Friday, May 08, 2009
New triathlon generates interest in Alleghany
A readin goes here and here and here four decks.
Mark Taylor
Mark Taylor's Outdoors column and notebook appears regularly in The Roanoke Times.
Recent columns
A new triathlon in the Covington and Clifton Forge area is drawing interest from athletes from Virginia and beyond.
"Every day we've been getting calls now that it's getting closer," Tom Kirlin of Riders Up! Outfitters in Clifton Forge said of the first Alleghany Highlands Triathlon.
The event will feature a 5.1-mile run, a 6-mile paddle and a 1412-mile bike ride.
The run will go from Covington to the new YMCA near Low Moor, at which point competitors will get into canoes for a paddle trip on the Jackson River. The race ends with a ride from Dabney S. Lancaster Community College to the finish line at Douthat State Park.
Kirlin, whose business is a race sponsor, said the event has drawn registrants from North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.
So far, about 45 athletes have signed up as individuals or as part of a relay team, he said. That's not a disappointment for organizers.
"We're expecting about 50 and that's kind of where we want it to be for our first year," Kirlin said. "We didn't want to be overwhelmed."
The pre-registration deadline was Saturday, but organizers may be able to accept a limited number of last-minute entrants.
Kirlin said organizers would like the event to grow, and perhaps even become part of a triple crown-like contest that would also include the Lexington Road and River Relay and the Great Greenbrier River Race, two well established run/paddle/ride races.
For more information on the race, visit magicinthemountains.org.
DGIF comment deadline nears
The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries' three-month-long comment period for hunting regulations proposals ends Monday.
Suggested changes for the 2009-10 seasons include shifts in some deer hunting seasons and bag limits, as well as a proposal to establish a new bear hunting tag.
The proposed bear license has generated by far the most feedback. On the DGIF's online comment forum, the main proposal regarding the proposed license has generated more than 450 comments.
In addition to the online forum, comments on the proposals can be e-mailed to RegComments@dgif.virginia.gov or mailed to Dept. of Game and Inland Fisheries, Attn: Policy Analyst and Regulatory Coordinator, 4016 West Broad Street, Richmond VA 23230
-- Mark Taylor
