Races

The Manion WOD (Workout of the Day) is a powerful tribute to 1stLt Travis Manion, USMC, designed to unite veterans, families of the fallen, and inspired civilians in honoring one of our nation’s heroes. Hosted by CrossFit boxes, ruck clubs, and gyms nationwide—or completed virtually anytime, anywhere—this workout challenges its participants to push harder, go further, and grow stronger in memory of those who have sacrificed for our freedoms. We can’t wait for you to take part in the 2026 Manion WOD! Gear up to challenge yourself, honor our nation’s heroes, and receive your exclusive 2026 Manion WOD shirt—plus the chance to earn even more exclusive rewards.

Twenty-five years later, September 11 remains a day we remember not only for what our nation lost, but for the courage, service, and unity we witnessed in the days that followed. The Clemson 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb gives our community an opportunity to come together in remembrance. Each step honors the lives lost, the first responders who answered the call, and those who continue to carry the lasting impact of their service at Ground Zero. For a network built around service and connection, this is an opportunity to show up together and remember together. UVAN invites our veterans, military families, community partners, first responders, and neighbors across the Upstate to join us. Twenty-five years later, we still remember. We still honor. And we still show up for one another. Register today using the QR code or visit, https://bit.ly/Clemson911StairClimb #NeverForget #UVAN #UpstateVeterans #Community #Service

Benefiting the Green Crescent Trail and a more walkable, bikeable greater Clemson area! Join us for a lively evening of movement, community and celebration at the inaugural Light the Trail 5K and 1-Mile Family Fun Run presented by Indigo Advisors & Partners in Clemson’s Patrick Square community, Thursday, September 17, 2026. (Rain date: September 24, 2026. Virtual race open 9/15-9/20.) Held just before Clemson University’s Parents Weekend, this family-friendly event invites area runners and walkers, University students and their parents, alumni, neighbors and trail supporters of all ages to move together and support the Green Crescent Trail and its bold 15×30 vision: creating 15 connected miles of trail across Clemson, Central and Pendleton by 2030. Participants will enjoy a scenic evening course through the streets of Patrick Square, followed by a lively post-race community gathering on the Village Green featuring local food, drinks, music and family activities. Professional timing provided by Upstate Race Series. Whether you are chasing a personal best, walking with friends or pushing a stroller under the fall lights, every step helps raise awareness and support for safer, more connected and more active communities across the region. Event Highlights Evening 5K race through Patrick Square 1-mile Family Fun Run open to all ages and abilities Awards for various ages and groups, costume contest, and raffle prizesPost-race community gathering at the Village Green Breakfast-for-dinner specials at Sunnyside Cafe Food and beer specials at Kite Hill Brewing Co. Music, dancing, family activities and community partner booths Green Crescent Trail and 15×30 campaign information Opportunity to support future trail connectivity in the Clemson area Why We Run The Green Crescent Trail connects neighborhoods, schools, parks, campuses and downtowns across the greater Clemson region through safe, accessible multi-use trails. The new 15×30 campaign is focused on expanding that vision into a connected 15-mile regional network by the year 2030. Light the Trail is more than a race. It is a celebration of movement, connectivity, and a bright, active future for our community. Every mile matters. GO. CONNECT! Let’s light the trail together! Race Packet Pickup Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 15-16, 8-10 a.m. Sunnyside Cafe Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 15-16, 4-6 p.m., Kite Hill Brewing Thursday, Sept. 17 Race Day! 5-6 p.m, Village Green Registration prices increase beginning Sept. 2, 2026! Race Course This 3.1-mile course winds through the scenic Patrick Square community. The race begins and ends by the Village Green retail district and loops twice around the neighborhood, with a gentle, gradual topography that is ideal for runners and walkers of all ages and abilities. Pershing Avenue at Issaqueena Trail will be closed to traffic when the race is taking place. Neighborhood entrances at Keller Boulevard and Chapman Hill Road, along with access to retail parking, will remain open during the duration of the Light the Trail event. Race course elevation ranges from a minimum 721 feet to a maximum 825 feet. The 1-mile fun run/walk starts and ends on Market Street and covers a well-marked half-mile loop two times along the scenic sidewalks and streets of Patrick Square.

Clemson Sunrise Rotary Club is a voluntary, member focused, service driven organization that creates lasting, positive change in the world, our community, & within ourselves.  Participating in this event will provide funds for our community and surrounding area.     The Cupid Shuffle 5k Run/Walk on Saturday, February 13, 2027 is a great way to start your Valentines Day weekend. To keep registration prices low and maximize the philanthropic impact, we have decided to return to the beanie give-away this year, which will not be included in our very low-price the 14-under registration. There will, of course, be chocolate at the finish.  Awards will be overall male and female as well as three deep in each age category.  Race starts and finishes at Clemson Presbyterian Church and Gateway Park.  Registrations received after January 15, 2027 will not be guaranteed swag.   Registration fee is $25 for adults.  Registration fee for ages 14 and under is $15.   Packet Pickup will be Friday,

The Clemson 8 Challenge - Run/Walk/Bike/Hike/Swim/Ski Mark your calendar, as we will be hosting an in-person OFFICIALLY TIMED race at 9:00 am on Saturday, February 27, 2027, around the Clemson University campus, along with a virtual race from February 27 to March 6, 2027. The Challenge is open to the general public. CLEMSON STUDENTS, USE YOUR LOCAL ADDRESS WHEN REGISTERING AND NOT YOUR HOME ADDRESS. You can complete your own run, walk, bike, hike, swim, or ski in Clemson, S.C., or on your own course - in your own town in one day or throughout the eight days. High school JROTC teams will have until April 9th to complete their challenge. Your participant packet consists of a 100% cotton t-shirt, a wooden nickel, a race bib, and a window decal. EVERY RACE DAY PARTICIPANT WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WIN SWAG FROM THE BATAAN MEMORIAL DEATH MARCH MARATHON IN NEW MEXICO. 100% of the proceeds will benefit Clemson University's Military-Affiliated student organizations. The first six Challenges raised $139,628.54 for scholarships. The 2027 goal is to raise $19,420. 1942 is the year of the Death March. Dividends from the endowment and your donations will assist in paying for multiple teams to compete in the Bataan Memorial Death March Marathon in New Mexico on March 20, 2027. Donations can be made on-line during your registration or if you want a tax deduction, please contact Amy Craft at the Clemson University Foundation M-F from 8:00 am - 4:30 pm EST at 864-656-1240, acserna@clemson.edu or mail a check to: Clemson University Foundation, Attn: Amy Craft, P.O. Box 1889, Clemson, SC 29633 On the for line, write: Bataan Endowment. Direct online link: https://iamatiger.clemson.edu/giving/giving-to-clemson?id=9ed46b59-6d7e-4b16-88c6-961984a7efe0 If you would like to become a Race Sponsor, contact John Seketa at johnseketa@gmail.com or 864-903-1487 for more information. On April 9, 1942, six Clemson alumni became prisoners of war with tens of thousands of their brothers-in-arms when American troops who had been fighting in the Philippine theater of WWII were ordered to surrender to the Japanese. They were marched North some 70 miles by their ruthless captors in what would come to be known as the Bataan Death March, one of the most notorious war crimes in history. Seven other alumni were also captured on neighboring islands during World War II. Already weak and starving from months of intense fighting and illness, the POWs were herded with other sick, wounded, and starving soldiers through the searing heat of the Philippine jungles. Thousands died. Those who survived the march then had to survive for years in the inhumane and brutal conditions of Japanese prisoner-of-war camps, and the sinking by our own Navy of unmarked prison ships trying to steal the POWs away to the mainland towards the end of the war. It is impossible to know the exact number, but it is estimated that at least 57 percent of the captured Americans did not survive the war, more than 11,500 souls, which is considered a very conservative number by most experts. Colonel Skardon, 104, was the last living member of this illustrious group. He was well known as the only survivor of the real Bataan Death March who walked in the annual Bataan Memorial Death March (BMDM) at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., one of the toughest and most popular “ultramarathons” in the world. The event has become a pilgrimage for veterans, active-duty military members, supporters, the few remaining survivors, and family members of the men who perished in the march and POW camps. Colonel Skardon had walked in the BMDM 12 times, most often 8.5 miles, beginning in 2007 when he was 89. In 2019, at 101, he walked more than three miles through the desert to honor his brothers-in-arms who did not return from the war. He considered it his duty. He was on his way to walk again in 2021 when the event was canceled due to the pandemic. In response, the Clemson 8 Challenge was created by a team of students, veterans, alumni, and friends to enable Colonel Skardon to continue his pilgrimage from his home in Clemson. The 8 represents the annual miles Colonel Skardon walked to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country in one of the most brutal wartime events in history. On Thursday, November. 11, 2021 (Veteran's Day), Colonel Skardon was awarded a star in a private ceremony and a rank of Honorary Brigadier General. On Monday, November 15, 2021, General Skardon passed away. After registering for the Clemson 8 Challenge, everyone is encouraged to continue their training and participate in the 2027 in-person or virtual edition of the 38th Annual Bataan Memorial Death March at https://bataanmarch.com/ For more information on those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country from Clemson A&M College and Clemson University, visit the Clemson University Scroll of Honor website: https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/ Here is a list of 29 known Clemson graduates and 3 former students who were POWs. World War II Army Air Force Captain Theodore Cuyler Bigger '34, York County, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese and survived the Bataan Death March.Army 1LT Martin Crook, Jr. ’39, Spartanburg, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese and survived the Bataan Death March. https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/martin-crook-jr/ Army Captain William R. English ’37, Columbia, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese on Cebu Island. https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/william-robins-english/ Army Major Albert M. George ’36, Aiken, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese on the island of Mindanao. Army Colonel Louis D. Hutson ’13, Aiken, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese after being wounded on Bataan. Army Captain Marion R. “Manny” Lawton ’40, Garnett, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese and survived the Bataan Death March. Army Captain Henry D. Leitner ’37, Greenwood, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese and survived the Bataan Death March. https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/henry-daniel-leitner/ Army 1LT Otis F. Morgan ’38, Laurens, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese on the island of Corregidor. https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/otis-foster-morgan/ Army Lt. Colonel William Allen Orr ’38, Anderson, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese and survived the Bataan Death March.Marine Captain Wesley McCoy Platt '35, Summerville, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese on Wake Island. https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/wesley-mccoy-platt/ Army Air Force Captain Francis Herbert Scarborough ’39, Bishopville, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese on the island of Corregidor. https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/francis-herbert-scarborough/ Army Captain Beverly N. “Ben” Skardon ’38, Walterboro, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese and survived the Bataan Death March.Army 1LT Howard Monroe Vassey ’40, Chesnee, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese on the island of Corregidor. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Air Force LT Robert Herman Berly, Jr., Lexington, S.C. - Attended classes in 1942. Captured by the Germans after his B-24 was shot down in Hungary.Army PFC Thomas Whitfield Dunaway, Jr., '49, Thomaston, Ga. - Went Missing in Action in France on Nov. 13, 1944. Captured by the Germans. Army 2LT George Albert Henry '45, Spartanburg, S.C. - Captured by the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge. Army Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Lake Hugh Jameson, Sr. '42, Easley, S.C. - Captured by the Germans.Army Staff Sgt. George W. Jones, Loris, S.C. - Attended classes in 1941. Captured by the Germans.Army PFC Joseph Lawrence King '47, Columbia, S.C. - Captured by the Germans during the Battle of Orscholz.Army Corporal Horace Gordon Meisner, Jr. '46, Savannah, Ga. - Captured by the Germans in the Ardennes. https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/horace-gordon-meisner-jr/ Army Air Force Captain William Henry Mooney, Jr. ’41, Hawkinsville, Ga. - Captured by the Germans when his P-51 was shot down near Fulda, Germany. https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll-of-honor/search/?hname=mooney&conflict=none&yr=none&service=none Army Air Force 2LT Lewis Anderson Page, Jr. '45, Columbia, SC - Captured by the Germans when his B-17 was shot down. https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/lewis-anderson-page-jr/ Army Colonel Albert Ward Smarr ’50, Hickory Grove, S.C. - Captured by the Germans when as a B-17 gunner and radio operator his plane was shot down over Berlin. https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/albert-ward-smarr-jr/ Army Sergeant Grady Lemuel Wise, Jr. '43, Newberry, S.C. - Died in a German POW camp of pneumonia. https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/grady-lemuel-wise-jr/ Army Second Lieutenant Samuel Redden Webster, Jr., Mullins, S.C. - Attended classes in 1941. Captured by the Germans in North Africa. He escaped from Campo 78 POW camp near Sulmona, Italy.Civilian War Correspondent - Wright Bryan, "26 - https://news.clemson.edu/the-war-reporter-clemson-alumnus-was-first-to-tell-the-world-about-d-day/ https://open.clemson.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?params=/context/tiger_newspaper/article/2648/&path_info=zoespvovcaswlb51ok8deuyerptgd6m0.pdf Korean War Air Force Major Malcolm Brodie Edens ’47, Pickens, S.C. - Died while Missing in Action. https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/malcolm-brodie-edens/ Army 1Lt. William H. Funchess '48, Orangeburg County, S.C. - Captured by the Chinese Communist Army.Army Captain St. Clair Webb, Jr. '43, Anderson, S.C. - Died while a Prisoner of War. https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/st-clair-webb-jr/ Vietnam War Air Force Captain William Renwick Austin II '59, Simpsonville, S.C. - Captured by the North Vietnamese. Navy Lt. Commander Robert Fant, '57, Anderson, S.C. - Captured by the North Vietnamese.Air Force Major Samuel R. Vaughan '67, St. George, S.C. - Captured by the North Vietnamese. SUBMIT RESULTS To submit results for the virtual challenge, simply follow these steps: Click the results tab on the Clemson 8 home page Click “Submit Virtual Results” Results can ONLY be submitted from March 11th through March 18th. Search for your profile using either your name or email address You can check your progress and the progress of others from the results page

**CHECK IN IS AT 10:00 A.M. ON THE SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF THE PRESIDENT’S HOUSE   After a successful return last year, one of Clemson’s most legendary races is back once again. The RC & MoonPie Presidential Downhill Mile returns as a fast, fun, and uniquely Southern tradition... a one mile downhill with a sweet (and slightly chaotic) twist. Participants will gather on the sidewalk outside the President’s House, where they’ll be sent off by a very special guest. At the start line, runners will eat their first MoonPie before getting sent down Highway 93 by the iconic Death Valley Cannon. At the halfway mark near Sikes Hall, they’ll tackle another MoonPie and an ice-cold cola before making their final push to the finish line. The reward? One last cola and a celebration waiting at the Esso Club. The race honors former Clemson President R.C. Edwards and his wife, Louise “MoonPie” Edwards. Their legacy lives on through one of Clemson’s most beloved and joyfully unconventional traditions. A