Cathedral Caverns State Park

Conquer the Cave 5K Run

Conquer the Cave 5K

RACE CONTACT INFORMATION

 info@runninglane.com

 

DESCRIPTION

Welcome to the Conquer the Cave 5K! A yearly race every year at Cathedral Caverns in September. 

The race starts in a beautiful valley with picturesque mountains and fields in the background. Once runners get to the 1.9 mile mark they will enter the crown jewel of caves in the Southeast. The portion of the 5k course that runs through the cave is an out and back 0.6mi that is wide enough for 2 way traffic. Runners will pick up a glow stick at the turn around point and the decorative lighting will be on at all times. The average temperatures for race day are a low of 54F, high of 79F. Meanwhile inside the cave the year round temperature is a cool 58F. This will truly be a race like no other.

Packet pickup will be at Fleet Feet Sports Huntsville on a TBA date. Fleet Feet is located at 2722 Carl T Jones Dr SE B2, Huntsville, AL 35802. There will also be packet pickup at the race on Sunday. 

Due to the interest in this race and the size of the cave, we will have multiple heats or "waves" of runners each. 

THERE WILL BE NO SHUTTLE SERVICE OR HAYRIDES BACK TO CARS THIS YEAR. In order to keep this race as safe and spread out as possible, participants will have to walk back to the parking area. It is about a half a mile walk back from the entrance of the cave. 

 

SHIRTS & AWARDS, WEATHER & CUTOFFS

The race shirt will be a short sleeve tri-blend shirt. ALL participants will receive an awesome finisher medal.

Age groups will be ten years: 19 and under, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60+ 

In the event of severe weather we will delay the start as necessary to avoid lightening. If severe weather threatens the entire day and does not appear to let up, we may be forced to cancel.

There will be very loose cutoffs. Our goal is for everyone to have a blast and a one of a kind experience running/ walking through a natural wonder, no matter what your experience level is. There will be a 1hr and 5min cutoff. We ask that you please respect the state park and volunteers and adhere to this cutoff time. Walkers are more than welcome! The average walking pace is around 18-20min/ mile. The reason we advertise a 1hr and 5min cutoff is we can't have people standing inside the cave. Everyone has to continue moving and make forward progress. 

There are no refunds, credits or friend/ family transfers on entries.

 

OVERVIEW

Where? Cathedral Caverns State Park: 637 Cave Rd, Woodville, AL 35776

Course Maps & Elevation profiles:

5K: https://www.strava.com/routes/12984717

Driving distance from:

Huntsville: 31 miles

Chattanooga: 83 miles

Birmingham: 93 miles

Florence: 103 miles

Nashville: 139 miles

Atlanta: 161 miles

 

LODGING

Lodging will be available at the Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge. Call 256-505-6621 to make a reservation.  To ensure that you receive the special rate extended to the race, please mention you are with the Conquer the Cave 5K. Guests can also make reservations online at https://www.alapark.com/lake-guntersville-state-park-reservations.

 

What it Looks Like in the Cave