Smoky Mountain Running Camp -
Asheville,
NC
Download Camp Brochure
Located at the University of North Carolina - Asheville, in the beautiful Smoky Mountains, the camp is one of the oldest in the country. Constantly seeking 'artistic perfection,' Coach Benson is dedicated to annually refining the camp activity schedule and curriculum. Strong emphasis on teaching, instructing, and coaching is our primary feature.
Our 38th annual Smoky Mountain Running Camp will feature Todd Morgan, University of Florida assistant cross country coach- session 1 and Karen Harvey, Florida State University women's cross country head coach- session 3. Other featured speakers to be announced.
Recent past featured speakers have included Bob Braman, Florida State University head coach-NCAA two time champions; Gordon Thompson, Clemson University head women's cross country coach and Rhonda Reilly, Vanderbilt University assistant cross country coach. Also recently featured was Coach Marcus O'Sullivan, a three-time Irish Olympian and head track and cross country coach at Villanova University.
Our Advanced Placement (AP) Cross Country Class is offered during all camp sessions for those elite runners who desire college level instruction about the Art & Science of Running. Sign-up details will be available at registration. No advanced sign-up is required.
Attendance at Smoky Mountain Running Camp is limited to those runners entering ninth grade and older.
Stay-Over Session Option: Campers have the opportunity to double or triple their training with Coach Benson by attending more than one session with a weekend stay in between. There is a $100 fee to cover the two-night stay. Meals are included except for dinner on Saturday, spending money of $30 is suggested.
Atlanta Bus: Bus transportation is available to and from the Atlanta area each week. Seats are limited, sign up early! Round trip price $90 (price subject to change). Campers wishing to travel one way will be placed on a "wait list." For more details and to make reservations please call US Sports (800-645-3226).
Pensacola, FL Bus: Round trip bus service will be available to those travelling from the Florida, Alabama or Mississippi area from Pensacola, FL for Week 1 ONLY. Bus leaves the Village Inn, Cordova Mall at 8:30am on Saturday, July 10th and will arrive back in Pensacola on Friday, July 16th at 11:30pm. Roundtrip Fee: $100. Campers are welcome to contact Coach Everett Whiteside at 850-525-2628 or ewhiteside@escambia.k12.fl.us
Pre-Existing Conditions: The Smoky Mountain Running Camp offers an extremely challenging athletic training program. Running on wild forest trails offers pitfalls, challenges and wild life. Please DO NOT come to camp if you have any pre-existing injuries, are not completely healthy and ready to run a minimum of 20-25 miles during camp. We discourage campers with bee sting allergies from attending our program. If you choose to attend, you must carry an epinephrine pen at all times and understand that on some of our trails, if anything goes wrong, we cannot get you to medical help within the half hour. Please study the waiver carefully.
Camp Director Roy Benson
• MPE, C.F.I., Exercise Scientist and Distance Running Coach
• Community cross country & track coach for boys and girls at Marist School in Atlanta since '93 with 15 Georgia state 4A XC championships and 20 individual state track champions.
• Senior writer for
Running Times magazine reaching over 250,000 readers each month.
• Author of
'Precision Running' HR training booklet that has
sold over 200,000 copies and been translated into seven languages. His two books on Effort Based training have sold over 8,000 copies.
Co-Director Alan Drosky
• Georgia Tech head men's and women's cross country coach; women's head track coach; men's distance coach.
• Two-time All American and Georgia Tech Athletic Hall of Fame inductee.
• Coached 65 All-Americans, 64 ACC champions, and 142 All-ACC accolades in his career at Georgia Tech.
Coaches are encouraged to accompany their cross country teams and attend the Coaches Workshop covering the latest in training and racing techniques. The workshop runs concurrently with the youth camp session.
**Our operations on National Forest System Lands are authorized under Special Use Permit by the Pisgah National Forest
Quick Facts:
(*Please note these details are subject to change)
Check in: Sunday, 1:00 - 3:30pm
Check out: Friday, 12:00 - 1:00pm
Dorm: Mills & South Ridge
Roommates: Available upon request
Nearest Airport: Asheville North Carolina Airport
Airport Shutte: $20 each way, contact USSC to make arranagements
After you register, our information packet of details is emailed including directions, what to bring, health forms, and much more!
Please check back for upcoming schedule of sessions