So our gentle road, out and back course turned into a trail & road combo due to an unscheduled bridge closure by the SCDOT. Things happen, so we adapted.

There was a coordinated 10K happening on the same day, so the 50K was changed to be 5 laps of the 10K course. The RD was upfront about the changes and did a great job letting people know what was happening, when it was happening, and what to expect. He was also very apologetic for the change in course. From what I could gather, the runners took it well.

In terms of the course, it was a good mixture of rolling terrain on road/greenway and some pretty technical trail running. The previous day's rain made the course quite muddy, but what's an ultra without some extra mud for good measure? There were two aid stations, one at the 5K mark, and one at the Start/Finish Line. They were well stocked with the usual suspects for an ultra, and some extra goodies like cookies and sweet treats.

I'd run it again and would absolutely run another event put on by the same group.

I've run a number of races all over the country, and I was excited to run this race as it is the closest to my home town. Several things stick out for me about my experience at Charity Chase.
First - The course is very reasonable, but it is challenging. Elevation change is present on the course, and the scenery changes are pretty nice too. You'll run through downtown Hickory, around the university, down to the lake, over to the Greenway, and back into downtown for the finish. The final miles are indeed uphill, but not unfairly so.

Second - The time limit is 4 hours, which is quite gracious, but many people choose to walk the course.

Third - The aid stations are first class. They're run by volunteer groups who are competing for the honor of best aid station. You'll have access to Gatorade, water, gels, and cold towels at various points on course. Given the time of year, having all of those things available is awesome.