Let me start with I hope this finds you and your family safe / recovering from Hurricane Milton, and Hurricane Helene. I have spent the past three weeks cleaning out and filling a dumpster from my flooded basement & home office from Helene but I feel nothing short of gratitude. Silver Comet Races will be making a donation from race proceeds to Hurricane relief efforts in my home state of North Carolina – (Appalachian State Grad here).  Our race timer and his family reside in Asheville – they still do not have running water and have been devastated by Helene. Though we are both behind and still cleaning up the aftermath – numbers should be here today (everything has had complications) and he will be here to time you on the 26th.  Please don’t forget all the hurricane victims and keep them in your thoughts.  I finally have my printers connected and race needs accessible – so here we go…

Second – Silver Comet Races are grassroot strictly volunteer races. I am a 1 woman operation until race week. My full time job is for a greenhouse outside slinging plants in six big box garden centers.  I do not access my home computer often nor do I have access to social media pages on my personal cell phone. It was impossible after the flooding, I just got the carpet pulled out Sunday. I managed to get my computer and my printers back online yesterday.  I have had to work my JOB while trying to manage this mess.

This will answer ALL of your questions. Nothing has changed from last year except the OFFICIAL START TIME IS 7:15AM (we did this last year and all feedback I received was really positive) and the actual calendar dates of Wed Oct 23 & Thurs Oct 24 for packet pickup. And we have police and limited shuttles !!!! See below!

Fall is officially in the air! I hope you are ready for a beautiful 24th Annual Silver Comet Half Marathon and 13th Annual Silver Comet Marathon on October 26, 2024.  

As per re-certification and like last year, both races start and finish at the Silver Comet Trail head located at 4342 Floyd Road, Mableton.  There will be no parking at the trailhead so please note parking below.   

Please read to the end!

Refunds/Deferrals: No refunds or deferrals as stated in registration waiver.  Active.com does offer registration insurance at the time of registration.

EMERGENCY CONTACT INFO: – PLEASE make sure to legibly fill out the emergency contact info on the back of your race number.  

Shirts/Medals: Yes, of course there will be shirts and medals for each pre-registered participant of the Half and Full Marathon!

Registration:  Online registration will close Tuesday October 22, 2024 at 11:59pm.  I will accept registrations during the packet pickup times and race day (cash or check Half $100 Full $125), but no medal is guaranteed. 

Weather: Wow! Extended forecast looks perfect. Partly Sunny – low of 56 & high of 78!

Additional Waivers: ALL Participants running the official course race day must sign the Race Day Waiver, and bring with them to packet pick up.

Number Pickup:  All local runners must pick up numbers at 1 of 2 packet pick up times – Wed Oct 23  and Thur Oct 24 from 4:30 to 6:30pm outside Comet Trail Cycles 4342 Floyd Road Mableton (race start & finish location).PLEASE DO NOT CALL THEM – They only host space for pickup and have nothing to do with numbers or times I will be there. Packets will include race number and other fun goodies! You may pick up packets for other participants but please bring waiver and copy of ID.  Anyone coming in from out of town – please contact me to arrange pickup on Friday from my home or Saturday morning.  It will only be myself handing out numbers race morning so please arrange to pick up your numbers on Wed or Thur.  If you paid for your number to be mailed – Please contact me.  Asheville has no connectivity and the numbers have been delayed almost a week – I am literally going to pick them up from UPS this afternoon – I will mail them out first thing in the morning.

Start and Finish Line Addresses: The certified start and finish line address is: : Silver Comet Trail Head – 4342 Floyd Rd SW, Mableton, GA 30126. Please remember the bike shop is still operational and the trail is not closed.  No parking is allowed at this location.

Parking: As with all our races: Parking is available away from businesses at the Kroger / Publix parking lots (4875 Floyd Rd, Mableton, GA)which are approximately ¾ of a mile South from start and finish line locations. Or you may park in the Walmart (1133 East West Connector, Austell, GA) parking lot – approx a half mile North of the Race Start. There are sidewalks down Floyd road from both locations. 

 Do not park in restricted spaces or block business parking.  Do not park on the road leading into the trailhead parking or you will be towed.  Parking is not allowed at the TrailHead parking lot before the race start as we must leave the parking lot open to trail users.We recommend you be dropped off/ picked up at the end!  There will not be shuttles to the start. 

Police: UNLIKE the last four years since COVID – the race has finally grown back to a size that there WILL BE police at trail + road intersection closings (please see course / start line info next bullet!).   The trail is open so no headphones. Please look before crossing trail for water, before turning around – cyclists will be out in force on such a beautiful day.  Listen for them and don’t make sudden moves without looking behind you.

Race Course & Timing: Both Races will start at 7:15am on the trail at the finish line location 4342 Floyd Road Mableton.  

I do not have new course maps to view – but HERE are course descriptions with water stops and portalets noted! 

Runners should be in the open area outside the Comet Trail Cycles to line up and walk down to the start line. Finish line mat will be in place at the finish line until 1:15 pm. 

Boston Qualification: YES, the Marathon Course (please see changes below) is certified and you CAN use your time for Boston Qualification. Each participant should save & send Garmin (or other GPS data) to us, for BQ verification and support.

Shuttles:  Concord Road Baptist Church and Floyd Road Baptist Church have volunteered their 15 person buses to  shuttle runners back to their cars after the race if you haven’t arranged pickup. Please be patient and thank them for this service!

Awards: Overall awards only (no age group awards this year) will be awarded to those who run the certified course, based on gun time. 

Course Marking: The miles will NOT be marked. 

The half marathon turn around  is between Old Lost Mountain Road Bridge and the Charles Harris overpass. 

The Full Marathon turn around is just past the bridge over the railroad tracks in Paulding. The route is straight out and back past the waste water treatment plant and there are no turns. The Lucille Creek offshoot has been eliminated.  

The turnarounds will be clearly marked with cones and chalk paint and signs!  There will be an aid station at the Full Marathon turn around!

Water Stops: Water stops have not been moved. They  are approximately 1.5 miles apart at intersections.  We have our awesome South Cobb High School soccer coaches and soccer team members volunteering for each Half Marathon course water stop from 7:45 to 1:00. Please leave all cups and litter at the water stop for collection.  Do NOT litter on the trail.  All marathon water stops and the Turn around will also be manned. Please prepare to carry your own supplements. Marathon ONLY: there will be 16oz water bottles available at two water stop locations – at Seaboard and Florence Road water stops – if you grab one, please hold the top and bottle until you reach a trash can! Please don’t litter and keep the trail as clean as possible.

Porta-potties: The trailhead bathrooms are open and available for use. The trailheads are marked on the course map.  I added back extra portalets at three locations (Industry, County Line, and Seaboard) on the full marathon course (one – Industry Crossing – on half marathon course).  Remember that all water stops and portalets are passed going out and coming back!

Finish Line: I, Dana, will be at finish line with the DJ.  We will have bottled water, pretzels, bananas, and other  goodies. Remember packets are not available for pick up on race day – must be picked up at scheduled times. I seek a few more volunteers to help out – Please have them email me! 

Photographer: Photographers will be at marathon turn-around and the finish line. These photos will be uploaded  HERE for free download after the race.  Please take selfies and photos, and send them to us, tag us on Instagram and Facebook, since you may be running all over!  Please follow us!

Spectators: You can direct your spectators as you so choose. Spectators should not congregate on the silver comet trail or crowd close to the finish line. There is an open area for lawn chairs and distance! Remember our photographer can’t get photos if spectators are crowding the finish line.

Super Excited to see you all on October 26th!

 

Happy Trails,

Dana Greene, Race Director

silvercometrace@gmail.com