Adventure Race Training in Francis Marion National Forest
In preparation for the Palmetto Swamp Fox Adventure Race coming up on March 20th, I ran 8 miles off road in Francis Marion National Forest (just north of Charleston, SC) today. I started with the 2 mile Ion Swamp trail and then finished with 6 miles along gravel roads.
The adventure race will take place throughout the forest (the route will be a mystery until the day of the race), covering around 60 miles with kayaking the intracoatal waterway, mountain biking, running and assorted skill tests.
It was a perfect day, with temperatures in the high 50′s and clear skies. Due to recent rains the trail run was covered with water in several spots.
Background on Francis Marion, The Swamp Fox
Francis Marion National Forest is named after the the Revolutionary War militia leader Francis Marion. Known as the Swamp Fox, Marion used South Carolina’s lowcountry swamps to not only evade British forces, but to stage successful guerrilla warfare against the more powerful army.
In November of 1780, Marion earned the nickname he’s remembered by today. British Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton, informed of Marion’s whereabouts by an escaped prisoner, chased the American militia for seven hours, covering some 26 miles. Marion escaped into a swamp, and Tarleton gave up, cursing, “As for this damned old fox, the Devil himself could not catch him.” The story got around, and soon the locals—who loathed the British occupation—were cheering the Swamp Fox.
Marion took command of a militia and had his first military success that August, when he led 50 men in a raid against the British. Hiding in dense foliage, the unit attacked an enemy encampment from behind and rescued 150 American prisoners. Though often outnumbered, Marion’s militia would continue to use guerrilla tactics to surprise enemy regiments, with great success. Because the British never knew where Marion was or where he might strike, they had to divide their forces, weakening them. By needling the enemy and inspiring patriotism among the locals, Busick says, Marion “helped make South Carolina an inhospitable place for the British. Marion and his followers played the role of David to the British Goliath.”
