The Golden Hour

  Upstate Race Series  ·  November 28, 2027 THE GOLDEN HOUR

Sunrise. Sunset. Everything In Between.

An all-day fall running festival featuring two completely different one-hour races —
connected by four hours of food, music, games, and fall festivities.

 

Golden Hour Gear

Every registrant earns a custom Golden Hour finisher medal — and Golden Hour tees and socks are available in the apparel store.

There are two Golden Hours.

One arrives as the sun rises. The other appears just before it disappears.

The Golden Hour celebrates both.

The Morning Golden Hour

We'll start as the sun comes up. You have 60 minutes. The course is a one-mile loop. Your mission is simple: complete as many full one-mile laps as you want before the Golden Hour expires.

Every lap must be completed before the 60-minute mark to count. Partial laps don't count.

When the hour is over, stick around — we'll have free pancakes waiting for our morning runners as the Golden Hour Festival gets underway.

The Golden Hours Festival

The race may stop. The energy doesn't.

Between our sunrise and sunset races, we'll turn the venue into a fall festival for runners, families, kids, and anyone who wants to spend a beautiful fall afternoon outside. Run in the morning. Bring the family. Grab some food. Play some games. Hang out with friends. Then get ready to race again.

The Family Zone • Pumpkin Painting• Fall Face Painting• Inflatable Obstacle Course• Yard Games• Kids' Scavenger Hunt• Hay-Bale Play Area• Temporary Tattoos• Friendship-Bracelet Station• Mini Kids' Dash• Costume Contest• Pumpkin Rolling Race• Family Relay• Cornhole• Giant Jenga & Connect Four• Golden Mile Kids Challenge 

Plus local food vendors and a small makers market running all afternoon — jump in, jump out, no rigid schedule required.

The Social Scene (20s & up) • Music• Cornhole Tournament• Spikeball• Pop-Up Pickleball• Food Trucks• Local Brewery & Cider Vendors• Trivia• Team Relay Competitions• Best Fall Outfit Contest• Photo Booth• College Football on the Big Screen• Recovery & Stretching Area The Golden Games

A ridiculous mid-festival competition: beer-stein hold, pumpkin carry, partner wheelbarrow race, and the 100-meter costume dash.

Under consideration: an AM-vs-PM festival competition, where morning and evening runners earn points throughout the afternoon — stay tuned for details.

 

The Golden Double

Want the full experience? Run both Golden Hours. Complete your morning race, enjoy the festival, then return to the starting line as the sun begins to fall.

Your mileage from both races combines to determine our Golden Hour Overall Champions — overall awards are based only on combined AM + PM results.

How many miles can you complete between sunrise and sunset?

The Evening Golden Hour

As the day begins to fade, we'll line up and do it all over again. One mile. One hour. As many complete laps as your legs will give you.

Race through sunset before gathering around the fire for free s'mores and the final celebration of The Golden Hour.

Three Ways to Experience It

  Sign Up for Morning

One-hour sunrise race

Free post-race pancakes

Morning Golden Hour finisher medal

  Sign Up for Night

One-hour sunset race

Free post-race s'mores

Evening Golden Hour finisher medal

  The Golden Double

Race the sunrise

Spend the afternoon at the festival

Race the sunset

Complete the full Golden Hour experience

Eligible for Overall Golden Hour Awards

The Rules

1 Mile Loop × 60 Minutes

Run it. Walk it. Race it. Just make sure you're across the line before the clock hits 1:00:00.

•Only completed laps count — no partial-lap credit.•Morning and Evening participants each receive their respective finisher medal.•Overall awards are reserved exclusively for participants completing both Golden Hours, determined by combined mileage from the two races.

Age Group Categories

0–9 10–12 13–16 17–19 20–29 30–34 35–39 40–44 45–49 50–54 55–59 60–64 65–69 70–79 80+

Awards

Overall — Golden Hour Champions

Reserved for Golden Double finishers. The top three men and top three women by combined AM + PM mileage each take home a Golden Hour trophy.

Age Group Awards

Awarded separately for the Morning and Evening races, based on laps completed in that race. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers in each of the 15 age groups above earn a Golden Hour age group medal.

Golden Double runners are scored for age group medals in both races and remain eligible for Overall honors.

The Golden Hour also counts toward the Upstate Trail Series — every lap here adds to your series standing alongside every other Trail Series race this year.

⛰Series StandingsUpstate Trail Series

Giving Back

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

Running with a crew? Groups of 5 or more registrants receive a $5 discount and refund per person. The Upstate Running Club welcomes all local and regional running clubs to race with us.

Good to Know

What does the Fair Pass include?

The Fair Pass is general festival admission for anyone who wants to spend the day without racing — it gets you into the Family Zone, the Social Scene, and the Golden Games from 7:00AM to 6:00PM, no bib required.

What should I bring?

Late-November mornings and evenings run cold even when the afternoon warms up — layers you can shed are your friend for both Golden Hours. If you're going for Best Fall Outfit or the Costume Contest, wear it to the start line.

Where do I park, and is there packet pickup?

TBD: parking location/instructions and packet pickup day & time for Lakewood Nature Preserve to be confirmed and added here.

What happens if it rains?

TBD: rain-or-shine / weather contingency policy to be confirmed and added here.

Managing Your Registration

Head to your RunSignUp profile any time before race day to:

•Transfer your entry to another runner•Switch between Morning, Evening, or the Golden Double•Transfer to a different Upstate Race Series event•Edit your personal details•Manage add-ons, store, and apparel purchases

All entries are final — no refunds and no deferrals.

 

Let's Stay Connected

Follow along, gear up, and keep up with everything Upstate Race Series

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Two races. Two sunsets on the clock. One fall festival. One Golden Day.

THE GOLDEN HOUR

Chase the Sun. Twice.