June Events in Southern Tennessee

Hayden’s Hope and the Quatina M. Wolaver Foundation of Hope are excited to announce the Firecracker Chase is back for 2023! This is a classic road race that has been held on and off for several decades in the beautiful town of Fayetteville, TN. When this race originally began, the racers (who were apparently gluttons for punishment) would start at noon on the 4th of July! We’ve taken it down several notches from when those fire-breathers were knocking back the miles. Oh, and where did that distance come from? Apparently, according to one of the OG Chasers, that was just a snafu in course measurement…they had intended to run 10 miles, but when they went back and certified the distance, it was discovered that it was actually 10.2 so the rest, as they say, is history. They kept that distance…and so will we…give or take. 😉

Courses  Neither the 5K nor the 10.2MI course will be closed at any point, so it would be advisable for you to keep both your ears and eyes open…you see it on every race’s page and summarily ignore it, but headphones drastically cut down your ability to hear traffic or a barking dog…and there will be both where we’re running. Favorite quote about the 10.2 course from 2022’s race came from the Overall Female Winner, who looked me dead in the eyes, did not crack a smile, and said, “I hate you.” Love you, too, Jennifer! Not gonna lie, though – the elevation chart on the 10.2 course is deceiving…it’s unapologetically hill after rolling hill…and then just for fun near the end, both the 5Kers and the 10.2ers get to experience Rose Hill. Fun stuff. Throw some hills in the ol’ training plan, if you’re into that sort of thing. Porta Potties will be at the Start/Finish line and at Sweet Dixie Farm

Weather  If the June 24th date doesn’t give it away, THIS IS A TRADITIONALLY HOT EVENT, and we ain’t just talkin’ the volunteer staff! Please be aware of this so you can train and plan accordingly. We’ll run rain or shine…just not lightening.

Cutoff  The course will be open for 3 hours. That equates to a 17:38/mile pace for the 10.2 miler – so, if you’re a walker and want to tackle it at that pace or faster, we welcome you! If you’re not back by 10, you’ll be swept.

Awards The 5K awards ceremony will take place on our courthouse lawn across from our iconic movie theater around 8 AM; we will do the 10.2MI awards ceremony at about 9:15.
Awards will be given in the following categories:
Overall Male (1st, 2nd, 3rd)
Overall Female (1st, 2nd, 3rd)
*Overall Male from Lincoln County (10.2MI only)
*Overall Female from Lincoln County (10.2MI only)
5K & 10.2MI age groups will be:  0 – 9, 10 – 14, 15 – 19, 20 – 24, 25 – 29, 30 – 34, 35 – 39, 40 – 44, 45 – 49, 50 – 54, 55 – 59, 60 – 64, 65 – 69, 70+

Packet Pickup June 23rd 4 – 6 PM Gazebo on Fayetteville Square; June 24th 6 – 6:45 AM Gazebo on Fayetteville Square

SWAG!  Each runner WHO IS REGISTERED BY JUNE 8th will receive a t-shirt. If you miss that date, you will not receive a shirt. Full stop. No extras will be ordered for the late peeps – we are 2 tiny, local non-profits so it’s tough for us to absorb a big loss if we buy too much, and speculation ain’t our strong suit! Please register early if you LURVE race Ts. All runners completing the 10.2MI course will receive a Firecracker medal! Additionally, for everyone registered by June 8th, you have the option to take a $5 discount on your registration instead of a t-shirt (instead of a size, select -$5 in the t-shirt dropdown). And, let me say it again for those in the back: register by June 8th if you live for the free T! Now, let’s talk biscuits! Would it even be a Firecracker Chase without ’em? We think not! Welcome to Fayetteville, where #bisuitsareswag! If you know, you know!

CUPLESS Aid Stations  READ IT, KNOW IT, BE IT! We will not have cups at our aid stations. Your best bet is to plan now to carry your own hydration – you will be required to have some sort of drinking vessel with you when you start the 10.2MI race (we leave the 5K up to your discretion, but no one needs to be on the long course without a way to get a drink). Paper cup, hydropack, water bottle. We don’t care, but our goal is to minimize waste and trash in and around our town…not to mention give our volunteers relief from picking up used paper cups. We will have coolers of water on the 5K course, and water and sports drink on the 10.2MI, but you’ll need your own drinking apparatus to partake.

PLEASE NOTE:  This race is NOT OPEN to strollers, baby joggers, or pets. The course isn’t smooth enough for strollers/joggers and the pavement is usually insanely hot, so we don’t want any burnt paws on our watch.

FINALLY:  Feel free to post any questions in the event discussion here. We want to see all your finisher pix with #biscuitsareswag, watch photos, and app screen shots posted there, Insta, or where ever you do your posting!

Proceeds from this race will benefit Hayden’s Hope and the Quatina M. Wolaver Foundation of Hope, which are both 501(c)3 organizations headquartered in Lincoln County, TN.