Please read ALL the details below before registering and follow us on Facebook for all the latest Bear Bait updates.
For the 12th year, we welcome you to come join the Bear Bait family for a great weekend at the beautiful Adventures Unlimited! Over the course of TWO DAYS, 13-14 Jan, you can take on one of our 50 mile (13th), 50km (13th), 25km (14th), or 4 Mile (14th) runs. Or challenge yourself further by running multiple events in the weekend with our Bear Challenge Combinations!
The 2024 event will be at the Adventures Unlimited property, about 11 miles away from Bear Lake. The course will be a four-mile loop. It traces beautifully along Wolf Creek and Coldwater Creek taking you through several different ecological environments, with technical sections (roots), fast-flat sections, some twisty trench sections, and some groomed nature trail sections. The course will be well-marked, and we will also use reflective markers on trees for the night runners.
We have reduced the pricing another $5 from 2023 for early registration on all events 25K and over! Race shirts are NOT included with registration, however participants who register by November 15th will have the option to purchase a race shirt for $25 by selecting your shirt size during the registration process.
Lodging is available on site for runners, crews, family & friends. Cabins and camping spots are available on a first come/first-serve basis, and Adventures Unlimited will give a discount off normal pricing for registered runners. Use booking code BBU24 when making reservations for a discount (also applies to zipline tours that week).
Adventures Unlimited has plenty of room for runners and crews to set up their own staging/crew/aid areas just a few feet from the course and just past the official aid station/start/finish area, (aka “The Barn”). This area, known as “pit row”, has room for awnings, tables, chairs, heaters, etc. Runners can also tailgate in the parking area adjacent to the barn to aid themselves. Specific layout details will be sent out to all registered runners as the even draws closer.
GPS Address- 8974 Tomahawk Landing Rd Milton, FL 32570
Meals:
Due to the very positive feedback in 2023, you will again have the option of pre-purchasing delicious home-cooked meals at the Adventures Unlimited dining facility for Friday evening. You MUST pre-purchase the meals for yourself and your guests with registration, so they know how many meals to prepare. Vegetarian options will be available for each meal as well. $20 includes tax & tip for the staff. *Please note that there are not other food options/stores very near to the venue*
Friday Dinner (6pm) - Taco Bar
*If you require a vegetarian meal, please choose that when ordering*
*NEW* FOOD TRUCK: Saturday starting with breakfast through Sunday post-4 mile, there will be a food truck on site thanks to Food Fleet. Post-race meals for runners will be provided by the food truck free of charge. If you or your crew would like meals additional meals, you can purchase directly from them.
The Races:
With a lap distance of aprox 3.88 miles, the 50-mile runners can expect to contend with 13 laps, while 50km runners will traverse 8 laps, 25km runners 4 laps and the 4-milers will enjoy a leisurely lap around the Adventures Unlimited property. *There will be variations in GPS accuracy due to tight turns and heavy tree cover, your GPS distances may vary. But everyone will be running the same course, so no one has an advantage*
Bear Challenge Combinations:
The Cub: 25K (Sun) + 4 Mile (Sun) = 20 Miles
The Panda Bear: 4 Mile (Sun) + 50K (Sat) = 36 Miles
The Black Bear: 4 Mile (Sun) + 50M (Sat) = 54 Miles
The Brown Bear: 25K (Sun) + 50K (Sat) = 48 Miles
The Sun Bear: 25K (Sun) + 50M (Sat) = 66 Miles
The Polar Bear: 25K (Sun) + 4 Mile (Sun) + 50K (Sat) = 52 Miles
The Grizzly Bear: 25K (Sun) + 4 Mile (Sun) + 50M (Sat) = 70 miles
Aid Station:
The aid station will mark the start/end of each 4-mile lap at The Barn. The aid station will be adequately stocked with typical ultra fare. If you require any specific food/beverage, bring it!!
*NEW* Swell Physical Therapy & Performance will be on site Saturday 9am-7pm and Sunday 7:30am-3pm for runner treatments.
Awards:
Grizzly Man & Grizzly Woman- Fastest male and female to complete the Grizzly Bear (4 Mile + 25K + 50 Mile) will receive “The Claw”.
Other combined categories do not have awards, but entrants are eligible for the normal awards in all races ran. Also, for bragging rights, combined challenge times will be posted for all Bear Challenge Events.
25K, 50K, or 50 Mile Races- All finishers will receive a custom Bear Bait finisher award. We will also award a minimum of Top 3 Male & Female, 1st Male & Female Master (40+), 1st Male & Female Grand Master (50+), 1st Male & Female Senior Master (60+)
Fun Run- Fun Run medal for each finisher, no other awards.
The Cause:
This event is hosted by Guts To Try Foundation (formerly Destin 50 Beach Ultras), a 501c3 non-profit supporting military charities. No staff or volunteers are paid. All proceeds, after race expenditures, will benefit the Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF), a highly rated non-profit organization ensuring complete post-secondary educational support and additional educational opportunities “cradle to career,” for eligible surviving children of fallen Special Operations Forces and children of all Medal of Honor recipients; and provides immediate financial assistance to severely wounded, ill, and injured Special Operations personnel — today and in the future.
Each runner will have a fundraising page automatically setup on ItsYourRace when you register. You will receive a confirmation email with how to customize it and share it with your friends/family. Runners are not required to fundraise, but the Top Fundraisers will receive recognition and awards. Every dollar brought in through fundraising goes directly to the SOWF. With your help, in 2023 we donated $21,000 to the SOWF!
Race Packet Pickup:
Thursday (all distances) 4:00-6:00pm in Fort Walton Beach at Run With It
Friday 4:30-5:30pm (all distances) at Adventures Unlimited Barn
Saturday 5:00-6:00am (50K/50M) at Adventures Unlimited Barn
Sunday (25K has priority) 7:45am-8:45am at Adventures Unlimited Barn
Sunday (4 Mile has priority) 12:45-1:45pm at Adventures Unlimited Barn
Start Times:
50K/50Mile- Saturday, Jan 13th, 6:30am (be in place by 6am for required meeting)
25K- Sunday, Jan 14th, 9am
4 Mile- Sunday, Jan 14th, 2pm
Cutoff:
25K- 7hrs (those running also running the 4 Mile will need to be finished before 2pm)
50K/50M- 16.5hrs (11:00pm *Must start last lap by 9:30pm)
Pacing:
25K: No Pacers
50K: Pacers allowed on last lap (last 4 miles) or after dark
50Mile: Pacers allowed on last 2 laps (last 8 miles) or after dark
All pacers must notify race management before beginning pacing duties. If anyone has a legitimate medical reason that would require a pacer outside of the above pacing rules, contact us prior to the event.
Military Pricing:
All current and former military personnel or first responders (police/fire/EMS) will receive a discounted registration using the promo code "ISERVE24" when choosing your race type on the initial registration page. This discount cannot be refunded if not applied at the start of registration.
Refund Policy:
No refunds. No Transfers. No Deferrals. No shipping of shirts. No exceptions.
Early Bird Pricing:
4 Mile Fun Run (SAT) 30.00
25K (SAT) 80.00
50K (SUN) 90.00
50 Mile (SUN) 100.00
Cub: 4 Mile + 25K 90.00
Panda Bear: 4 Mile + 50K 100.00
Black Bear: 4 Mile + 50M 110.00
Brown Bear: 25K + 50K 165.00
Sun Bear: 25K + 50M 175.00
Polar: 4 Mile + 25K + 50K 170.00
Grizzly: 4 Mile + 25K + 50M 190.00
Course Route is not all on this map. This map only shows the start/finish area of the course.
