Hello Ruck the Ridge participants!

Thank you and congratulations for taking part in the fourth annual Living Free Together “Ruck the Ridge” event!  We are looking forward to a great day.  Here are a few notes and reminders to help you to prepare.

• The event will be held on Saturday, November 8th at the Blue Ridge School in St. George, VA ( link to Google maps )

• Parking is directly across from the school’s main entrance gate, there will be signs to direct you and parking staff will be on hand to help you park safely.

• During registration you selected a 25-minute start time window - please plan to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to that window.  Your registration confirmation email includes that start time window (in the “event admission” section) - but if you need help confirming your start time then contact us at rucktheridge@livingfree2gether.org as soon as possible.

• After parking, cross the street and enter the BRS main gate, then turn right and follow the signs to our check-in table (under the trees)  to confirm your start time, get final instructions, and pick up your backpack and/or weights.  If you are participating as a team, or if multiple individual participants were included on a single registration, please gather everyone together prior to checking in.  All participants need to come to the check-in table.

• At check-in you will indicate which route you will be following (4-, 6-, or 8-mile routes or the All Abilities Course) and will be given a numbered wristband to allow us to track who is out on the course.

• Once you have checked in, you are free to proceed to the start line area when you are ready, during your selected 25-minute start time window.  Our start line staff will document your wristband numbers, provide final instructions about the course, answer your questions about routes, and then send off small groups about every 3-4 minutes.  This approach will help to avoid congestion on the course.

• When you complete the course, our finish line staff will again document your wristband number and direct you back to the check-in table to return backpacks and sandbags.  The optional Ruck the Ridge t-shirts are available for pickup back at the check-in table after completion of the course.

Here’s the basic schedule for the day:

• The parking lot opens at 7:45am.  The check-in table will be open at 8:10am.

• We will hold an Opening ceremony at 8:30am.

• We will hold a Veterans Day ceremony at 1pm.

• The first ruck start time is 8:40am.  The final ruck start time is 12:30pm.

• Activities at the RuckFest will be available from 8:40am until 2:30pm.  Many of these activities are free of charge, but there will be a separate fee for food trucks and additional “Ruck the Ridge” t-shirts and merchandise.  We can take cash, card, or digital payments.

• Our goal is to have all Ruck participants complete and off the course prior to 2:30pm.  If you think this will be a challenge for you, given your scheduled start time, please contact us at rucktheridge@livingfree2gether.org as soon as possible.

And some final details:

• Please dress accordingly - the weather forecast is looking great, but it will be cooler and more windy on the trails around the Blue Ridge School than it is around Charlottesville.

• We highly recommend that you wear boots or sturdy shoes.  The trails are well maintained, but some areas of the routes are rocky and uneven, and there is some deadfall from the recent storms.

• Please bring your own refillable water bottle - we will have water stations available to refill water both in the main RuckFest area and at various points on the trails.

• Please see the “event details” page at RucktheRidge.com for downloadable route maps. 

• During registration, we asked if you needed to borrow a backpack for the event, and also asked how much of our prepared weight you plan to use (0-3 sandbags of 10lbs each).  If either of these have changed since registration, please let us know at check-in.  We will have some extra backpacks available on a first-come first-served basis.

• The check-in table and main RuckFest area is about a 2-minute walk from the parking area - but if anyone in your party needs assistance getting to that area then let the parking team know and they will allow you to drive in through the gate, bring your passengers to the check-in table, and then return your vehicle to the parking area.

• This event is “rain or shine” - we don’t plan to let a little drizzle spoil a great day!  But, we will make everyone’s safety a top priority, so in the event of lightning in the area or other dangerous weather, we will pause sending participants out onto the course until the weather clears.

• If you have family and friends who have decided not to participate in the Ruck, please bring them out to enjoy the RuckFest.  There will be plenty of activities for kids, space for spreading out picnic blankets, music, food trucks, and more.  And, if you are still working to convince them to ruck with you, there is still time to register and on-site registration is also available.  We can make sure that those who sign up later can still start with you.

• For the safety and comfort of all participants, Ruck the Ridge can not allow pets at the event - so please leave your furry friend at home for the day.

For those who registered for their team or included additional individual participants on their registration, please forward this reminder to your other team members if you did not provide their individual email addresses during registration.

Finally, if you are a veteran or first responder and you did not identify yourself as such on the registration form, please let us know (contact us at the email above).  We would like to recognize you during the event and thank you for your service and sacrifice!

Thank you again for your support of Living Free Together, the military community and this unique event. Without your support, LFT could not meet its mission of enriching, encouraging and empowering the military families of Charlottesville to live their best lives!  Please take a moment to connect with us on our social media platforms for the latest updates.  Here are the links:

https://www.facebook.com/Rucktheridge/

https://www.instagram.com/rucktheridge/

See you out there on the 8th!

John B