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Cottonmouth 8 Mile (Relay or Solo)
Included in Registration
The Cottonmouth Beerlay is the race where trail legs meet party energy and somehow everybody’s smiling… even on lap four. Whether you’re going solo or rolling deep with a relay squad, you’re in for a day of fast laps, loud cheers, and the kind of post-race hangout that turns “just a race” into a full-on tradition. 🐍🍺
Included with registration, your entry into the park is covered, and you’ll hit the line with a custom race bib before chasing four glorious laps with chip timing and 4-lap split tracking for both solo and relay runners. Every loop counts, every split tells a story, and yes, you will absolutely bring it up later. ⏱️🔁🎫
Cross the finish and claim your finisher medal, snag event-themed giveaways, and slap that Cottonmouth race sticker on your cooler, bottle, or whatever piece of gear needs a little extra bite. We’ll have complimentary race photos so you can relive the grit and the glory, plus music and a post-race party that keeps the energy rolling long after the last runner comes in. 🏅📸🎶🐍
And then comes the real reward: a hot dog bar waiting for you at the finish, because nothing says “I earned this” like a victory dog in one hand and high-fives in the other. 🌭
Bonus perk that’s basically a mic drop: FREE Beer Olympics admission is included, so once you’re done racing, you can keep the competition going in the most delightfully unserious way possible. 🏆🍺
Awards are on the line too, with Top 3 medals for both teams and solo runners, so if you’ve got a competitive spark (or a relay teammate who talks trash), this is your moment. 🥇🥈🥉
Volunteer with Us!
🙋🏻♂️🙋🏻♀️ Help with a 3-hour shift (packet pickup, setup, cleanup, or cheer squad) and earn a FREE entry to any Upstate Race Series-owned event. Sign up via the volunteer tab on any race page. We manage 25 events annually, so check which ones are URS-owned before selecting your future race!
🐍🍺 Welcome to the Annual Cottonmouth Beerlay! 🍺🐍
Run fast. Drink hard. Don’t get bit.
What do you get when you combine trail running, random beers, and your most competitive (and possibly least coordinated) friends? The Cottonmouth Beerlay, baby! This wild race at the beautiful Lakewood Nature Preserve is back for another year of glorious chaos, beer-fueled miles, and unforgettable memories.
You can run it solo if you're a one-person party machine, or grab a few beer-loving buddies and tackle it as a relay team of 2–4. Either way, you're in for 8 miles of pure, ridiculous fun.
Are you fast enough to outrun the Cottonmouth? Or will the beer bite first?
🐾 How It Works:
Each lap is a 2-mile trail loop through the preserve. You’ll do it 4 times total.
Before every lap, runners must consume a randomly-selected beer from the BYOB community pool
Solo runners do it all themselves. Relay teams tag in one runner per lap.
🍻 21+ only for the drinking portion, of course. Minors and Sober folks may run with non-alcoholic alternatives but must be carbonated.
🧊 BYOB Russian Roulette (a Cottonmouth Classic)
Each runner brings 4 beers (5%+ ABV), which are tossed into our giant iced community kitty pool.
When it's your turn to run, a volunteer will hand you a mystery brew, already cracked and poured.
You drink it, you run it. Deal with the consequences.
No swapping. No peeking. No mercy.
Non Alcoholic Drinks are of course permitted. We love sobriety but we just haven't practiced it yet! 😂
🏆 Post-Race Beer Olympics
The party definitely doesn’t stop at the finish line.
Once everyone’s stumbled their final lap, we crank up the music, toss some pizza your way, and break out the Beer Olympics yard games:
🍻 Beer Pong
🪢 Tug of War
🔫 Dodgeball
🌽 Cornhole
🏌️♂️ Hillbilly Golf
🔄 Spike Ball
🐍 Race Details:
📍 Location: 220 Lakewood Preserve, Greenville, SC 29607
🕔 Start Time: 4:00 PM
8 Mile Solo – 4 laps, 4 beers
8 Mile Relay (2-4 people) – 4 laps total, 1 lap per runner per round
📝 Packet Pickup: On-site starting at 3:00 PM
📍 Strava Course Map – COURSE MAP HERE
🌲 The Course:
Held at the scenic and shady Lakewood Nature Preserve just outside Greenville, SC, the course features:
- A 2-mile grassy trail loop
- Rolling hills (they feel bigger after a beer)
- Wildlife sightings (deer, foxes, and maybe your dignity)
- A rustic barn that serves as our race HQ and beer-staging zone
- This isn’t just any trail—it’s a celebration of running, nature, and fermented grain-based hydration.
💥 Bonus Vibes:
🌭 Hot Dog Bar & party after you finish
📸 Free race photos
🧢 Custom race bibs + giveaway swag
🎶 Good tunes, loud laughs, and a wild crew
🐾 Support for a local nature preserve & sustainable fun
Post Race Beer Olympics
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💪🪢 Team Tug-a-War
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🏐✨ Spike Ball
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🌽🎯 Cornhole Tourney
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🍻🏓 Beer Pong
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🧢⛳ Hill Billy Golf
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🤾♂️🔥 Dodgeball
Race Awards and Relay Divisions
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Top 3 Male and Female Overall (SOLO)
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Top 3 Team Awards in each Division Below
- 🍺👨🦱 Men's
- 🍺👩🦰 Women's
- 🍺👯 Mixed
- 🍺🧓 Masters Male (40+)
- 🍺👵 Masters Female (40+)
- 🍺🧒 Youth Division (Under 21)
Any questions? Contact us today!
If you have any questions about this race, click the button below.
Lakewood Nature Preserve
Lakewood Nature Preserve
220 Lakewood Dr
Greenville, SC 29607 US
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