Ghost Race Volume 2: The Shut In Series

Making the most of our fitness in the time of social distancing 

In the Spring of 2020, we created the Ghost Race Grand Prix as a means to challenge the members of our running community by pushing each other in the most socially responsible way that we knew of at the time. We figured that in a couple months, COVID would miraculously disappear, and we’d all be back on to our traditional fall racing schedule. Some might call us optimists.

Every year as the fall months approach, an ARC favorite begins to generate excitement throughout the community: The Shut In Ridge Run. Things will be a little different in 2020 for this legendary event as it goes to a virtual format (Register here!), and we sought out to honor it by curating another Ghost Race series leading up to it. Whether you’re a Shut In veteran in need of some tune-up, curious about training for it, or just want to set out to challenge yourself & go for bragging rights on some new routes this fall, we’ve put together a 4-week long series to get you in gear.

Segments

Week 1 (9/26 thru 10/4): First Shut-In Climb to Hardtimes Rd. (Segment Overview) | (Results & Leaderboard)

Week 2 (10/5 thru 10/11): Smoke on the Water (Segment Overview) | (Results & Leaderboard)

Week 3 (10/12 thru 10/25): Chumbawamba (Segment Overview) | (Results & Leaderboard)

Week 4 (10/19 thru 11/1): The Wall to Sleepy Gap (Segment Overview) | (Results & Leaderboard)

Details

Registration
Registration is free and open to all. Active ARC membership is not required.

In order to join the challenge, you will need to do the following:

1. Create a Strava account.
2. Enable Leaderboards within the privacy settings. (Details on how to do this)
3. Join the Asheville Running Collective group on Strava.
4. Go run, record it to Strava with your GPS device, and (important!) tag your run with #ARCGhostRace on social media and in your Strava run title after you completed the week’s highlighted segment. This hashtag will flag us with your intention to be part of the series.
5. Look for the weekly segment announcements via Asheville Running Collective’s Facebook or Instagram posts (as well as prior week recaps and award announcements) on Monday evenings.

The Segments

We have picked segments that can be used as hard efforts to prepare for the Shut In Ridge Run course. Mainly the ones that we particularly enjoy and are fairly accessible. Each week, we will provide additional details on the segment and some suggestions for how to fit it into a training program.

Adopting Small Businesses
Locally-owned small businesses consistently support the local running scene through their sponsorship of area races and group runs. Now, it is our time to support them. The Ghost Race will adopt a small business each week by purchasing gift certificates or products to be raffled off as segment awards. All registered entrants that complete the highlighted segment will be entered into the raffle. We are hopeful that this will create positive outreach to our greater community in this time of uncertainty. It is highly encouraged that you join us in “adopting” each week’s partner and throw some much-needed business their way.

Awards and Prizes
The exact prizes will be announced each week along with the segment information. Check our Instagram & Facebook posts for more details each week.

Runners who complete at least 3 of the segments in the series will be entered into a final drawing to receive a $25 gift card to Jus’ Running.

All runners who complete the segment for the week will be entered into a random drawing for a weekly prize to a featured local business.

Scoring and Point System

Grand Prix scoring will be in effect similar to our format in the fall. 3 of 4 performances will count towards final scoring. Points will be awarded each week as follows:

Course Record: 15 points

Top 5: 10 points (Top 2 Masters)

Segment Completion: 5 points

Tiebreakers will be broken based on # of course records set, and if still tied, then by a socially-distant rendition of Rock/Paper/Scissors.

Scoring will be updated weekly on our website. Grand Prix Winners will be awarded at the culmination of the series.

faq

Do I need to be an ARC member to do this?
No - this is open to the entire Asheville running community. However, we certainly encourage interested parties to learn more about ARC, as we are always accepting new members.

I’ve never used Strava before. Can I just time this on my regular watch and send you my time?
Unfortunately, we are only configured to do this through Strava right now. This helps us track participation and ensure a level playing field.

Can I run with my group and attack these segments together?
We tend to listen to the experts at the CDC on this one: Avoid large groups and please be considerate of the personal space of others on the trails.

Why is this called a “Ghost Race”?
A “ghost race” refers to the opportunity to challenge the ghost of past efforts. Test yourself against your previous efforts and those of your fellow runners. Also, in Mario Kart on N64, you could race against a ghost, which was pretty fun.

I’m not local. Can I do these segments on something of similar terrain but not in Asheville?
Unfortunately not. The segments must be run on the exact featured location. Treadmill runs will not be considered either. However, if you like this idea, please feel free to organize and spread it within your local running community.

I completed one of the segments but cramped up and had a poor showing. Can I do it again?
Yes, as a modest deviation from a conventional race, we are allowing entrants as many attempts on a segment as they would like.

How will I know where the start and finish zones are?
We request that you read and understand the segment description thoroughly in advance of completing any segment. Additionally, we will do our best to plant a temporary marking or indicator at the start and finish zone, and characteristics of such markings will be detailed in the Segment Information when it is released. It is highly advisable to “begin” a segment ~20-30 yards before the exact starting line and finish your effort ~20-30 yards after it to account for potential GPS inaccuracies. If your GPS results doesn’t reflect your effort, send us an e-mail and we will try to manually correct it. We are getting more and more proficient at manipulating data with Strava.