Meet Our Friends Series - Outdoor 76

The Run Bum Races crew feels incredibly grateful to have the support of many people, companies, and organizations throughout the communities we all live, work, race and play in. These selfless people always open their doors to us and our runners, and frequently give of their time, resources, and energy to help our events succeed. If you want to get to know some good folks, check out our new weekly Meet Our Friends series here on the blog! First up, meet our friends at Outdoor 76!

WHO IS OUTDOOR 76?

We're just going to leave these pics here and let you figure out the rest...

KIDDING! We'll get to that.👆

In their own words, "Outdoor 76 is a team of specialists committed to excellence in service, sales and selection for all your outdoor lifestyle needs; with locations on Main Street in Franklin, NC (2010) and Clayton, GA (2018). Born from passion, grown through community!"

In our words, Outdoor 76 is group of amazing humans who run an amazing outfitter- they are passionate about the outdoors and equally passionate about cultivating that love in other folks as well. It's clear from your very first step into one of their stores, you're going to be treated like family. A quick look around and you'll see Outdoor 76 is full of anything and everything you could possibly need or want for an epic adventure through the nearby mountains. They've even got beer on tap, and you'll find thru-hikers they've welcomed in enjoying some in the back room as they rest up for another day on the AT.

HOW THEY SUPPORT US

The crew at Outdoor 76 opens their doors to Run Bum Races for packet pickup before Sky to Summit each year. At our recent Shadows of the South race, they hosted packet pickup, and also took over an aid station to take care of runners and keep them happy through the grueling race. They didn't hold back and brought out ALL the good props! Annd the horse head and The Most Interesting Man Alive suddenly make sense. 👆🤣 HOW CAN I SUPPORT THEM?

Visit their stores when you are hanging out in Clayton or Franklin. They've got tons of gear, cool knickknacks, and creative and thoughtful gifts for you to check out.

Oh, and as if they weren't already awesome enough, they're also trail running junkies. Yup... Our kinda people! They've got a 50k & 25k coming up in October called The Naturalist Trail Race that takes place during their Fall Celebration. You should definitely check it out. Here's a little more info about the fun:

The Naturalist Trail Race 25 / 50k, which is a part of the Outdoor 76 "Fall Celebration", is back for another round of leg hurting fun on October 1, 2022! This day encompasses our trail race, multiple bands throughout the day along with 18 draft craft beers for all post race celebrations. Our sponsors this year include: Hi-Wire Brewing, The North Face, Blue Ridge Bartram Trail Conservancy, Altra, Hydrapak, and Honeystinger.

Explore the same trails that William Bartram, "The Naturalist", ventured on in the late 1700's. This ultimate 50k will cover some of the most challenging ground in the Southeast. Runners will leave from downtown Franklin, NC at 8am and travel to the Bartram Trail area on Wallace Branch. Here runners will start the brutal climb that ultimately leads to Wayah Bald. From the Wallace Branch trail head to the top of Wayah Bald is approximately 11 miles. The 25k will have over 5500' of climbing (50k will have over 8,500' of climbing), making your legs feel weak just reading this. There will be multiple stations with food and water. 25K racers will end on Wayah Bald after running up the Bartra