Customer Snapshot
- Distance Run: 100 Miles or 100K
- Teams Participating: 27
- Total Participants: 500+
Blackbeard’s Revenge 100, a “road race as bold and untamed as the pirate it’s named for”, was introduced by Trivium Racing in 2019 to fill a gap left by the cessation of another long-standing 100-miler. While the second running of the race was delayed by a 2020 cancellation, the event has since grown and improved. Claiming to be a bold and untamed as the pirate it’s named for, the race includes a 100 mile, a 100k, and a 100 mile relay. And the finish line celebration at The Wreck Tiki Bar in Hatteras is fit for an Ultra Pirate!
The growth has come has come in spite of (or maybe because of) some unique challenges to the course. “Because it’s flat and paved, people tend to think it’s easy, but it’s deceptively hard. There are long, empty stretches with no one there and no lighting, and the weather is unpredictable,” said Trivium owner Libby Swor. “The wind and sun are pretty much guaranteed, but the temperatures can vary widely – and last year, it was pretty much a mini-hurricane.” Runners know to come prepared for anything.
The Importance of Communications
Communication is important for all races, but perhaps never more so than for an ultra race. Because it’s ultra-important that athletes are prepared for the challenges of the race, Trivium puts together an Athlete Guide. That guide is shared before registration. Beyond that, they offer virtual pre-race meetings to go over course and aid station details, review where resources are on the website, and answer questions.
Email Communications
Using RunSignup’s free an unlimited email, Trivium starts communicating about race details around 6 weeks before race day. They use their email communications to re-send the athlete guides, link to resources for aid stations, remind runners about the virtual pre-race meetings, and review the race week schedule. In addition to educating the runners, email is also used to communicate important information with the volunteers that make the run possible.
Bonus: we love their usage of emoji’s throughout their emails. Just enough to make the email light and fun without making it hard to read. And while the emails are weighty with information, they’re light in tone: plenty of pirate references keep the upcoming task from seeming too daunting.
Event Website
The RunSignup event website for Blackbeard’s Revenge is overflowing with information. In addition to the complete Athlete Guide, they have full content pages for everything from the aid station details to participant tracking and previous race recaps.
While all race directors are likely familiar with the common issue of “runners don’t read”, in the case of a lengthy ultra, runners need all the details. By flooding inboxes with information via email and keeping a static source of all logistical information on the website, Blackbeard’s Revenge is able to reduce customer service and improve the preparedness of runners, crew, and supporters.
The Importance of Volunteers
Volunteers are the underappreciated backbone of any race, providing crucial nutrition and hydration. In a 100 miler, they also add a safety layer, verifying that athletes made it from one checkpoint to the next. To recruit volunteers, Blackbeard’s Revenge connects with local groups and provides volunteer perks. The make use of swag and race entries to incentivize and reward volunteers. Of note: volunteers can gift their race credit to someone else. This makes volunteering an appealing gig for a friend or family member who wants to make good use of the time they were going to be at the race anyway.
Their incentive setup is:
Blackbeard’s Revenge uses RunSignup’s integrated volunteer platform to register volunteers and track volunteer needs. This keeps volunteer signups and runner registration information in one convenient place. Then, the use Email V2 to send race day details to each volunteer. By using the replacement tags for each volunteer’s task, location, time, and more, they can use a single email blast to send all volunteers their details. No need to send 20 separate emails to update each volunteer group.
Volunteer Registration
Volunteer Summary Report
Pre-Race Volunteer Communications
The Importance of Safety
With long distance races, runners get separated quickly. In addition to checking in runners by bib at aid stations, Blackbeard’s Revenge offers free real-time runner tracking to all participants via RaceJoy. With good cell service throughout the course, RaceJoy allows the race directors, crew, and relay team members to easily understand the real-time location of runners on course.
43% of participants opted to use RaceJoy for Blackbeard’s Revents, with nearly 700 spectators following their progress. Spectators sent 2,699 cheers to runners along the way, and 12,647 progress alerts were sent to give real-time updates.
Blackbeard’s Revenge also experimented with adding more timing points this year. They will continue to tweak their runner tracking plan in the coming years.
The aid stations themselves also help to keep runners safe. In 2024, Blackbeard’s Revenge partnered with a local Outer Banks business, SurfBox, out of necessity. Their portable storage containers made for last-minute weather-resistant aid stations that provided shelter during severe storm conditions. This year (and for the future), the boxes were back. The enclosed aid stations provide a much-needed respite for any runners needing a break from the conditions.
The importance of FUN
If all of this so far sounds like a lot of work – communications, volunteering, safety, and running 100 miles – don’t be fooled: this race is FUN. Both the organizers and the runners lean hard into their pirate theme. Every pirate (aka runner) picks their own pirate name for their bib, so you can run alongside Captain WeirdBeard. The photos uploaded to RunSignup’s free photo platform tell the story: alongside images of solo, dusty runners are plenty of shots of joyous finishers, fun costumes, and entertaining signs.
And rather than bemoaning the challenging aspects of the course, they embrace it. “The race is salty, and treacherous, and fickle. And no one’s complaining: they expect that, and understand they’re there for the challenges,” says Trivium owner Libby Swor.
Because the race includes both 100 mile and 100K as well as a relay, it lends itself to a wider range of participants. Runners are joined on-course by ruckers and Ainsley’s Angels chariot teams. Blackbeard’s Revenge is approachable and welcoming for both the competitors out to win and the back-of-packers just thrilled to complete the event. And the event is ever-improving: each year they wrap up with a virtual happy hour to gather suggestions from participants on making next year’s iteration even better.
Event Recap
When the 32 hours of race time were up, participants from 34 US States and the Netherlands had traversed the course. 65 of the 109 100 mile solo runners finished, and 53 of 63 100K runners completed the course. All 27 relay teams and all six Ainsey’s Angels chariot teams made it to the finish line. The race highlighted a few finishers running for more than just pride and a volunteer inspired by the event:
- Henny Hendricks, an active-duty Coast Guard member and Native American, completed his first ultramarathon—100 miles—to raise awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW). Bearing a red handprint on his face, Henny finished in 27:57:30and shared, “Though my struggle is done, MMIW’s are unfortunately not.”
- Rosie Gagnon completed her 90th 100-mile race, honoring her son, a U.S. Marine, and raising awareness for veteran suicide prevention through 22 Too Many. Steve Epifano ran 50 miles with his mother Anna, whose longest race before this was a 10k. “Humbled that I was able to spend 14 hours with her talking and just being present together,” Steve shared. “There aren’t many times you get to do that in life, so I’ll always be grateful for the experience.”
- Local volunteers like Lois Longo, who returned for her third year alongside her husband Jim, gave the race heart. “I’m not a runner. I didn’t think I had anything to offer,” she said. “But these runners—complete strangers—thanked me like I was the one doing something incredible. It’s easy to see why I keep coming back. I’ve made friends I only see once a year, and somehow, that makes it even more special. This race brings out the best in people. If the rest of the world could follow their example, we’d be so much better off.”
