We are so excited to host this event IN PERSON! If you’re not familiar with this event, it is a multifaceted event!
We start the day with a triathlon where athletes will swim 400 meters then transition to the bikes for a 13 mile course from downtown Jacksonville, pass by the memorials, hop on the beautiful greenway for a few miles, go through Brynn Marr area, cross Western Blvd and head back downtown via Hargett. Once they drop their bikes they lace up their running shoes and run a 5k course around downtown. We also offer a duathlon option where athletes bike 13 miles and run a 5k and lastly we offer just the 5k run.
Starting at 9am and going until 1pm we open the festival featuring vendors, food trucks, kids zone hosted by Sturgeon City & Zing Zumm Children’s Museum, Pogies interactive zone where people can test out kayaks and stand up paddle boarding, free boat tours from the City of Jacksonville StormWater Department as well a yoga class at 11:30. All free unless you want to support one of the vendors and purchase something at their booth.
How can we do all of this with two staff members?
Community partnerships! We are so blessed to have partners that support our efforts to bring visitors to our area. The City of Jacksonville Tourism Development Authority and Onslow County Government support us on a yearly basis through occupancy tax along with providing other marketing and event support. We are so grateful to have them behind everything we do. Jacksonville Police Department and specifically Sgt. Ashley Potter. She goes above and beyond to make sure we communicate through all aspects of the route and possible scenarios in order to create a safety plan. Pogies is so generous to provide an interactive experience for free! Ethan and his staff are wonderful and we are so thankful they provide the opportunity for people to try kayaking and stand up paddle boarding. Sturgeon City & Zing
Zumm Children’s Museum provides an educational and fun environment for the kiddos. They dedicate the time prepping their plans and setting up games for the kids to enjoy. Jacksonville StormWater Department provides educational boat tours of the New River which adds a special opportunity for event goers to learn more about the river and its history.
Jacksonville Recreation & Parks helps us secure the venue and all the other requests that come along with it. Atlantic Coast Timing times our race and makes sure everything runs smoothly! We are grateful for Mike’s expertise!
Our Board of Directors and volunteers help us make it happen! Our board members are committed to our mission and it shows when they show up ready to work at 6am! For an event of this size we recruit 50+ volunteers. We are still looking for volunteers so if you know someone, have them email us at scott@josc-nc.com.
Fun Facts:
Do you know why the triathlon order is swim, bike then run?
This may be common sense, but many people ask why the order of a triathlon goes swim-bike-run. It's simple—it's ordered based on safety. The swim is first so athletes are in the water when they're fresh and not exhausted after two other legs. You can always stop to walk your bike or pause during the run, but unfortunately you can't really stop and take a breather during the swim.
Source: https://www.active.com/triathlon/articles/10-fun-facts-you-never-knew-about-triathlon
Do you know why the New River is called a black river?
When it rains, the water goes over the pine needles and cyprus needles from the trees that grow alongside the river and strips the tannic acid from them. The leaves and needles fall to the bottom and create a brewed river “tea” color water.
The water is perfectly safe for recreational activities and we’re so excited to use the river for our event again this year!
Written by: Marisa Reeder, Assistant Executive Director
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