Hello SSOD Runners
The Savannah Stone Stairs of Death Race (SSOD race) is a unique challenge. This four year old race is quickly becoming an iconic Savannah favorite. The race has you running up the 33 gnarly, old as dirt steep steps on the western end of River Street in Savannah, Ga. known as the Stone Stairs of Death.
Upon reaching the top of the steps you will continue running a one third mile loop for an hour or two hours. Whoever racks up the most mileage in their registered for time slot wins!
Each mile you run is approximately 100 feet of elevation gain.
Before you sign up you may want to ask yourself “why would I pay to run up these horrific stairs for an hour straight?” Good question!
Here’s answer 1: You get a great shirt!
Answer 2: It’s an incredible challenge unlike any other you’re likely to come across anywhere else! You will impress yourself with your results after 1 or 2 hours of running up these steps on this short loop! Running these steps are about the best mountain training you’ll get at low-elevation Savannah.
Answer 3: Each year, we pick a person and/or family that has been attacked and hit hard by cancer. The money generated from this race is given to the family to help them deal with the financial hardship experienced from their fight with cancer.
The race registration fees are used to cover the race expenses (permits, shirts, awards). The rest of the registration fees goes to the person the race is held in honor of that year. All donations made go entirely to the person the race is in honor of.
We set up a gofundme account as well for the person the race is for. All of the money donated from the gofundme account goes entirely to the person the race is in honor of that year.
The 2022 SSOD race is dedicated to Zina Cerrone. To Donate: Run4Cerrone
Zina Cerrone, a dear friend of the running community, had stepped away from running to focus on her childrens goals with high school and on to College. Zina, a well educated woman, stayed at home and home schooled her children until they were ready for high school. She now has only 1 son left to assist through his senior year. But devastating news hit this humble family in March of 2022. Bernard Cerrone, Zina’s husband, received a grim diagnosis of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. To learn more of this progressive neurodegenerative disease please visit www.ALS.org.
After having brunch with Zina one morning,and hearing of this and the family’s needs, we knew we had to take action. The Cerrone’s home needed a roof replaced as soon as possible. The home owner’s insurance threatened to drop them from the insurance because all that was covering the roof was a tarp. They quickly had to have it replaced. They scrounged up the money through some savings, selling Bernard’s car and some other means. The small modest home will still need a lot of improvements, especially the more medically needy Bernard comes as the disease progresses. With the huge financial burden that is now placed on the Cerrone’s, including medical needs, financial debt, and the future of the family, the Cerrone family will be the recipient from SSOD donations and race profits.
We encourage the registered runners to approach their family and friends in help raising funds for the person the race is held in honor of. One easy way of doing this is to have folks sponsor runners. Ask family and friends to donate to you for every mile you run.
Here is a sponsor sheet download link to use for seeking donations
Here’s a link to download a sponsor sheet: sponsorsheetSSOD-co
Race Course Information
The stairs in question for this race are the narrow, high stairs on the western end of River Street in between MLK Jr Blvd and Montgomery st and Williamson St. The SSOD race will require runners to run a third of a mile loop that starts at the top of the stairs on Williamson St. The runners will then run west to MLK Jr and turn right and then quickly head east on River St where they will then dart back in between the buildings where the stairs are. They will repeat this ⅓ of a mile course for the duration of one hour.
The top male and female of each timed distance will be awarded. Every runner that finishes their registered time slot will get a finisher’s award..
Runners will always run up the stairs and never down. Also, slower runners are expected to use the right hand set of stairs leaving the left hand set of stairs to the faster runners. For safety reasons this will be strictly enforced.
All Rough Runners events are cup free. You must bring your own water bottle.
The Rough Runners SSOD race is not affiliated with the infamous Facebook page, Stone Stairs of Death Savannah, but we are fans of it! Go like their page! It’s great!