On December 7, 2024, about 200 runners and 200 mountain bikers gathered in Old Fort, North Carolina, at the Old Fort Strong Endurance Festival to run and ride for six, 12, or 24 hours to raise money for the local community, which was devastated by Hurricane Helene in September. While the event is now concluded, its fundraising continues, and you can help support the hurricane recovery efforts through the end of December via this RunSignup campaign.
Old Fort is a small town of about 800 people that sits just a half-hour drive east of Asheville. Many of the town’s residents lost their homes, and payouts from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) max out at $42,500. Many people affected by the storm didn’t have flood insurance, and the federal and state disaster funds simply aren’t enough to cover their recovery. The town had never seen the level of flooding experienced during Hurricane Helene.
This past weekend, the outdoor community stepped in to help by hosting a running and mountain bike festival. When registration opened for the event in early October, they sold all 425 spots in just two days. To raise money for impacted residents, the event’s participants spread the word on social networks, asking friends and family to donate through the RunSignup campaign. Other money came from raffles. As this article is published, they’ve raised over $960,000 toward their goal of $2 million.
[Editor’s Note: This story was first published on our sister site, GearJunkie.]
Trail runners were in high spirits at Camp Grier on December 7 and 8, 2024, for the Old Fort Strong Endurance Festival. Photo: Steve Barker with Icon Media Asheville
Aid for Small Towns
Tanawha Adventures founder and event organizer Brandon Thrower said that small towns like Old Fort are in continued need of support following the hurricane: “To visit the mountains [of North Carolina], you have to go through these towns,” Thrower said. “These are the trailheads.” While crews are working around the clock to repair the area and residents have received outside aid, in some situations, it’s not quite enough. Thrower said, “We just want to make sure that these towns and the people that live in them aren’t forgotten.”
Runners were treated to local trails and fun throughout the weekend. Photo: Steve Barker with Icon Media Asheville
As the town’s business and community leaders saw the desperate need among their neighbors, they decided to raise money with an outdoor event. Tanawha Adventures and Pisgah Productions — along with Camp Grier, which hosted the festival — put on the event to raise money directly for town residents who needed extra assistance. During the storm, the local Mill Creek rose so high that homes 400 feet away were ruined, and 47 buildings were destroyed. The flooding in North Carolina broke records across the state, causing even more destruction than the state’s Great Flood of 1916.
In addition to flooding, the storm likely set a record for the number of downed trees. The powerful rain caused widespread mudslides, and many roads will likely stay closed for years to come, Thrower said. “You’ll go into one holler and it looks fine, and then you go to the next one over, and it looks like a bomb went off.” Thrower added, “It’s just catastrophic.”
The Old Fort Strong Endurance Festival showcased the local trails. Photo: Steve Barker with Icon Media Asheville
A Weekend of Festivities
While racer entry fees covered the cost of the event, everyone was encouraged to fundraise whatever they could, with the goal set at $1,500 per racer. For people who couldn’t make the event but still wanted to contribute, there was a virtual run option as well. Many of the participants came from nearby Asheville to support their neighbors.
In addition to the run, participants were treated to several extras, including a panel discussion with ultrarunners like Sally McRae and Anton Krupicka. The races themselves were held on a 3.5-mile loop on local trails for the runners and a different eight-mile trail for the mountain bikers. The center of the festivities had vendors, live music, and plenty going on all weekend.
The festival included an endurance panel with ultramarathoners like Sally McRae and Anton Krupicka. Photo: Steve Barker with Icon Media Asheville
Recovery Funds
The money raised at the festival goes straight to area residents. Once Old Fort residents submit forms describing needs like home repair, a fund manager reviews the requests, handing out up to $50,000 per person or family. So far, the fund has already given about $325,000 to 11 Old Fort families. That includes a full $50,000 to a woman who lost her entire home to Hurricane Helene.
Now that they’ve reached nearly half the fundraising goal, Thrower and other organizers are hopeful they can convince businesses to fill in the gap. But so far, all the money raised has come directly from participants and people like Collin Ihlenfeldt, a North Carolina resident who donated a Frameworks bike that raised $43,000 through a festival raffle.
“What a weekend. It’s a rare opportunity to create an impact greater than yourself,” Ihlenfeldt wrote in an Instagram post. “Witnessing dispersed communities come together at Camp Grier for #oldfortstrong was a truly rewarding experience; perhaps a feeling I’ll never have again. Helene changed our lives and our landscape, but she strengthened #WNC’s resolve.”
To help the Old Fort Fund reach their $2 million goal, donate through the RunSignup fundraiser by the end of December.
Vibes were good at the festival all weekend with vendors, guest speakers, runners, and mountain bikers. Photo: Steve Barker with Icon Media Asheville
Call for Comments
- Were you part of the Old Fort Strong Endurance Festival? What was your experience?
- What other Hurricane Helene relief efforts can you recommend to the running community?
- Has your running community been able to contribute to important causes in your area?
