Orbtober starts at 12 AM on 10/1 & ends at 12 AM on 10/31.
What counts as a lap?
A lap is a full circle on the sidewalk on the inside of the circle, meaning you begin and end in the same place.
For the cumulative lap categories, you can run in either direction, and you can start from any point on the circle. It’s about .5 miles – just a smidge under. You must run on the inside of the circle for the lap to count. Just to say it again, the outside circle does not count – it’ll create less issues with traffic, and it’s shorter to run on the inside.
For the fastest single lap and slowest single lap, you must start and end your run at the 3 PM position of the circle, and run clockwise. There is a Strava segment called “Orb x 1” that I’ve created to help track those single lap categories specifically.
This counts!
In reverse? You’re good!
Different spot? No problem!
Outside loop? NO WAY
No half credit, all or nothing
The Orb x 1 Strava segment
How will Orbtober track people’s runs?
If you want to participate, you are going to need to download Strava and use it for the month of October. The free version will have all the features you need. After you join the email list, you’ll be sent an email automatically which includes a link to a Google Sheet with instructions on how to track your progress.
When you reach the circle, if you were already running, it would be great if you could save that run and start a new one. When you are done running in the circle, if you are going to run more, it’d be great if you could save that run and start a new one. You can see an example of what I mean below. It will be a pain in the butt to parse through people’s activities if there is any running outside the circle in the activity, and while I trust people to self-report accurately, I want to be able to double-check.
Run until you get to the circle -> (Don’t link this part)
Run your laps ->
(Link this part)
Go do whatever you want. (Don’t link this part)
What is fair game for completing the slowest lap?
You need to stay on the circular part of the sidewalk. You cannot walk in the grass. You cannot sit down. You cannot completely stop moving. One foot should be doing something at any given moment. You cannot move backwards. You cannot pause the app tracking your activity.
You can move from one edge of the sidewalk to the other, creating a greater distance to travel. But you cannot travel perpendicular to the sidewalk – the angle must always be sending you forward at least a little bit.
How does “most funds raised in your name” work?
If you are fundraising, ask friends or family donating on your behalf to include a comment in their donation stating “this donation is for Firstname Lastname”. On the main fundraising page, comments can be attached directly to the donation. If they donate through Facebook, they can leave a comment after making their donation. If no comment is included, the donation will count towards whoever made it.
So this is a fundraiser for Lowcountry Food Bank?
Yes, and you can encourage friends and family to donate to it here. LCFB’s incredible work and resources allows them to turn every dollar donated into three meals for individuals across South Carolina who need help getting regular access to nutritious food.
Can I buy a shirt or donate, even if I don’t plan on competing?
Yes 100%.
What are the shirts going to look like? (There are a bunch of different colors, see them all here)
Who is organizing this?
My name is Eric. I am a runner and a resident of Park Circle. In September 2020 I ran 50 miles around Hampton Park dressed as a banana, and we raised a little over $3,000 for Lowcountry Food Bank. In 2022, we raised $10,000 for Lowcountry Food Bank while I trained for a 100-mile race. I like running and I like Lowcountry Food Bank.
What is the deal with Orb?
An orb is a 3D circle, this event is all about running in circles, and orb is a funny word. That’s really it.