5K Race Recap: 258 Runners, 32 Sponsors and One Bright Night on the Trail

A Big Night for the Green Crescent Trail

What happens when you put more than 250 runners and walkers on the trail at dusk, add some lights, a little friendly competition and a community that believes in building better connections?

You get the first-ever Light the Trail 5K & Fun Run, presented by Indigo Advisors & Partners.

On Thursday, September 17, the Clemson-Central-Pendleton community came together for an evening that was about much more than finishing times. We celebrated the Green Crescent Trail, enjoyed being outside together and built momentum for a safer, healthier and more connected community.

And for a first-year event, you all showed up in a BIG way.

By the Numbers

The inaugural Light the Trail 5K & Fun Run welcomed 258 participants and received support from 32 sponsors.

Together, those sponsors contributed at least:

• $9,400 in cash sponsorships
• $5,100 in donated goods and services

That generosity helped turn an idea for a community 5K into a pretty special night on the trail.

And yes, there was also a race to run — and there were some seriously fast feet out there.

And the Winners Are…

Our overall male winner was 15-year-old Dyer Partridge of Clemson, who crossed the finish line in an impressive 17:20. Nicholas Tomlinson of Central finished second in 17:52, followed by Martin Tiller of Clemson in 18:04.

On the women’s side, Victoria Hammersmith of Greenville took the overall female title with a time of 18:15. Morgan Davis of Pendleton finished second in 20:05, with Mary Limber of Pendleton close behind at 20:09.

Congratulations to our winners — and to every person who ran, walked, cheered, volunteered, sponsored or otherwise helped bring the evening to life.

The Bigger Finish Line

One of our favorite things about the Light the Trail 5K was seeing so many different parts of our community together in one place.

Because that’s really what trails are all about.

Yes, trails give us places to run, walk, bike and exercise. But they also give kids safer ways to get around. They give neighbors places to bump into one another and families somewhere to take an evening walk. They connect neighborhoods, schools, businesses, parks and communities.

For one night, the Light the Trail 5K gave us a glimpse of what can happen when we make trails not just a way to get somewhere, but a place to come together.

And that’s a big part of the vision behind the Green Crescent Trail.

Our 15×30 Vision is working toward 15 connected miles of trail across Clemson, Central and Pendleton by 2030. Events like Light the Trail help introduce more people to that vision and build the community support needed to keep moving it forward.

Thank You for Lighting the Trail

To our 32 sponsors, our volunteers, our participants and everyone who worked behind the scenes: THANK YOU.

You took a brand-new idea and helped make the first Light the Trail 5K & Fun Run a success.

Most importantly, you reminded us what is possible when a community comes together around a shared vision for better connections.

Want to help us keep the momentum going? Share the Green Crescent Trail with a friend or neighbor who would love to see more trails, more connections and more events like this in our community.

Every new person who discovers the trail makes this movement a little stronger.

Here’s to many more miles — and many more nights together on the trail.