Trash Panda

What's a trash panda? It's a fun term for a raccoon...because they sort of look like giant pandas (in their coloring) and they sort of look like red pandas (which sort of look like raccoons) and also, they like to dig through the trash. It's also the slightly-bratty-but-still-kinda-cute little sister race to our perennial powerhouse, the spring Raccoon Mountain races.

START/FINISH: Laurel Point on Raccoon Mountain in Chattanooga, Tennessee

STUFF:
- There will be swag. 
- Laser burned wooden finisher medal. Produced by a real, live, actual Tennessean. Maybe that Tennessean will dress up like a raccoon to burn them. Maybe that Tennessean will eat out of the trash can, in the name of authenticity. You never know! 
- The most stocked up aid station you've ever encountered. We won't even make you root around in a trash can for any of it. We won't even pull any of it OUT of a trash can. It's fresh! 

COURSE:
We will be using only the trails that connect to Laurel Point. The loop is a little bit more than 3.1-ish miles long. We'll have an out-and-back section marked for each distance to get you to the appropriate mileage. The 5K is a little longer than 3.1 miles, which is why it is a 5-ish K, and if you're not cool with -ish measurements, you probably won't enjoy running/walking/hiking/dorking around with us.

The trail is technical in that there are roots and rocks, but it's not particularly difficult. There are no water crossings. Trail shoes are useful, but not necessary. Beginners, hikers, children of all ages are welcome. There is an eight hour time limit for all distances. You must be out on your last lap by 3:45pm. We don't DNF; we'll give you a finish time for the distance you did complete. 

AID STATION:
AKA, what we're known for. There will be one gigantic aid station that you'll pass on each lap. At the aid station will be Gatorade, water, Coke, Mountain Dew, energy gels, a variety of chips, candy, and cookies, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, pickles and pickle juice shots, and a full array of non-food supplies like Vaseline, salt pills, etc. There will also be a mini aid station with drinks and a handful of snacks, as part of the course. Please bring your own painkillers if you think you will need them (our insurance prohibits us giving any painkillers to you) and use them responsibly!

You are welcome to leave a drop bag at the designated area near the aid station. Feel free to bring a chair to put your drop bag on, a full change of clothes, your teddy bear, whatever you think you'll need to make it through your chosen race distance.

Our crew is also known for their unparalleled support. We'll get you to the finish line if you let us help you! We drain and bandage blisters (we will even prep your feet BEFORE the race in an attempt to prevent those blisters from ever happening!), we keep you cooled down with ice, we work on cramps, we give great pep talks and we'll talk you out of quitting with some tough love if that's what it takes. We're here to help you, just like we've helped thousands of people before you, and we consider you family, not just another runner with a number like many races. We're not saying our family isn't a little bit dysfunctional from time to time, but it keeps things interesting, doesn't it? Seriously though, all we want is to get you to the finish line and we'll do what it takes to help you get there, and we'll be waiting there to celebrate with you!

Packet Pickup:
Saturday, September 14, 2024, 7:30am - 8:25am at Laurel Point on Raccoon Mountain.
We might do a "quick and dirty" packet pickup on Friday night. Depends on how big the race gets.

This race will be timed and results will be posted.

IMPORTANT!!!! IMPORTANT!!!! IMPORTANT!!!! IMPORTANT!!! IMPORTANT!!! IMPORTANT!!!

This is NOT a slick, corporate, super-professionally produced race. We're still the same grassrootsy, laid-back people we've always been. We cater to the non-competitive, fun-loving runners of the world. We are a bunch of dorks that can measure a course and decorate it with silly raccoon signs and we do our best to make it fun. If you are expecting Ironman-levels of infrastructure and an army of volunteers, you aren't going to get it from us. You have been warned and we won't take you seriously if you complain that we're not like a typical race, because, well, that's never been a secret. If you want to have a good time in an atmosphere that is more 'giant group run' and less 'super professional NYC marathon'-type thing, we'd love to invite you to join us! If you're only worried about running super fast and not about enjoying your experience and being around good humans, this is NOT the race for you. We welcome the fast AND the slow, we just don't want anyone to be disappointed in what they get when they register, so we don't keep it a secret that we value camaraderie over competition!