Rock/Creek Donates $1,600 After Successful Greenway 5 Mile Trail Race

Locally-owned specialty outdoor retailer Rock/Creek announces a $1,600 donation from last Saturday’s 2nd Annual Greenway 5 Mile Trail Race in Chattanooga, TN. The money will go to benefit local non-profit, The Wilderness Trail Running Association, aka, The Boonies. Rock/Creek’s donation will be used to fund future races and trail maintenance efforts necessary to sustain open access to trail systems in the surrounding region. “We are committed to supporting The Boonies and other like-minded non-profit organizations and landowners who are working to preserve our region’s natural resources for responsible and sustainable recreational use for years to come,” says Dawson Wheeler, co-owner of Rock/Creek.

The Greenway 5 Mile Trail Race took place at Outdoor Chattanooga’s Greenway Farm in Hixson, TN. Established in 2003 by the city of Chattanooga, Outdoor Chattanooga strives to increase tourism, bring new residents to the community, protect our natural resources, and enhance the health and well-being of citizens and visitors alike. “Our hope is that in partnering with events like the Greenway 5 Mile Trail Race, we can use venues like Greenway Farm to promote outdoor recreation as a signature lifestyle in and around Chattanooga,” commented Philip Grymes, Executive Director of Outdoor Chattanooga.

New and experienced runners alike took to the trails in last Saturday’s race. Jonathan Mobley, race director for the Rock/Creek Trail Series, estimates that at least half of the runners were racing for the first time on the trail: “We always do a quick straw poll before the race, and this time at least half of the runners raised their hand to identify themselves as first-time trail racers. We’re seeing familiar faces from the road running crowd.”

The race course led runners on a mixture of open gravel and grassy paths as well as a short section of singletrack named the Boy Scout loop. Although more challenging than some may have expected, this race was a great opportunity for those new to the sport of trail running.

Alan Horton of Knoxville, TN set a new course record with a blinding time of 29:23:00. Close behind in 2nd and 3rd place respectively were John Sillery of Chattanooga, 30:11:00 and Kevin Boucher of Chattanooga, 32:43:00. Amanda Afdahl, new to the Rock/Creek Trail Series this year, led the women’s division with a time of 39:42. Amanda, a Resident Director at Covenant College in neighboring Lookout Mountain, GA, shared the podium with 3rd place finisher and fellow employee Debby Vannoy, 42:42:00. Debby is the Covenant College Cross Country Coach. Laurie Cook finished 2nd in the women’s division with a time of 42:00.

When asked his thoughts on the race, Steve Hamaker, local Chattanooga resident and race participant, had this to say: “It rocked! The race was well organized. The course had a good balance of singletrack, switchbacks, and wide trails and was especially great for beginners. And Greenway Farm is a great location in Chattanooga for this sort of family-oriented event. I really enjoyed the race and am ready to do it again.”

Mobley credits the success of the race to the support of sponsors and tireless efforts of race volunteers: “I am incredibly grateful first and foremost to Outdoor Chattanooga for providing access to Greenway Farm for the race, to Rock/Creek, Marmot, Salomon, SmartWool, END Footwear, Archer Physical Therapy and Greenlife Grocery for their generous support. And like any other race in the series, the Greenway 5 Mile would not be possible were it not for the efforts of our volunteer staff.”

The Greenway 5 Mile Trail Race is the 5th of 8 races in the Rock/Creek Trail Race Series. For more information on the race, visit: http://www.rockcreek.com/greenway and for other races go to http://www.rockcreek.com/trailseries/

About Rock/Creek:

Rock/Creek, member of the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, is an independent specialty outdoor retailer based in Chattanooga, TN. Rock/Creek was named 2009 Online Retailer of the Year by Backpacker Magazine and SNEWS and was listed as a Top 25 Retailer by Outdoor Business for 2008 and 2009. Along with its online shops, RockCreek.com and ClimbingGear.com, Rock/Creek provides quality outdoor clothing and gear for a host of activities including kayaking, rock climbing, camping, hiking, trail running, travel and adventure racing. Rock/Creek is committed to making a positive impact on the environment. For this reason, it uses outdoor retail as a platform to encourage outdoor recreation and environmental stewardship and to improve public access to the backcountry. Rock/Creek supports worthy nonprofits such as the Southeastern Climbers’ Coalition and the Wilderness Trail Running Association. For related articles on Rock/Creek, visit www.rockcreek.com/media/