Welcome to Alabama's most unique race! Set entirely in downtown Birmingham's scenic Railroad Park, the Railroad Reckoning will challenge runners of any skill level to push the boundaries of what any sane person would consider reasonable, all within a handful of city blocks.
Before we get into the details, yes, you will get a custom Railroad Reckoning shirt*, and yes, it's for a good cause - a portion of every registration benefits Freshwater Land Trust, an organization dedicated to conserving land and building trails across Central Alabama.
*Register by September 9 for a guaranteed shirt. If you register after that, we will have extras so just arrive early on race day!
How it Works:
- Start at the Railroad Park Pavilion and run a ~0.78-mile loop around the park
(You have a generous 12-minute cutoff to finish the first loop - 15+ minute/mile pace)
- - Proceed with the second loop immediately after the first loop's 12-minute cutoff
(This time, you will have an 11-minute 50-second cutoff)
- - Repeat as cutoffs continue to decrease by 10 seconds each loop
-0 - Keep going until you miss a cutoff or choose to stop (basically last-man standing)
(We will have a fully stocked aid station to keep you going)
- - Bask in the accomplishment of what you just did
(You will receive a certificate marking your total distance covered, and awards will be presented to the final 3 male and female runners left standing)
The Perfect Way to:
- Run your first longer-than-5k race
- Set a new distance PR
- Negative split your first marathon (or 10k or half-marathon!)
- Lock down the record for the longest known run in Railroad Park
- Be part of the only marathon (dependent on runner performance) in the city of Birmingham
(For reference, the fastest loop pace for a marathon will be 8:20/mile)
The Signup Formula:
We understand signing up for a race can be a big decision. Therefore, for the more mathematically-minded, we have devised an equation to help determine whether you should sign up for the Railroad Reckoning:
- Add 1 point for every mile you have run, walked, or hiked (in the past month)
- Add 2 points for every time you have thought "Why don't I go to Railroad Park more often?" (in the past 6 months)
- Add 3 points for every time you have wondered just how far and how fast you're capable of going (in the past year)
- Add 4 points for every time you have seen a train (timeframe unclear, use personal judgment)
- Multiply the above sum by the number of bullet points you have read (in the last ~5 minutes)
- Subtract the natural log of your favorite non-zero single-digit binary number
If the above value is greater than or equal to 0, this race is for you!
