Registration open for Hunter Subaru “Dig the Du” Off-Road Duathlon
June 30, 2015
Registration is now open for the 5th Annual Hunter Subaru “Dig the Du” Off-Road Duathlon Race. This exciting ride and run combo will be held this October at Sky Valley Farms near Dupont State Forest in Hendersonville, NC.
This challenging, family-friendly event is presented by Hunter Subaru and benefits OpenDoors of Asheville, a non-profit organization working to break the cycle of multi-generational poverty for local children.
Setting- October 11th, 2015 at Sky View Farm, Hendersonville, NC
The Race– Known as ‘WNC’s Dirty Duathlon’, this race is a great introduction to off-road multi-sport events for novices, all the while still providing thrilling excitement for even the most seasoned of veterans. The entire race course is situated upon undisturbed private land, opened up exclusively for the event. Participants will blast off at the starting gun into a 2.5 mile trail run, before transitioning from two legs to two wheels for 12 miles of chain-rattling off-road excitement on their bikes. The finale for the Du is a 2.5 mile run, retracing your steps over the same trails they began with as racers sprint back to the Start/Finish line.
Participant Approval– Nearly 200 participated in the Dig the Du last year, affectionately dubbing it with its reputation as a “Dirty Duathlon” because of its close-to-nature nature! The event is expected to reach capacity this year, because it is an ideal race for multi-sport athletes, trail runners, and mountain bikers alike. Previous participants keep coming back because of the challenge, the scenery and fall beauty at the private, beautiful location in Henderson County and post-race festivities, food and drinks by Sierra Nevada serve as icing to the event cake.
A Dirty Du for Youngsters– The Dig the Du’s “Kids Du 2” returns for youth participants as well, formatted and customized to meet the needs of beginner, intermediate, and advanced youth athletes. This race affords kids the chance to experience multi-sport racing in the WNC Mountains, sans the danger of adult-sized athletes, as they embark on this exciting off-road adventure on non-technical trails. The kids’ bike course is set up to be spectator-and family-friendly for the ‘Kids Du 2’ Race, and there will be unique take-home awards and healthy treats afterwards to fuel youngsters’ enthusiasm for advancing in athletics.
Racing for Better Educational Opportunities- All athletes will compete for handcrafted awards and special “sprint” prizes (donated by Sycamore Cycles). The biggest reward of all, however, comes from knowing that participation in the event contributes to OpenDoors of Asheville and its Llewellyn Perry Scholarship Fund. This educational fund helps to pay for tutoring, financial aid, and tuition expenses for deserving children in need. Llewellyn Perry monies are a major financial aid in funding OpenDoors of Asheville’s mission to eliminate multi-generational child poverty, and participating in this ‘Dirty Du’ is a ‘clean’ way to move youth education and welfare forward in our area. All entrants will be taking a part in providing access to educational opportunities and empowerment to underserved children through supporting OpenDoors’ active, individualized network of mentoring programs.
FAQ, Contacts, & More– To register for the race, check out the ‘Dig the Du’ at www.idaph.net or register at RaceIt. For additional information about the event and the causes it supports, please visit the OpenDoors of Asheville website at opendoorsasheville.org. To participate as a non-racing volunteer you can sign up here or those wishing to speak to someone directly about race questions should contact Daphne Kirkwood at events@idaph.net or (828) 684-0812.