New River Gorge-ous Trail Run & Walk

Richard Bayes has been involved in the outdoor recreation industry almost 3 decades and still get surprised everyday on how wonderful it is and how great the people he meets everyday. The race is about the racers. He will be participating right along side them. Hello, on October 23rd 2010, you’ll be organizing the New River Gorge-ous Trail Run & Walk . Can you tell us where it is located? It is located in the New River Gorge, the “Grand Canyon of the East” in Southern West Virginia at the Home of ACE Adventure Resort – North America’s Largest Adventure Resort. §staticmap(5276,5) This will be the 9th edition of the race. Why was it created in the first place? ACE has more than 30 miles of private trails that connect to the National Park Trails, offering an unquiet “River-to-Rim” experience to one of our national treasures. Spectacular trails and breathtaking scenery. We have been running competition races for years and wanted to open it up to families and non-pro racers to give everyone an opportunity to experience it. The race offers something for everyone of all skill levels. What kind of route have you set up for the runners? How would you describe it? We have different courses for different skill levels. The trails are simple to hard core depending on the racers skill. Easy to hard, technical to straight forward. They are all inside the resorts 1,500-acres and offer outstanding wildlife and views. Credit : KILAM’s How many runners do you expect on Saturday morning? What type of runners do you plan to attract? Not sure of the numbers yet but we have had 150 before. We get competition racers and families out to just enjoy the outdoors. Do you organize other races during the Week-End? If so, on what distances? We offer several races; 5k, 10k, etc. We are working on a 50 mile sanction WVMBA Race and have plans to have a 100 mile race next year. We are working to become a race destination. Racers train on our trail year round. At that time of the year, what kind of weather can we expect? In the mountains the weather can change quickly. This race, the end of August, should be sunny and clear with cool temperature in the morning. Temperature range should be anything from 55 to 70 degrees. We have the races in the morning and early afternoon to keep it relatively cool for the racers. Have you planned festivities around the marathon? We have had bands and cookouts before. The resort Lake Waterpark and other activities inspires a festive feeling and racers will spend the day or several at the Resort. The marathon finished, what advice would you give a runner who has never been to Minden before? A good restaurant, a fancy sightseeing? After the race I would recommend playing at the Lake Waterpark with the inflatable water toys, floating icebergs, zip-lines, 40" high water slide and 2 acre sandy beach. They can go on a zip-line canopy tour, run the river, an ATV Tour, and so much more. They can visit nearby historic towns and shop and dine. They is great energy here with artisans and unique restaurants. Scenic drives to spectacular overlooks, waterfalls, and so much more. It’s hard to experience everything that is offered here in a day or two! In a single sentence, what would you tell the readers of ahotu Marathons to make them register for the New River Gorge-ous Trail Run & Walk? Our New River Gorge-ous Trail Run & Walk is about experience the outdoors in a spectacular setting, pushing your limits in a fun and social setting that leaves you revitalized and wanting more. Thank you Richard.