The Quarry Crusher Run is the only race of its kind in the southeast.
This once-in-a-lifetime look inside a magnificent landscape that is prohibited to the general public will leave a lasting memory in addition to the aching of your muscles and bones.
The approximately 3.72-mile route starts and finishes near the Olympia-Granby Mills in the Olympia Village, but it grows each year as the quarry gets deeper.
Once in the quarry, the route winds down a 10% grade through granite cliffs to the quarry floor. The approximately 400-foot ascent from the quarry floor to the finish marks the grueling event as Columbia’s most challenging foot race.
The quarry was started in 1880 and is now one of South Carolina’s largest aggregate operations processing an average of 10,000 tons of rock a day. In fact, one of the most popular products that is produced from the Quarry each year is a product known as “crusher run”, a fine granite substance used to make cement. Hence, the name of the race. But don’t be fooled, this run will crush you.
The run is slated to be an annual event, but, only as long as the quarry continues to be operational, so don’t put it off until next year and miss a chance to be a part of history! Quarry employees will be stationed along the spiral to ensure the safety of runners. There will also be water stations along the route.
