SUPERLATIVES
Quadbuster
“THE BEAR” 5-mile uphill climb
High Country, North Carolina
July, 2013
Over 700 runners race uphill to the Swinging Bridge near the summit of Grandfather Mountain. You pass the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games on the way up, and gain 1,000 feet of vert in the last two miles to the top of mile-high Grandfather Mountain. hopeformarrow.org
Best race to run without pants
Cupid’s Undie Run
Washington, D.C.
February 9, 2013
Strip to your skivvies and run through our nation’s capital on Valentine’s Day weekend. The crowd is huge, enthusiastic, half-drunk, and half-naked. Need we say more? It benefits the Children’s Tumor Foundation. cupidsundierun.org
Most likely to throw up
Krispy Kreme Challenge
Raleigh, North Carolina
February 9, 2013
Run 2.5 miles through downtown Raleigh, eat a dozen original glazed Krispy Kreme doughnuts, then run 2.5 miles back. Without throwing up. Good luck. krispykremechallenge.com
Best race to run after drinking a beer
Haunted Half
Kingsport, Tennessee
October, 2013
No, don’t drink a beer before running the half. But the Boo to Brew Relay, where four-person teams each take a leg? That’s a beer run folks. werunevents.com
Wildest Water
The Green River Narrows Race
Saluda, North Carolina
November 2, 2013
It’s the most famous creek-boating race in the world, with the country’s best boaters racing the clock through “the Narrows,” a gorge packed with non-stop class V drops. It’s the toughest five minutes in the sport. greenrace.amongstit.com
Best race to run in costume
Superhero 5k
Asheville, North Carolina
October, 2013
If you could be any superhero, who would it be? Superman? Waffleman? This is your chance to live that dream, at least for 3.1 miles. ashevillebrewing.com
Scariest insurance waiver
Tough Mudder
Mid-Atlantic
October, 2013
They call it “the Death Waiver,” and it has to be the only race insurance waiver you’ll ever sign that includes warnings about the likelihood of “encountering electric voltage.”
Best “brah” moment
Odyssey Wild and Wonderful 24-hour Adventure Race
New River Gorge, West Virginia
May 17-19, 2013
Somewhere between asking your teammate to duct tape the oozing sore on your foot and cramming into a plastic boat to paddle the class V whitewater inside the New River Gorge, you’ll look at your teammate and think, “This guy is alright.” oarevents.com
Best way to show off
Dominion Riverrock Slackline Competion
Richmond, Virginia
May 17-19, 2013
Thousands of spectators watch as you balance on a piece of highline nylon over the Haxall Canal. Sure, most of them are hoping you’ll fall and test that safety cord around your waist, but disappointing them is part of the fun. dominionriverrock.com •
