soup and broth (veggie), pickles, chips, candy, Fig Newtons, water, Coke, and ginger ale. The event is cup-less so runners should bring their own hydration vessel. Barn parking holds about 150 spots with additional field and roadside parking available.
Every finisher receives a finisher medal; shirts are ordered and shipped separately. The race supports Pickens County Meals on Wheels and counts toward season recognition in the Upstate Trail Series and Upstate Ultra Series. Race photos and live results are posted after the event. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
