April 2nd, 2016
Fleet Feet Sports will be holding the second of three races in the XTERRA TN points series. This event offers two races: a 50k, and half marathon (21k) at Bays Mountain Park in Kingsport, TN. Put this on your calendar...It's not as tough as you may think!! This is an official XTERRA TRAIL RUN national Trail race and part of the Tennessee XTERRA series as well as the Trailrunner Magazine Trophy Series. Fun, challenging, and exciting are all words that can describe an XTERRA race, and the Power to the Tower will certainly live up to that. Run Faster, we hear banjos....and that's exactly what you will hear as Bluegrass Music fills the mountains! Join us for refreshments,drinks,chocolate milk, after the half marathon/50k!! Both races feature nice single track trails that run through the mountain. The 50k will mostly consist of independent trails with minimal overlap, be on single track for nearly the entire race and feature almost 6000 feet of elevation change. From the lake to the firetower down the valleys and across the creeks then back across the ridges, this race will certainly be one to write home about! Please note, both the 50k and the Half-Marathon are eligible for XTERRA Series Points!
To sign up for this years Power to the Tower 2016, you can register at the link below.
Power To The Tower Registration
Packet pickup and Race Start Time
Packet pickup will be at Bays Mountain Farmstead Museum starting at 7:30am on race day (April 2nd). Both races will begin together at 8:30am.
BAG DROP
We will offer a bag drop for the 50k at approximately mile 15.5. This should be able to fit in a one gallon plastic bag. You may want to put in gels, protein bars, medication, extra socks, shirts, etc.,band aids, blister packs, duct tape. There will be a drop off location at packet pickup and at the registration the morning of the tent. Please label them accordingly, we only transport them!!
50K CUTOFF TIME
9 hour cutoff time for the 50k. While we do not have cutoff times for particular mile markers, we do not want inexperienced runners tackling this race without proper training. If this is your first Ultra, thank you for sharing the experience with us.
AID STATIONS
The half marathon will have 2 two aid stations. The 50k will have 6 aid stations. NOTE: Please do not rely solely on the aid stations for hydration/nutrition. ALL 50K PARTICIPANTS ARE REQUIRED TO CARRY AT LEAST ONE WATER BOTTLE. This can be a belt, handheld, pack, etc
2016 courses will be as follows:
Power to the Tower Half Marathon Course
The Half marathon is a single loop course that is mostly single track and some rough maintenance roads. You will climb to the firetower before booming down quad burning single track.
- Start on Lake Road across from dam
- Right at Ledbetter Gap
- Right onto Cherry Knobs Trail
- Left onto Lakeside Trail (stays on Lakeside Trail…do not get on Sweet Gum/Chinquapin)
- Left onto Fern
- Right onto Lake Road
- Left onto Chestnut
- Turn right onto Azalea, then left onto River Mountain Rd (radio antennas)
- Follow River Mountain Rd to Firetower
- Turn left onto Firetower Trail
- Turn Left onto Chinquapin
- Turn left onto Big Oak
- Go straight across to Chestnut
- Chestnut to Farmstead Parking Lot
- Done!!
Power to the Tower 50k Ultra
The 50k is mostly independent trails with very little overlap. From the lake to the firetower down the valleys and across the creeks then back across the ridges, this race will certainly be one to write home about! With nearly 6000 feet of elevation change throughout, I wouldn't exactly call this a flat course!
- Start on Lake Road across from dam (elevation 1835’)
- Right at Ledbetter Gap
- Right onto Cherry Knobs Trail (elevation 2134’)
- Left onto Lakeside Trail (stays on Lakeside Trail…do not get on Sweet Gum/Chinquapin)
- Left onto Fern (elevation 1860’)
- Right onto Lake Road
- Left onto Chestnut
- Turn right onto Azalea, then left to River Mountain Rd (radio antennas, elevation 2250’)
- Follow River Mountain Rd to Firetower (elevation 2382’)
- Follow Indian Pipes Trail
- Right onto Kiner Hollow Trail
- Stay left onto Kiner Hollow Trail going up Pretty Ridge (elevation1760’)
- Pretty Ridge to Indian Pipes
- Indian Pipes to turn right on Bear Run (elevation 2371’)
- Come out at Feagins Gap (elevation 1920’)
- Bear right down Back Hollow Rd
- Turn left onto Cross Ridges Trail (Bill Simpson cabin) (elevation 1672’)
- Stay right onto Cross Ridges Trail
- Turn/bear left onto Front Hollow Rd to Ledbetter Gap (elevation 1920’)
- Right up Lake Rd toward Bays Ridge Road
- Left onto Bays Ridge Road (elevation 2285’)
- Follow down to dam; turn left and back out Lakeside Road toward Ledbetter Gap (1920’)
- Turn right onto Cherry Knobs Trail (elevation 2134’)
- Left onto Lakeside Trail (stays on Lakeside Trail…do not get on Sweet Gum/Chinquapin)
- Left onto Fern (elevation 1860’)
- Right onto Lake Road
- Left onto Chestnut
- Turn right onto Azalea, then left on River Mountain Rd (radio antennas) (2250’)
- Follow River Mountain Rd to Firetower (elevation 2382’)
- NOTICE**Turn left onto Firetower Trail (50k people passed by this on the first lap)
- Turn Left onto Chinquapin (elevation 1894’)
- Turn left onto Big Oak
- Go straight across to Chestnut
- Chestnut to Farmstead Parking Lot (elevation 1845’)
- DONE!!
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