What?
The South Carolina TrackFest is a new, exciting running event taking place in the town of
Mount Pleasant, SC.
Why?
The Lowcountry area has never had a professional track meet, has never seen a sub-4 minute
mile, and has never has an event like this staged there.
When?
The meet will take place on Saturday, July 14th under the lights, with the action kicking off at
5:30pm and the Elite races starting at 7:30pm
Where?
The meet will take place at the Peyton Johnson Moore track at Park West Recreation Fields.
Who?
The meet directors are Jimmy Stephens and Dave Milner.
Jimmy Stephens owns TimingInc.com, the company that times many road races, trail races,
and track meets in the Charleston area. He is a co-founder of Mount Pleasant Track Club and
is a key figure in the running community across the Carolinas.
Dave Milner is a Nashville-based meet director and coach. He directs the Music City Distance
Carnival (known as MCDC), upon which this new even is modeled. MCDC is now 16 years old
and attracts world class fields with abundant Olympians and National Champions. MCDC
also has races for all ages and abilities embedded in the event that takes place over two
days of fantastic running action and entertainment. His goal is to spread the popularity of
track by bringing and building a similar event in a city that doesn’t currently have pro sports.
Putting on an event like this is no small undertaking and it takes a village. Here’s how you can
help.
Hosting
We don’t currently have a hotel sponsor, and many of the athletes coming to this meet are
unsponsored and/or are on very tight budgets. We are looking for local runners to host an
elite athlete or two for Friday and Saturday July 13-14 (a few athletes may travel in Thursday
July 12). This is a great way to get involved in the meet and have an emotional connection to
the event. Parents of high school runners in particular are encouraged to apply to host, as this
is a great experience for them. For more details on this email dave@tnrunning.org
Help us spread the word
We need your help spreading the word about this new and exciting event. Please like/follow
us on Facebook and Instagram at @SCTrackFest. We will have a website up shortly at
Sponsors
Sponsorship opportunities are available. We have established 5 different levels of support.
Outlined below is what each level would cost and what you would receive in return. We will
also consider “in kind” sponsorship wherein goods/services are provided in lieu of cash (e.g.
hotel rooms). Please email jimmy@timinginc.com and cc: dave@tnrunning.org if interested.
F.A.Q
Which pro athletes are coming to this event?
The U.S Championships took place last week in Des Moines, Iowa. At last count, we have 15
athletes that finished in the top 10 at Nationals coming to Mount Pleasant.
Will there be a sub-4 minute Mile?
A sub-4 mile is a pretty impressive achievement, and to our knowledge, the Lowcountry area
has never seen one. Our goal is to deliver one to the local running community and we have,
so far, seven runners in the Mile that have already gone sub-4, including one runner with a PB
of 3:54. We feel pretty confident in providing that sub-4 for you!
Can anyone run in this event?
Yes, there are races for everyone. Although we obviously are selective about who we let into
the pro, earlier in the evening there are open races for ALL ages and abilities, from toddlers to
masters. Anyone can run the kids’ races, open 800 races, and open Mile races. The 5K races
do have an entry guideline, though (16:30 for men and 19:00 for women).
How do we sign up?
The meet is open for online registration at
https://runsignup.com/Race/SC/MountPleasant/SouthCarolinaTrackFest
Entry fees range from $5.00 to $30.00. There is no entry on the night, except for the two kids’
races that start the meet (the 200m Superhero Dash and the 400m Steeplechase). For all
other races, entries need to be submitted online before Wednesday 7/11 11:59pm.
Is there an admission charge for spectators?
Yes. For just $10.00, the price of two Grande Mochas at Starbucks, you can see some of the
best runners in the U.S compete, and get closer to the action than you would at a high school
football game. Kids under the age of 12 are admitted for free.