Friday, December 11, 2009
Roanoke trail race series expanding
Mark Taylor is outdoors editor at The Roanoke Times.
mark.taylor
@roanoke.com
981-3395
Mark Taylor
Outdoors coverage
- Outdoors commentary: Many Sunday hunting cons
- Winter tourneys invite fishermen out in the cold
- Demand up for boating safety classes
- Visit our Outdoors page
The Wild Life blog
Cutbacks and contraction have become the norm in many aspects of life in the current economy.
But not for organizers of a Roanoke-area trail running race series.
The Roanoke Non-ultra Trail Series -- that's RNUTS, for short -- boomed in 2009.
And it will grow for 2010.
"We had a very successful year last year so we wanted to expand," said Josh Gilbert, a Salem chiropractor who organizes the series through his Mountain Junkies LLC business.
The series will grow from four to six races in 2010.
A new race on the Chestnut Ridge Loop Trail will open the series in early January. The existing Into the Darkness night race will also be brought into the series.
Gilbert said he's long wanted to try to put on a race on the Chestnut Ridge trail system, but wasn't confident that he'd be able to secure a special-use permit from the National Park System.
"I didn't want to spend the time and money to apply for a permit if I didn't have a chance to get it," he said.
But eventually he did apply, and he was pleased that the request got an OK for the race, which will be Jan. 9.
"It's just a fantastic 5.6-mile loop," Gilbert said of the trail. "It's got everything. It's rolling, well built and 10 minutes from downtown Roanoke."
The 10-kilometer race will start and finish at the New Hope Christian Church on Welcome Valley Road.
Gilbert also decided to roll the fourth annual Into the Darkness race into the series because it was a natural fit.
The October race on the trail system at Explore Park has doubled its participants the past couple of years. The race is scheduled for Oct. 23, but Gilbert hasn't officially named the location.
He said his hope is to have it at Explore Park but said scheduling at the park after June 30 is on hold because of the property's uncertain future.
"It's the right place to have it," Gilbert said of Explore Park, adding that he had an emergency back-up location if necessary.
The other races will be the Explore Your Limits 5K and 10K at Explore Park on March 6, the Montvale 5- and 10-mile trail runs at Montvale Park on March 27, the Mill Mountain Mayhem 10K on April 17 and the Trail Nut 10K and half-marathon at Bedford's Falling Creek Park on June 5.
Runners who compete in at least four of the six races will receive special finishers awards, with additional awards for the top three places in each age group in the series.
More information, as well as registration forms and entry fees, is available at www.mountainjunkies.net/RNUTS.htm.
Youth deer hunting workshop to be held in Bedford
The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries will host a youth muzzleloader hunting workshop and deer hunt on Dec. 19 in Bedford.
Held in partnership with the Bedford Economic Development Authority and the Virginia Hunter Education Association, the event is for hunters 12 to 15.
All must be accompanied by properly licensed parent or guardian, and each team will be guided by a certified hunter education instructor.
There is no fee for the workshop. Hunting slots are limited, and the application deadline is today.
For more information or to request an application, call the DGIF regional office in Forest at (434) 525-7522.
