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The running weekend in Guilford County will start in the mud and the muck and will end in a massacre.

Delightful, huh?

Race director Scott Bassett is putting on races Saturday and Sunday that will challenge the best runners.

First up will be the Groundhog Gallop at Gibsonville’s Northeast Park on Saturday. Races will be contested at the 8K (5 miles) and half-marathon (13.1 miles) distances.

“It’s going to be sloppy and slow,” Bassett says.

That’s because 6.52 inches of precipitation has soaked Greensboro from Jan. 17 through Monday, the National Weather Service reports. The rain Tuesday meant that precipitation has fallen on 12 of the last 23 days.

“And there’s a water crossing, which makes it even more fun,” Bassett says.

Runners will cross the stream four times, Bassett says, with options of running through the water or crossing the boulders.

Bronwyn Corry will take the dry road, but the trails themselves were enough fun to entice her to sign up. The Northern Guilford High School teacher has competed in a handful of half-marathons, and this will be her second on trails.

“It’s 100 times more interesting,” Corry says of the comparison to road races. “You have to pay attention to where you’re stepping. It’s in the woods, which is my favorite place to be. You’re leaping and bounding through the forest. It distracts you from running and creates an awareness of where you are. Versus on asphalt roads, where you’re having more conversations and not paying attention to where your feet are going. It’s not as enriching an experience.”

Registration for the Gallop is available at groundhoggallop.com. The cost: $25 online or $30 on race day for the 8K; $35 online or $40 on race day for the half. Race-day registration is 7-8:30 a.m., the 8K will begin at 9 a.m., and the gun for the half is at 9:30 a.m.

Then on Sunday, the Valentine’s Day Massacre Marathon and Relay will finish the weekend – and maybe a few runners first. This event is run inside Country Park, with the first lap consisting of 2.2 miles followed by 15 laps of 1.6 miles. While a few runners will go out on their own, most compete as relay teams of two or four people.

“You run a lap, then switch runners; that’s the beauty of it,” Bassett says. “It’s much easier to run four laps and then be done. It’s running and waiting, running and waiting. That’s what makes it hard.”

Josh Sutcliffe, of Madison, will lead a four-runner team carrying the banner of the MadMayo Running Club. Sutcliffe found the format appealing because of the potential for socializing.

“One of the things I love about going to races is hanging out and talking with other runners before and after the event,” Sutcliffe says. “I thought it would be kinda cool to able to do it, to run a quick lap and hang out with people and eat some food.”

Sutcliffe and the MadMayo runners won’t be feeling any heat – for two reasons.

“Our motto is it’s better to look good than to be fast,” he says. “There’s not going to be any pressure for speed or anything like that.”

The other reason for not feeling the heat: Sutcliffe runs barefoot.

“If it’s dry and above like the mid-30s, ideally 40, I’ll be totally barefoot for the running part,” Sutcliffe says, adding that he’ll bring aqua socks and shoes if it’s colder. “Sometimes when it’s really cold, my feet get numb. That’s a little dangerous, and it’s not as much fun that way for me. But I looked at the weather, and I should be good to go.”

Bassett is expecting about 350 runners for the Massacre.

Find details and register for the race at bigfootrunning.com. The costs are $35 for individuals, $60 for a two-person team and $120 for a four-person team. Race-day registration and packet pickup will begin at 8:30 a.m. Sunday, with the event starting at 10 a.m.