Registration: Registration for the 10th annual High Knob Hellbender 10K opens Jan. 1, 2023.
Race Day Registration & Packet Pick-Up will be held from 8-9:45 a.m. on Saturday, October 7, 2022 at the Norton Expo Center in downtown Norton, 115 8th Street SW. Your race packet will include your race shirt and bib/pins.
Restroom Facilities: There are restroom facilities located at the registration site with soap and water. There will also be two portable toilets located at the finish line.
Race Start: The race begins at 10 a.m.
Timing: We will be hand timing this race. We ask that all runners have their bibs on display as they cross the finish line. If your bib is not visible to race timers, your time might not be recorded.
Race Course: Please see https://highknobhellbender.wordpress.com/course-info/ for more details on the race course. We will have course marshals at critical intersections. Directional arrows will also be posted along the course. Arrows will be spray painted on the road in yellow and we will also have signs. Please note the race route is an OPEN course. Please be aware that vehicles will be on the road throughout the race. As you travel through Norton (Coeburn and Kentucky avenues), please remain on the RIGHT side of the road (with traffic at your back). There is a wide parking lane that you can use once you turn onto Kentucky Avenue. Please avoid running down the center of the roadway. Upon beginning your ascent of the Knob, please make sure you are as visible as possible — this race includes many sharp and blind curves. Avoid running in the middle of the road or into or around these sharp curves. We also cannot close the parking lot at the summit for the race, so be aware there might be vehicles coming and going from that area as you finish. The finish line will be located in the parking area at the stone steps that approach the tower.
Awards: Awards will be presented to the top three men and women winners and overall masters man and woman (age 40 and up). We will also have age group awards for the top three men and women in the following categories: 29 and Under; 30-39; 40-49; 50-59; 60-69; and 70 and over. Additionally, finisher medals will be given to everyone who reaches the summit. We will hand out awards as brackets are filled and runners cross the finish line.
Aid Stations: We will have aid stations at approximately the 2.5-, 4-, and 5-mile markers. Aid stations will have water. We ask that you try to dispose of your water cups near the road’s edge to avoid volunteers having to hunt for them or tackle steep hillsides to collect discarded water bottles.
Clothing Bags: We will have a vehicle that can take clothing bags to the finish line so you have dry clothes to change into when you finish the race.
Time Limit: All runners must finish the course by 12:30 p.m.
Shuttle: We work each year with Mountain Empire Older Citizens to provide free shuttles for runners from the finish line on High Knob back to Downtown Norton.
Weather Outlook: We will post a weather outlook closer to the 2023 race date.
Spectators/Parking: Please avoid parking at the finish line. We will have emergency crews, volunteer vehicles, and a shuttle bus, meaning parking will be extremely limited. If you have folks wanting to come to the finish line or you want to drop a car closer to the finish line, there is a gravel parking area about 0.8 miles from the tower. We can arrange a shuttle bus to pick spectators up from this site and bring them to the finish line. Please let the race director know via email or at registration if you have spectators planning to park in this lot that will need a ride to the finish line. The coordinates for this parking area are: https://goo.gl/maps/1QwoQhWiRNvfARkX8.
High Knob Hellbender 10k 