Rock/Creek Chronicle's Events & Races Archives

June 02, 2008

Scenic City Trail Marathon Videos

Thanks to Jon from iMultisport for this video from the Scenic City Trail Marathon. Enjoy!

Online Videos by Veoh.com

More about the Scenic City Trail Marathon & 1/2 Marathon online, including results, photography, and more >

The Marathon raised over $3000 for the Wilderness Trail Running Association (The Boonies). Read the race report here >

Posted by Mark McKnight at 01:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 31, 2008

Josh Wheeler Wins Age Group at Florida Ironman 70.3

Rock/Creek Race Team member Josh Wheeler from Signal Mountain, TN won his division at last weekend's Florida Ironman 70.3 Triathlon. Josh, competing in only his second Half Ironman, came in with an impressive 4:30:44. His performance at the race makes him a 2008 Clearwater 70.3 World Championship Qualifier.

After a challenging swim, Josh came out of the water 20th in his age group. He made up some time on the bike and came off the bike in 4th place, then made up nearly four minutes in the run.

Josh blasted across the line after an incredible run, winning the Men's 18-24 age group. He collapsed over the finish line, having given the race everything he had.

Josh came in over a minute before his closest age group competitor, putting him in 28th place overall in a field of nearly 2000 racers. Congrats Josh!

Here's the full story from Josh, with a mile-by-mile breakdown of the run:

Leading into this race all the stars seemed to line up perfectly. Getting down to Florida six days before the race payed off tremendously allowing my body to acclimatize to the heat and humidity plus recover mentally and physically from the last few weeks of school. I knew the course, my taper went well and I remained confident in my fitness.

I woke up about thirty minutes before my alarm was to go off on race morning (3:30am). Showered, shaved and ate my oatmeal breakfast. I drank 16oz of Gu20 before I got in the car. Having packed the night before, we were able to simply walk down stairs and get in the car. I wanted to get to the bus drop off at about 5:40am thinking that would give me enough time to finalize my transition area and get a good warm up in. We stopped for coffee and by the time we got to the bus it was 5:55am. Oh well, I figured I didn't need that long of a warm up anyway. Standing in line, I got to shake hands and talk to Craig Alexander, who wished me good luck in his sexy Australian accent. The bus ride was smooth. Kept sipping on my second bottle of Gu20 as I strolled into the transition area around six o'clock.

I had a great transition spot. I made sure everything was dialed in before I left the transition. My tires were 145-150psi since I thought the road would be hot and the tires might expand on me a little. I made sure all my nutrition was secure and left transition around 6:10am with about twenty minutes left before my wave was scheduled to hit the water. Ran a few above LT pickups to get my heart rate up, stretched and walked down the beach start.

Waiting on my wave to get into the water I ran a few more strides to stay loose until the race announcer called us down. I felt I had a great starting spot. I was on the far outside in line with the first buoy. All the way until the gun went off I really did not get nervous. I simply remained focused on my game plan for the swim and listened for the cannon.

Once the race was underway, I ran as far as I could out into the lake and started to dolphin dive. I think I got in two dolphin dives before I abandoned the notion that I could dolphin dive and started to swim. I did not swim all out to the first buoy as I normally do in a race. I knew it was going to be a long day and I wanted to make sure I got a good position in the swim without having to red line my heart rate too early. On the way out to the first turn buoy I swam alone.

I saw a good pack forming to my right but they were about 30m off the buoy and I was swimming slightly slower than them but in a straight line, buoy to buoy. So I decided to hold my line for now, thinking I would intercept them at the first left hand turn. Once rounding the turn buoy and swimming over the top of a few of the slower swimmers from the previous wave, I found some feet wearing a green swim cap (aka my age-group) and stuck to his hip like glue till we made the second turn. I knew that I only had about 750m left in the swim and at this point felt comfortably uncomfortable.

I put my head down and started to hammer for the shore. The guys' feet I had been drafting off of fell off pace so I left him for open water. To my right once again the same pack of swimmers had formed and they were still about 30m off the buoy line. I made the executive decision to swim diagonally and intercept them thinking that swimming in that pack would save some energy for the bike. However, by the time I bridged over to their group I realized that they were not swimming as efficiently as I would like, so I made the second executive decision to bridge back over to buoy and swim alone for the final 500m.

Continue reading "Josh Wheeler Wins Age Group at Florida Ironman 70.3"

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May 30, 2008

$3300 Raised for The Boonies at 2nd Annual Scenic City Trail Marathon presented by Rock/Creek & Vasque

Chattanooga, TN- Clear skies and the promise of warm temperatures met the 45 marathoners and 147 half marathoners who turned out Saturday morning for the second annual Scenic City Trail Marathon and Half on Raccoon Mountain. The two trail running races, presented by Rock/Creek and Vasque, raised $3300 for The Wilderness Trail Running Association, aka Boonies. Proceeds from both events are used to run trail races, develop new and maintain existing trails in the Chattanooga area.

John Cobbs of Birmingham, Alabama won the event with an impressive time of 3:38:04. Rock/Creek Race Team member Jaclyn Greenhill of Signal Mountain, Tennessee came in less than a minute back to win the women's division with a time of 3:38:49. Sal Coll of Chattanooga, Tennessee finished second male in 3:44:38 and Eric Ashley of Glenrose, Texas finished 3rd male in 3:50:18. Katie Grove from Smryna, Georgia was second female in 4:33:40 and DeDe DuBose from Chattanooga, Tennessee finished third female in 4:47:29.

In the half marathon, Rock/Creek Race Team members Michael Green and Clay Warner finished first and second. Green, of Rocky Face, Georgia finished first in 1:26:57, and Warner, of Ringgold, Georgia, finished second in 1:26:59. 17-year-old Nick Lewis 1:28:49 of Hanceville, Alabama finished third. Sue Kelly from Atlanta, Georgia, was first female in 1:39:46, Hope Hessler from Lookout Mountain, Tennessee was second with a time of 1:57:32 and Ashley Morris from Johnson City, Tennessee with a 2:02:01 finish was 3rd. Full race results are posted online at http://www.rockcreek.com/trailmarathon/

"We couldn't have asked for a better day or a better venue for the run," said race director Jamie Sanders: "Everyone had a great time out there today." Sanders thanked the many volunteers and sponsors, including Rock/Creek, Vasque Footwear, Mountain Hardwear, SmartWool, Black Diamond, Greenlife Grocery, and Hammer Nutrition.

The course is a scenic and rolling, single-track trail created by SORBA (Southeast Off-Road Bicycle Organization). The trail hugs the perimeter of Raccoon Mountain, a TVA pumped-storage facility and is one of the best trail running and mountain biking locations within 25 minutes of downtown Chattanooga.

The Scenic City Trail Marathon is part of the Rock/Creek Trail Series, a year-long trail running race series with 9 race dates and 13 distance options. The next event in the series is the Chattanooga Mountains Stage Race, taking place on June 20, 21 and 22. For more information on the series, visit http://www.rockcreek.com/trailseries/

The race also was a part of Vasque's North American Trail Tour. The Lookout Mountain 100k & 10k on December 20th will also be a part of the Tour.

Photography available online:
http://flickr.com/photos/imultisport/sets/72157605234803616/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rockcreek/sets/72157605331055809/

About Rock/Creek:

Rock/Creek, member of the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, is an independent specialty outdoor retailer with over two decades of experience in the Southeast. 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, 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.

###

Posted by Mark McKnight at 03:08 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 19, 2008

Media Alert: Rock/Creek and Vasque Present The Scenic City Trail Marathon & 1/2 Marathon, benefiting The Boonies

Media Alert
May 20, 2008

Contact:
Jamie Sanders, Race Director
423.505.0310 (mobile)
stumpjump50k@rockcreek.com

Mark McKnight, Marketing Director, Rock/Creek
423.643.1528 (office)
423.596.1573 (mobile)
mark@rockcreek.com

Rock/Creek and Vasque Present The Scenic City Trail Marathon & 1/2 Marathon, benefiting The Boonies

What: Scenic City Trail Marathon & 1/2 Marathon presented by Rock/Creek & Vasque, benefiting The Boonies
Where: TVA Raccoon Mountain Pumped Storage Facility
When: Saturday, May 24, 2008, 8:00 a.m race start
Who: Rock/Creek, Vasque Footwear, The Boonies (Wilderness Trail Running Association)

Rock/Creek and Vasque proudly present the second annual Scenic City Trail Marathon & 1/2 Marathon, taking place at TVA's Raccoon Mountain Pumped Storage Facility on the trails developed by SORBA-Chattanooga. Both of these trail runs begin at 8:00 a.m. Race-day registration and check-in will open at 6:45 a.m. The race begins and ends at the Laurel Point Parking Lot.

The Scenic City Trail Marathon will set the bench for a state record in trail running. The trails at Raccoon will be fast and forgiving, making for a great leisurely race for new trail runners or a full-on speed fest for those in the hunt for the first state record for a trail race.

Now part of the Vasque North American Trail Tour, this year's Scenic City Trail Marathon & 1/2 Marathon promises to be an incredible experience. Sponsored by Rock/Creek, Vasque, Mountain Hardwear, and SmartWool. Participants will receive a technical Wicked Tee from Mountain Hardwear. Prizes and raffles will be provided as well.

Proceeds from the race benefit the trail building efforts of the Wilderness Trail Running Association (a.k.a. "The Boonies"). Specifically, the proceeds from this race will help build the trail for the Lookout Mountain 100k, taking place on December 20, 2008 along with a 10k.

For more information visit:
http://www.rockcreek.com/trailmarathon/

Photo Opportunities:
Well over 100 trail runners from around the United States will be competing on a beautiful course with sweeping views of the TN River Gorge and the Raccoon Mountain Reservoir.

Interview Opportunities:
Jamie Sanders, Race Director
Randy Whorton, President, The Boonies

Map to TVA's Raccoon Mountain Pumped Storage Facility (via Google Maps):
http://tinyurl.com/6dh9tu
When you get to the TVA Road, you follow it up to the gates to the facility. From there you will see signs directing you to Laurel Point.

About Rock/Creek:

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May 01, 2008

Rock/Creek Race Team Members Take Southeast Regional Championship Titles

Rock/Creek Race Team Members Take Southeast Regional Championship Titles for Trail Running in 50k & Half Marathon Distances

This past weekend the Rock/Creek Race Team took several podium spots in trail races around the country. The Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) held the southeast regional championship for trail running at the Sweetwater 50k and Half Marathon. Both titles went to Signal Mountain residents and Race Team members this year. Long-time Signal Mountain resident and team member Sheridan Ames took first place in the 50K with an impressive time of 5:01:44. Rock/Creek team captain and new Signal Mountain resident Matt Sims continued the domination by taking first in the half marathon with a time of 1:38:16. Kathy Johns finished as 6th woman overall. She was the 30th overall finisher of the 50k with a time of 6:41.

This second annual race took place on Saturday, April 26th. Located right outside of Atlanta, Sweetwater State Park offers a challenging course including steep climbs, gnarly downhills and treacherous creek crossings. This year, team Rock/Creek made their presence known at the race, and they obviously made an impression that will not soon be forgotten. For Sheridan Ames, the 50k title had special significance as his first ever 1st place win. Ames has been to the Ironman World Championships in Kona, has run the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim solo, and has run races for years, so the southeast regional championship was well deserved. Ames reflects on the race, explaining that "the course was very challenging, physically and mentally. The river crossing was particularly interesting. Wading through waist deep cold rushing water while holding onto a rope to keep you from being washed downstream was a new one for me. Sharing the win with fellow team members made the race particularly special, and I'm now looking forward to the Shadow of Giants 50K at the end of the month."

Matt and his wife Natalie Sims as well as Kathy Johns and Sheridan Ames, all Rock/Creek Race Team members, met up at 4:45 a.m. in Chattanooga and arrived at the race about two hours later, ready for a challenge. Matt Sims had to fight for the half marathon title. Since there were 150 runners in the half marathon, he headed out to the front early. Sims maintained his lead throughout most of the race. He says: "As soon as we joined the trail, I was able to get away from [the other runner challenging for the lead] on some technical turns and steep rocky downhills and never saw anyone again until mile 12.5. I thought I pretty much had this one in the bag until I heard the leaves rustling behind me with a younger runner bearing down on me in the last half mile. Miraculously I was able to hold him off and crossed the line with 15 or so seconds to spare."

Several other Rock/Creek Race Team members finished strong this weekend as well. Race team members Johanna Gartman and Stephen Taylor won the overall women's and overall men's titles at Chattanooga's Scenic City Triathlon. Johanna is a new member of the team, and at only 15 years old has already won several races including the 2007 Ironkids National Championship in Phoenix, AZ.

John Anderson, fresh off a win at the Old Pueblo 50 Miler in Arizona, managed another impressive podium finish this weekend. He finished second behind La Sportiva athlete Anton Krupicka at the Zane Grey 50 miler, which takes place on the Highline Trail near Payson, Arizona. John is a Signal Mountain native who currently studies medicine at the University of Colorado. He describes the race course, which "has around 11,000 feet of climbing and the 'trail' consists of downed trees, washed out gullies and tons of loose, ankle-breaking rocks. While the race is billed as the toughest 50 miler in the US, I don't know if it's the most difficult, but it is certainly one of the most technical courses with only a few steps of actual smooth trail."

Rock/Creek and all the race team sponsors congratulate Sheridan, Matt, Johanna, Stephen, and all the race team members for their victory and continued support of the sport of trail running: "These racers continue to blow away our expectations as they have taken the podium in races across the country this Spring. In addition, our race team members have been working on building new trails, organizing and supporting the Rock/Creek Trail Series, and raising money for The Boonies," explains Rock/Creek co-owner Dawson Wheeler: "We're proud to have them associated with Rock/Creek."

For more information about the Rock/Creek Race Team, visit http://www.rockcreek.com/raceteam/

About Rock/Creek:

Shop for Hydration Packs in our Gear Store
Make the RockCreek.com StumpJump 50K Your First Ultra Marathon
Get details on the RockCreek.com StumpJump 50K & 11 Mile Trail Race

Posted by Mark McKnight at 12:24 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 28, 2008

Rock/Creek Runners Win Sweetwater 50k & Half Marathon

The Rock/Creek Race Team kicked some butt this weekend in Georgia. Check out this race report from Matt Sims, the team captain and a great trail runner who won the Half Marathon this weekend:

The Sweetwater 50K (southeast regional championship) and the Sweetwater Half Marathon, both won by Team members.
http://www.sweeth20races.com/

In short,

62 runners started the 50K.
153 runners started the Half Marathon

This the second annual Sweetwater 50K and the RRCA has named this 50k the Southeast Regional Championship Race.
The race was well done and consists of some pretty technical trails in Sweetwater State Park, just west of Downtown Atlanta.

Myself, Natalie, Kathy Johns, and Sheridan Ames drove down to Lithia Springs, GA early Saturday morning. Met at the Rock/Creek parking lot at 4:45am and got to the race at 6:35am. Both the 50k and the Half Marathon started together and then split off to their repsective distances at about mile 12.

There were over 150 runners in the Half Marathon so I decided I should get away early so that I could get on the trail and not be hampered by slower runners. Myself and one other guy took off from the starting line and ran the first mile on the road together. As soon as we joined the trail, I was able to get away from him on some technical turns and steep rocky downhills and never saw anyone again until mile 12.5. I thought I pretty much had this one in the bag until I heard the leaves rustling behind me with a younger runner bearing down on me in the last half mile. Miraculously, I was able to hold him off and crossed the line with 15 or so seconds to spare.

Matt Sims 1:38:16

Natalie felt the effects of being sick earlier in the week and within 20 minutes of the run, felt her hair stand up on her skin and was having cold chills. Not a great sign when the starting temperature was 67 degrees.

She bailed out at mile 13.

Kathy Johns finished as 6th woman overall. She was the 30 finisher of the 50k with a time of 6:41.

AND THE BIG NEWS...

Sheridan Ames finished 1st place in 5:01:44. Sheridan said the course was brutal. The humidity and the 80 degree temps made the day pretty hard mentally and physically.

-Matt Sims

Posted by Mark McKnight at 10:20 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 14, 2008

Earth Day Celebration Saturday April 19th

Earth-Friendly Food, Fun and Festivities at Two North Shore Saturday April 19th

Contact:
Krista Steere
krista.steere@csassociates.net
423.821.2121

Chattanooga, TN (April, 2008) - Two North Shore and Greenlife Grocery invite the public to an Earth Day festival at 301 Manufacturers Road on Chattanooga's North Shore. The festival will take place Saturday April 19, 2008 from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. There will be an awards ceremony at 1:00 pm and Jeff Cannon of green|spaces will open the ceremony with a quick talk on green building.

This free day of celebration will contain an afternoon of local acoustic music, activities for the young and not so young, a dog training demo from Roddy Reynolds of RODDYDOGS, and much more. Rock/Creek will speak to their environmental stewardship efforts as well as feature environmentally friendly clothing options. Stop by and learn about annually renewable merino wool, organic cotton and the many recycled items Rock/Creek offers. At 3:00 pm, Rock/Creek will host a Leave No Trace community clinic teaching low impact caving, backpacking, and climbing techniques.

The Tennessee Aquarium will be present with live animals. They will be celebrating the Year of the Frog and educating kids and adults alike on the challenges frogs currently face across the world. They will also have information about the new IMAX film, "Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk," brought to Chattanooga locally by Greenlife Grocery and Rock/Creek. The Chattanooga Nature Center will also be present with a live animal.

Continue reading "Earth Day Celebration Saturday April 19th"

Posted by Mark McKnight at 04:53 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 07, 2008

$1500 Raised at Rock/Creek River Gorge Trail Race

Chattanooga, TN - (April 3, 2008) – Rock/Creek today presented the Cumberland Trail Conference with a check for $1500. The Chattanooga-based outdoor retailer raised the money at last weekend's Rock/Creek River Gorge Trail Race. Now in its seventh year, the race was well attended as about 300 athletes showed up despite torrential rains before the race. This nonprofit organization is dedicated to building and maintaining over 300 miles of trails on the Cumberland Plateau.

Anthony Hook, General Manager of the Cumberland Trail Conference, shares his gratitude: "This race hosted by Rock/Creek helps support the Cumberland Trail Conference and demonstrates the various recreational pursuits that the Cumberland Trail offers. Races such as the Rock/Creek River Gorge Trail Race provide the challenge that trail runners seek and increases awareness of the Cumberland Trail. This money will be used to support our trail building and maintenance programs in Hamilton and Rhea counties. The CTC appreciates Rock/Creek's continuous support and generosity."

Appropriately, the race takes place on the Cumberland Trail, in Prentice Cooper Wildlife Management Area. The two distance options, 10.2 mile and 6.5 mile, both used parts of the challenging Mullens Cove Loop. Prentice Cooper is located in Marion County, on top of Suck Creek Mountain, overlooking the Tennessee River Gorge.

Thunderstorms and heavy rain greeted about 300 athletes on Saturday morning, making this one of the largest and certainly the wettest turnouts in the history of the race. "Having a successful turnout like this, despite the rain, made for a fantastic start to the spring trail running season," states race director, Jamie Sanders. "We are excited to see how continued growth of this sport encourages people to come out, rain or shine, every year."

Covered in mud and soaked in rain and sweat, several of these trail runners battled for the finish, making for a winning time almost a minute faster than last year's time. Joseph Goetz finished first with a 1:13:58 in the 10.2 mile. Rock /Creek Race Team member Stephen Taylor from Nashville ran a great race, finishing just behind Joseph in 1:14:39. Several Chattanooga-based Rock/Creek team members fared well: Geno Phillips finished fourth, Matt Sims came in seventh, while Randy Whorton finished 16th. Rock/Creek employee Clay Warner finished fourth with a time of 1:17:43.

In the women's division, Jan Gautier finished first with a time of 1:28:02, placing 18th overall. Heather Stone of Chattanooga finished 2nd; Michelle Meek of Knoxville, TN took third. Chattanooga native Natalie Sims of Team Rock/Creek ran hard and placed fifth in the women's division.

In the 6.5 miler, Zach McElrath of Phoenix, AZ took the podium with a time of 50:25, beating last year's winning time of 51:31. Tom Sell of Chattanooga came in second in the men's category and Cody Carlson from Rock Face, GA came in third, with a time of 51:26. In the women's division, Mary Mingedorff-Lee finished in 1:03:58, taking first. Cathi Cannon, a Chattanooga native and new member of the Rock/Creek Race Team, came in second, while Angela Pewitt, from Birmingham, AL, finished third with a time of 1:09:56.

Rock/Creek co-owner and president, Dawson Wheeler, from Signal Mountain, TN, expresses his gratitude to the sponsors and volunteers: "Without serious financial and time commitments from our sponsors and volunteers, we never could have raised this much money or had such a successful race." Mr. Wheeler also highlighted the importance of environmental stewardship: "Rock/Creek believes in the work of the Cumberland Trail Conference. By supporting what they do, we hope to encourage others to do their part as well. The future of the activities we love depends on protecting our natural resources through the volunteer work we do now as well as our financial commitments to conservation organizations."

SmartWool, Mountain Hardwear, and Patagonia were major sponsors of the event. The North Face, Salomon, Hammer Nutrition, Greenlife Grocery, Larabar, TrailRunner, and The Gear Junkie also sponsored. The Rock/Creek River Gorge Trail Race was the first in the Rock/Creek Trail Series, a new year-long points series with 9 race dates and 13 distance options. The series benefits trail building and maintenance efforts through The Wilderness Trail Running Association (The Boonies). For more information on the series, visit http://www.rockcreek.com/trailseries/ and for more information on The Boonies visit http://www.runintheboonies.org. The Cumberland Trail Conference can be found at http://www.cumberlandtrail.org.

The next race in the Rock/Creek Trail Series will be the Scenic City Marathon & Half Marathon, presented by Vasque, May 24th, 2008. Registration is currently open: http://www.rockcreek.com/trailmarathon/

Videos & Photography Available online:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rockcreek/2387669404/in/set-72157604361477847/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rockcreek/sets/72157604361477847/
http://rockcreekblog.com/archives/video_photos_from_race_last_weekend.html

About Rock/Creek:

Posted by Mark McKnight at 12:27 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 04, 2008

More Photos from the River Gorge Trail Race

We have a few more photos from this past weekend's Rock/Creek River Gorge Trail Race. Come check them out- there are still more to come when I get a chance, hopefully this weekend.

Don't forget about our next race, the Scenic City Trail Marathon & Half Marathon, coming up on May 24th. The Marathon will set the bench for a state record in trail running. The trails at Raccoon will be fast and forgiving making for a great leisurely race for new trail runners or a full-on speed fest for those in the hunt for the first state record for a trail race. Check out the Scenic City Trail Marathon Web page.

These races are part of the larger Rock/Creek Trail Series, benefiting the Wilderness Trail Running Association (The Boonies).

Posted by Mark McKnight at 09:51 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 01, 2008

Video + Photos from Race Last Weekend

The 2008 Rock/Creek River Gorge Trail Race was a great success, despite torrential rains in the morning before the event. The rain slacked off a bit by the time we started the race, but the course was muddy and the footing unstable all day long. This of course made it a lot of fun for the 260+ trail runners who finished the race.

Check out the photographs from Wilderness Adventure Photography here >

There are also photos from Jon Moss and three videos that he shot at the race:

Thanks to all our sponsors and the volunteers who made this such a great event. We'll have a full race recap this week and will announce the donation for the Cumberland Trail Conference at that time.

For full results and information as it becomes available, visit the race Web site:
http://www.rockcreek.com/rivergorge/

Posted by Mark McKnight at 05:17 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

March 24, 2008

New Race Team Members, Early Season Victories

John Anderson Wins Old Pueblo 50 Mile Trail Race (cropped)

Rock/Creek celebrates continued success for the 2008 race season, as well as four new additions to the team. The season started off strong with team member Kris Whorton as she took the win at the Black Warrior 50K Trail Race. This race takes place in the Brushy Lake Recreational Area, a part of Alabama's William B. Bankhead National Forest. Kris also had the #7 fastest 100 mile time on UltraRunning magazine's recently released 2007 North American Ultra List. Her Umstead 100 miler time of 18:13 was the fastest trail 100 miler time for a female over 40, as well as the 4th fastest for any female in the world. In addition, Kris won the female masters' division of the Mountain Mist 50k back in January, where she also set a new course record for her division. "I am hoping that some of that talent can start rubbing off on me," her husband and running partner Randy quips.

The Cheaha 50k trail race, held on February 27,2008 continued the winning streak for Team Rock/Creek. Husband and wife team members Jamie Dial and Wendi Parker-Dial, of Nashville, took first place in the mens and women's divisions, respectively. Jamie's time broke the course record by 20 minutes. Another husband and wife team, Matt and Natalie Sims, both placed 5th in their respective categories. Kathy Johns finished 9th in her division.

On March 8th, Josh Wheeler won Chattanooga's Scenic City Half Marathon. Josh is a returning Rock/Creek team member, cancer survivor, long time resident of Signal Mountain and former student of The McCallie School. Josh's time of 1:14:56 put him on the podium with another inspiring victory.

Team Rock/Creek's most recent victory is credited to new comer John Anderson. John is originally from Signal Mountain and a former student of The Baylor School. On March 10, 2008 John took the podium at the Old Pueblo 50 Miler Trail Run, located in Arizona. This race consists of loops of forest service roads and trails that are located along the south eastern part of the Santa Rita Mountains (part of the Arizona Mountains). John came in with a time of 7:20:45.

"We're excited to sponsor such a talented group of athletes," explains Dawson Wheeler, co-owner and President of Rock/Creek: "Our Race Team represents us in everything from 5 mile to 100+ mile races across the world. The Whortons are running stage races in Europe while Josh is winning a half marathon right here in downtown Chattanooga. The dedication and the diversity of interests- both athletically and in terms of volunteer and professional work- makes me proud to have these men and women associated with Rock/Creek. They are great role models to other runners as well as environmental stewards working to improve the trail systems in our state and national forest lands."

Rock/Creek proudly introduces this year's new team members:

John Anderson, Medical Student, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Boulder CO
Cathi Cannon, Graphic Designer, Chattanooga, TN
Jaclyn Greenhill, Pediatric ER Nurse, Chattanooga, TN
Kathy Jones, Medical Assistant, Chattanooga, TN

Returning this year:

Sheridan Ames, Hudson Construction project manager, Chattanooga, TN
Jamie Dial, Activities Coordinator, Vanderbilt University Outdoor Program, Nashville, TN
Wendi Parker-Dial, Artist, Art Teacher, Nashville, TN
Michael Green, High School Cross Country/Track Coach, Spray Tech (Golf Course), Chattanooga, TN
Matt Karzen, Laywer, Athens, GA
Geno Phillips, History Teacher, Chattanooga, TN
Matt Sims, Patagonia Sales Rep., Chattanooga, TN
Natalie Sims, Interior Designer, Chattanooga, TN
Stephen Taylor, Fitness Trainer and Endurance Coach, Nashville, TN
Chad Wamack, Commercial Real Estate Brokerage & Development, Chattanooga, TN
Josh Wheeler, Student at Appalachian State University Exercise Physiology program, Signal Mountain, TN
Kris Whorton, UTC English Professor, Chattanooga, TN
Randy Whorton, Environmental business owner/operator, Chattanooga, TN

Rock/Creek would like to thank the Race Team sponsors: Patagonia, La Sportiva, and Vasque.

For more information and individual team profiles, visit http://www.rockcreek.com/raceteam/

About Rock/Creek
Rock/Creek, member of the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, is an independent specialty outdoor retailer with over two decades of experience in the Southeast. Along with its online shops, http://www.RockCreek.com and http://www.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.

RELATED ARTICLES:

John Anderson Wins Old Pueblo 50 Miler
Wheeler Wins Half Marathon, Continuing Rock/Creek Race Team's Winning Streak
Race Team Dominates Mt. Cheaha 50k
Black Warrior Race Report
Strong Finishes at Mountain Mist 50k
$4000 Raised at Rock/Creek StumpJump
Leadville 100: Race Team Report
Life is (Not Always) An Adventure Race: The StumpJump 50K
There's no 'I' in Adventure Race Team
Why I Love Adventure Racing...
How to Train for a 50K
Cotton vs Synthetic

Shop for Hydration Packs in our Gear Store
Make the RockCreek.com StumpJump 50K Your First Ultra Marathon
Get details on the RockCreek.com StumpJump 50K & 11 Mile Trail Race

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March 19, 2008

It's Not Too Late for the Rock/Creek River Gorge Trail Race

On Saturday March 27, 2008 Prentice Cooper Wilderness Management Area will open its gate for the 2008 River Gorge Race, a 10.2 mile and 6.5 mile race that will challenge running enthusiasts of all ages. The course is designed to cover the Mullins Cove Loop. The longer 10.2 mile run is all single track running with the race beginning at 8:30 am. The challenging 6.5 mile run starts at 9:00 am and contains a mixture of single track and Jeep Roads that will keep you on your toes.

Registration is still open, so lace up your kicks and join us for a Saturday that the whole family can enjoy.

It is not too late to sign up. Online registration closes on March 24,2008 at 10:00 pm. Click on the link below for full race details.

Proceeds from this race as well as all of the Rock/Creek Trail Series benefits the The Wilderness Trail Running Association,
a.k.a. "The Boonies"

Click here for full race details and to sign up today >

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March 13, 2008

Video: Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk Trailer

Rock/Creek and Greenlife Grocery are proud to present a new IMAX film at the Tennessee Aquarium in downtown Chattanooga, TN. The film, "Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk," has a strong conservation message, explaining in clear terms how intensely our water resources are being strained by the demands of population growth. Robert Redford narrates and the Dave Matthews Band provides the soundtrack. Robert F. Kennedy, founder of the Riverkeepers, as well as anthropologist and author Wade Davis travel down the river on a rafting trip with their daughters and Shana Watahomigie, a member of the Havasupai tribe and the first Native American to become a National Park Ranger and river guide.

The film opened today for a limited audience of local school children and the media. I attended the preview and have to say that the movie was well worth watching. I didn't realize how drastically world population growth has effected our water resources. The Colorado River, in fact, no longer reaches the delta. One of the most striking images from the film shows a cracked and completely dry river bed where the Colorado used to flow. I'll post photos from the event tomorrow. The movie opens Saturday the 15th, and will run for several months. Be sure to stop by the Aquarium IMAX and check it out.

We're also running a $300 Gift Card giveaway on our Web site in connection with the sponsorship. Sign up today!

Read the TN Aquarium's Press Release on the movie >

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March 11, 2008

Jaclyn Greenhill Joins Rock/Creek Race Team

We're happy to welcome Jaclyn Greenhill to the Rock/Creek Race Team. Jaclyn lives in Chattanooga and has been running with several of our race team members for years. Here she talks a bit about what motivates her to run, gives a few top finishes from the past, and outlines her projected 2008 race schedule. If you see her at a race, be sure to introduce yourself! Welcome Jaclyn!

Occupation: Pediatric ER Nurse
Age: 30

Favorite Run: Mesa Trail at Chautaqua Park in Co; Prentice Cooper. There really is not a trail I have run that does not contribute to my overall growing passion for trail running. Each trail provides a different beauty that I cannot find many other places in life. So with that said, all trails are
pretty much my favorite.

What I love most about running:

There is a simplicity to trail running that you cannot really get with any other sport. You put your running shoes on, drive, or run to that special trail and go. A few seconds later you realize that all of the stresses and worries you had before are no longer there.
It is just you and the trail.

Check our flickr page for more of Jaclyn's photos >

Races/ Significant Accomplishments:
Atlanta Marathon 2003 -2nd place
Efix Adventure race 2004- 2nd place
Blue Ridge Adventure race 2003,2004- 6th place
Iceland half Marathon 2005 -2nd age division
Cohutta 100 mile mt bike race 2005
Carrboro 50K 2006- 2nd female
Holiday Lake 50K 2006- 5th female
Goblin Valley ultra 2006- 3rd in division
Twin Falls ultra 40 miler 2006- 3rd female
Fort Yargo adventure race 2007- 1st all female team
Stump Jump 2007- 3rd female
+ several other adventure races, triathlons

Upcoming races 2008:
Dirty Spokes 12 hr mountain bike race
Oak Mountain 50 K
Rock/Creek River George Trail Race
Scenic City Trail Marathon
Pikes Peak Marathon-?
Transalps stage race-?
Rock/Creek StumpJump 50k

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March 10, 2008

John Anderson Wins Old Pueblo 50 Miler

The winning streak continues for the Rock/Creek Race Team. John Anderson took first place in the Old Pueblo 50 Mile Endurance Run in Sonoita, Arizona. John, originally of Signal Mountain, Tennessee, currently lives in Boulder, Colorado where he studies medicine at the University of Colorado. He joined the team this year. Here's his race report from this weekend:

I've been going to the Old Pueblo 50 Mile trail race for 3 years now and it's always a well run event. It takes place in the mountains outside of Tucson and the course climbs about 7500 ft throughout the race. If you see a helicopter it's not because ESPN 8 is filming the race--it's close to the Mexican border so the area is fairly heavily patrolled. I didn't see any Border Patrol during the race but driving to and from the start/finish I saw several government trucks.

The first half of the course is a mix of singletrack on the AZ trail, 4WD roads, desert gullies, and about 4-5 miles of gravel road. The next half is mostly single track as well as some 4WD roads. Along the course there are plenty of yucca, cacti, and amazing desert views. There are even a few creek crossing, but I'm pretty sure that even the smallest playboat wouldn't fit.

This year was definitely the hottest one I remembered and the hottest that the race director, Duane Arter, remembered as well. The day started off in the mid 40s and was somewhere around 80 by the time I finished.

The morning was clear and the moon was still bright enough to run without a headlamp, so off we went trying to get some miles in before the sun came out blazing. I was feeling a bit under-heat trained, but as luck would have it so were Sean (Team Inov-8 runner) and Nate (Team LaSportiva runner). Anyway, The three of us went out pretty hard as we knew that it would be hot soon. Sean dropped back on the climb up Gunsight Pass (mile 17ish), but then Nate left me around mile 25 on the way up to California Gulch.

I caught Nate at mile 33 and we ran together for the next 3-4 miles, and then Nate started having some ankle and hydration problems (by the time he finished his ankle was beat up pretty badly from the loose grapefruit sized rocks and steep downhills).

Not really knowing where these guys were, but knowing that they were both strong finishers (Sean has won Mt Masochist and this event in the past and Nate had the CR at Wasatch for several years) I tried to push a little bit on the way out of the aid station at mile 40. Also, I knew that Matt Sims might cover me in fish oil and let his cat Roscoe chase me if I got passed in the last few miles.

My calf started to cramp up and I was starting to lose the hydration battle, but I smelled the barn (or was it my own body odor?) and headed to the finish. The mile long meadow at the end seemed to take forever but I did blow by a few trees like they were standing still. Anyway, it was a fun weekend and I managed to convince a few folks from VA to check out the StumpJump in the future.

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March 07, 2008

Wheeler Wins Half Marathon, Continuing Rock/Creek Race Team's Winning Streak

Rock/Creek Race Team member Josh Wheeler won last weekend's Scenic City Half Marathon here in Chattanooga, TN, with a time of 1 hour, 14 minutes and 56 seconds. Congratulations Josh! He continues the Race Team's winning streak this season with this incredible run. Josh, a twenty-year-old runner from Chattanooga, is currently a student at Appalachian State University.

Josh won the race ahead of two strong seniors from Bryan College's running program. With his usual self-deprecating humility, he describes the battle:

While he seemed to win with ease, the 5-foot-5 Wheeler said that was not the case.
"I was absolutely running scared," he said, smiling. "Those guys behind me were running well. I'm definitely not built to be a runner. I'm short and stocky, not like those long drinks of water chasing me." [Chattanooga Times-Free Press, click the image to the left to view full article]

Josh has an incredible story. He was already a great athlete in high school at The McCallie School. He was on his way to being a national champion in wrestling when a brain tumor ended his wrestling days. Josh became a triathlete immediately after recovering from the multiple surgeries, and became a source of hope and a role model for many. He has raised many thousands of dollars for cancer research and was inducted into the Tennessee chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame last year.

Josh continues to train for his current focus on the sport of triathlon. Saturday's Half Marathon was training for the Florida Half Ironman triathlon. You can read more about Josh's philosophy and see his top finishes on his Rock/Creek Race Team profile.

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March 03, 2008

More Photos of Mt. Cheaha 50k

We have a few more images that just came in from last weekend's Mount Cheaha 50k. Check them out on flickr (click the photo to browse):

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February 27, 2008

Race Team Dominates Cheaha 50k

Rock/Creek's Race Team continues to bring home the glory in ultramarathons across the Southeast this winter. Husband and wife team members Jamie Dial and Wendi Parker-Dial took first place in the mens' and womens' divisions, respectively. Jamie's time broke the course record by 20 minutes. Another husband and wife pair from the team fared well: Matt Sims placed 5th and his wife Natalie placed 5th female. Kathy Johns finished 9th female. Great job guys!

Here's what Jamie had to say about the course on The Boonies forum:

The course is really amazing and has a good mix of terrain. Though rarely "flat", it does have some dirt road sections that give your brain a slight reprieve from the single track rollers. I loved seeing the state park signs below Blue Hell that say STEEP TRAIL AHEAD. There were other signs that probably said keep children close or something, but I had tunnel vision at that point and only remember STEEP TRAIL....

Get in on the discussion here (forum requires signup to post, but it's free, so please come join us!).

A bulletin sent out to the Anniston Runners Club sums up the race pretty well, and I'll post any other details that come in from our racers. The Anniston e-mail follows:

TO ALL ANNISTON RUNNERS CLUB MEMBERS AND TRAIL JUNKIES – Mount Cheaha 50K ultra-trail run could be considered a triathlon (combination of three sports)! Trail running! Rock Scrambling! Creek Swimming! (See attached picture of runner swimming on Hubbard Creek near Lake Chinnabee.)
140 runners from as far away as California, Washington, Massachusetts, and Colorado toed the line yesterday at the start of the 3rd annual 31 mile race to the top of Mount Cheaha. 113 finished the whole event and lived to tell about it.

Was it rugged? Yes.

Was it unforgiving? Yes.

Was it steep? Oh yes!

Was it muddy and wet and cold? Of course!

Is Blue Hell hellish? #%X!#$%@!

Was it fun? You betcha.

Congrats to the overall winners who happen to be a husband and wife team! (And related to our own Dunaway Conner!) Jamie Dial was the first place male, and his wife Wendi Parker-Dial took home the first place female honors. (See attached pictures.)

More pictures of ARC members to come with a direct link to a photo album in a later email! Thanks to Leigh Marsh and Tom Nelson. AND Todd will have the link for the results up sometime soon. He’s working on it!

Seven Aid Stations!!! This has got to be the best supported race around. Each aid station was well-stocked with everything from basic gu to an assortment of chips, pretzels, and candy to hot taters with salt to hamburgers and hot dogs! And of course, there was plenty of water and Gatorade.

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February 19, 2008

StumpJump in "Marathon und Mehr"

I received a package last week containing a German running magazine, Marathon und Mehr, along with a note from Gerd Duerr, who ran the Rock/Creek StumpJump 50k in 2007. He had written an article about the race, published along with quite a few photographs in a three-page spread in the magazine. As he said in his letter, the StumpJump ended up being a very difficult race: "It was really a very very hard job for me," he says, "cause till the start, I thought of a lovely street-race of 50k through the beautiful Cumberland mountains. I was a little bit ignorant." In the article, Duerr calls this "the toughest race of my life." He wishes us luck with future races and hopes we get more racers from Europe. I'm sure we will with such great press. Thanks Mr. Duerr! The full article follows, translated very graciously by our friend Jim Johnson of the Chattanooga Bike Club. Click on the image to view the original article on flickr.

"50 Kilometer Cumberland Trail Stump Jump in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA"
A report by Gerd Duerr, originally published in Marathon & Mehr, January 2008.

Just to get it out of the way at the outset, yes, this is the same Chattanooga that Glenn Miller made immortal in 1942 with his song about a train. The famous train hasn’t run since the 1970s and, beyond its touristy reincarnation into part of a Holiday Inn, there’s nothing left to see.

From my perspective, I don’t have much more to say about the town, since the hidden secret of the region is a bit north of and above the city in the suburb of Signal Mountain: the Cumberland Trail. It’s part of the challenging Appalachian Trail, the long-distance trail into the Appalachian Mountains.

An otherwise quiet town, Signal Mountain comes alive once a year in the beginning of October as the starting point of the 50-kilometer “Stump Jump,” an unbelievable trail race. The race takes place along the Cumberland Trail. Other than this trail, it’s not possible to take other routes through the woods due to the thick vegetation.

A vacation in the South of the United States gave me the opportunity to participate in the race.

Carbo Supper in the Evening
The usual Pasta Party (called here a “Carbo Supper”) was held the evening before the race. Put on by the Chattanooga Track Club and the local outfitter “Rock Creek,” it took place outdoors in downtown Chattanooga. The weather was beautiful: from 18-27 degrees Centigrade and no clouds blocked the view to the blue skies. The setting was akin to a beer garden, which, along with the great food, made for a wonderful atmosphere... [plenty more below the fold]

Continue reading "StumpJump in "Marathon und Mehr""

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February 18, 2008

Black Warrior Race Report

"This behavior clearly qualifies as domestic abuse," writes Randy Whorton in his race report from the Black Warrior 50k this past weekend. He's describing his wife Kris Whorton's win, and the fact that he had a hard time keeping up. All kidding aside, they did a phenomenal job this weekend, and Rock/Creek congratulates their efforts. The couple finished 5th overall, and Kris beat her previous course record. Kris and Randy are Rock/Creek race team members with a number of top finishes and course records on their resumes.

Here's Randy's story:

Kris had sort of a rough run, but wow did she crank it up the last 10K. I really had a tough time keeping up. This behavior clearly qualifies as domestic abuse. She did win and lowered her course record by 6 minutes (4:45), and we finished 5th overall out of around 70 finishers. Fantastic conditions for us, really muddy with the temp hanging around 50. We encountered roughly 30 horses which mainly caused the mud fest.

Black Warrior takes place in the Brushy Lake Recreational Area, a part of Alabama's William B. Bankhead National Forest.

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February 13, 2008

GPS Map for River Gorge Race (6.5 Mile Course)

I recently lent out my Garmin Forerunner GPS watch to our race director so he could mark the course for the upcoming Rock/Creek River Gorge Trail Race. Jamie ran the 6.5 mile course, and the results are below. If you've never tried a GPS unit, I warn you ahead of time that it's highly possible that you'll never want to leave the house without it.

So here's what you get from MotionBased when you export to Google. Be sure to switch between the satellite and the terrain views with the "Sat" and "Ter" buttons. As you can see, this is a beautiful run along a ridge on the Cumberland Plateau, and you're overlooking the Tennessee River on most of the course:

View Larger Map

The idea is simple, but it bears repeating because it blows my mind every time I think about it: the government developed a system where they send big hunks of metal into space on a space shuttle or rocket or whatever so they can track whatever it is they track, and they end up allowing the general public to access these satellites. So now when you head out on a run, ride, paddle- or whatever you do outside- you can wear a watch that checks in with these things flying around in space.

When you get back home, you plug the watch into the computer and it overlays your route on a map that you can drag around and zoom in and out. Also, it sends your route through another service that checks the elevation against the map and gives you an elevation profile. What? How cool is that!

MotionBased also gives you some options for analyzing your speed and pace. The Forerunner has a "lap" button that you can use to manually set laps, or you can choose to have it auto-lap each mile while running.

Of course, Garmin offers a variety of GPS units, some with navigation features and maps. We offer quite a few choices at Rock/Creek.

You also might want to check out our Suunto GPS-enabled watches, like the X9i, which are ideal for mountaineers, skiiers, and any athletes who want high technology and bombproof construction.

Sign up for the Rock/Creek River Gorge Trail Race >
Check out the full 2008 Rock/Creek Trail Series >
Shop GPS Units for Navigation or Sports at Rock/Creek >

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February 04, 2008

Strong Finishes at Mountain Mist 50k

Several Rock/Creek Race Team members finished strong at last weekend's Mountain Mist 50k in Huntsville, AL. The women stole the show: Kris Whorton finished 1st in her age group, 3nd women's and 25th overall. Wendi Parker-Dial finished 2nd in her age group, 2nd women's and 16th overall. Congrats to Patricia Smith for winning the women's division and placing 14th overall. (Patricia actually has raced with Jim Farmer under the Rock/Creek banner in past adventure races). Jaclyn Greenhill finished 3rd in her age group, 5th female and 41st overall.

As for the men, Jamie Dial focused on pacing his wife Wendi but finished with a respectable 9th for his age group, 17th overall. Michael Green finished 11th in his age group, 23rd overall. Our friend Stephen Smith finished 3rd in his age group, 18th overall, in his first official ultra.

See the full results here.

We also have some good race reports coming in on the Boonies forum. Here's one from Larry "Snake" Lyda:

"This year was my first Mountain Mist Race. Having heard all the stories about it being Alabama’s Toughest Trail Run, I was at first not sure just what to expect. This year was the 14th running and the weather over the years has been very consistant—unpredictable. This year the weathermen had all got fired up using the 4 letter word, “snow” and winter storm advisory. Sitting at my sister’s house in Bridgeport, I was beginning to wonder if the race would be cancelled even if I could make it up Monte Sano Mountain. I had a 4 wheel drive but, no good on ice. Well, as it turned out, no ice on the roads but a fine mist on the mountain. No problems with the roads, only some slick rocks. Especially the ones on the sidewalk in front of the Park Lodge. The trees and small bushes on top of the mountain had a beautiful layer of ice formed on them in some places. The weather was not a factor, actually I found the cool temperatures beneficial." [Read the full report here...]

Great job guys! Sounds like a fun weekend.

[UPDATE 2/6: I was just made aware of the fact that Randy Whorton also received his 10-year finisher's jacket. Pretty sweet to have finished such a tough race 10 times! Congrats Randy.]

[UPDATE 2/5: I just found this great race report online.]

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December 07, 2007

$20,000 Raised for Access at 2007 Triple Crown

$20,000 Raised by Rock/Creek and Triple Crown Bouldering Series for Climbing Access

Chattanooga retailer Rock/Creek, with Triple Crown Bouldering Series organizers, announce that $20,000 in funds have been raised in 2007 for various causes benefiting climbing access; $65,000 raised over the five-year history of the Triple Crown. Over 1000 climbers and spectators enjoy a three-part climbing competition taking place in AL, TN, and NC.

December 4, 2007, Chattanooga, TN- By the end of the third and final comp in the Triple Crown Bouldering Series, the climbers and sponsors supporting the event- Rock/Creek, Marmot, Chaco, and others- had raised over $20,000 to help secure access to the best climbing areas and to fund hiking trail maintenance in the Southeast. "$20,000 in a single year is an incredible achievement, and it's hard to understate the value of this money to the outdoor community," said Scott Howell, SCC representative. The 5th annual event ended in Chattanooga, Tennessee with a slide show at the new Rock/Creek location on the North Shore on Friday, the final bouldering comp at the Stone Fort Saturday, and a subsequent awards ceremony that night at the Coolidge Park Pavilion. The Triple Crown consists of three climbing events: Hound Ears, Horse Pens, and The Stone Fort, taking place on the first weekend of October, November, and December, respectively. Around 200 competitors signed up for all three events, and another 200 climbers competed at each event, making for a total of around 400 competitors at each weekend.

"We see events as a great way to involve the core users of an area with the fundraising process. If you want to climb in the Southeast, where the vast majority of climbing resources are located on private land, then you have to be involved in the discussions with landowners, the fundraising for purchasing new areas, and the administration of clubs like the SCC that are making the decisions and providing the leadership to organize trail days and secure access" - Dawson Wheeler

$10,000 of the money raised came from the very popular limited edition Triple Crown sandals, a collaboration between Rock/Creek and Chaco where $20 of each sandal purchase goes directly to access. This money will go to the Southeastern Climbers Coalition (SCC). Raffles and auctions taking place at the events accounted for another $5,000 that will go to the Access Fund and the SCC. Earlier in the year, the Series raised $2,000 for the Carolina Climbers Coalition to cover a year of the lease that the Triple Crown has committed to paying each year for access to the Ashboro Boulders. Event organizer Chad Wykle describes this area as "a beautiful boulder field that had been closed to climbers for years and now will be open for outdoor recreation." The North Face also partnered with The Triple Crown to help raise another $1,000 this year for the Access Fund at the Outdoor Retailer trade show. Kate McGinness gave her entire winnings ($2,400) directly back to the SCC. She won Horse Pens and placed second at Hound Ears and Stone Fort. "This is a wonderful example of an athlete going above and beyond to do the right thing for access, and we're all very proud to be associated with competitors and friends like her. Kate sets a wonderful example for a younger generation of climbers," Wykle explained.

Rock/Creek, Chaco, and Marmot have a long history of raising money for climbing access in the region through the Triple Crown Bouldering Series. "We see events as a great way to involve the core users of an area with the fundraising process. If you want to climb in the Southeast, where the vast majority of climbing resources are located on private land, then you have to be involved in the discussions with landowners, the fundraising for purchasing new areas, and the administration of clubs like the SCC that are making the decisions and providing the leadership to organize trail days and secure access," said Dawson Wheeler, Rock/Creek owner and long-time advocate for access. "If you account for all the money we've raised through the Triple Crown, you're looking back at over $65,000 that's gone to direct action causes, non-profit donations to the SCC, CCC, and Access Fund as well as Habitat for Humanity."

Jim Horton, event co-founder and director, summed up the appreciation felt by the climbing community as a whole: "We thank all of our sponsors for making such a great event happen and for their considerable financial and time commitment. The sponsor list reads like a who's who of the outdoor industry." Rock/Creek, Marmot, and Chaco are presenting sponsors. The North Face, Rock & Ice, Mammut, prAna, Crumpler, and ClifBar made a serious commitment as well, and many others contributed: Five Ten, LaSportiva, Metolius, Mountain Hardwear, Powersox, BlueWater Ropes, Sterling Rope, Black Diamond, Mountain High Outfitters, Footsloggers, Misty Mountain, Oakley, Scarpa, and Evolv. "We'd also like to thank Chad and Jim, the organizers, volunteers, the Montlake Golf Club, Hound Ears Country Club, the Mike Shultz Family, Adam Henry, and Chattanooga Parks & Recreation," added Wheeler.

About Rock/Creek: