The King of the Smokies sprint and international distance triathlons will be held at Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center on Sept. 1. The Sprint Triathlon includes a quarter-mile open water swim in Lake Junaluska; an 18-mile cycle ride out U.S. toward Maggie Valley and up U.S. 276 toward Jonathan Valley; and a 3.7-mile run around the lake greenway trail.
The International Distance Triathlon includes a one-mile open water swim; a 26-mile bicycle leg that goes up U.S. 19, up U.S. 276, and continues on toward Crabtree with climbs over Coleman and Hyder mountains before heading back to Lake Junaluska; and a 7.45-mile run that loops twice around the lake trail.
USAT Race Directors Susan and William Wilkins are experienced triathletes competing all over the Southeast Region in triathlons and long-distance running events. The past several years the King of the Smokies Triathlon has been held in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
This year, the Smoky Mountain Folk Festival will coincide with the triathlon. Many outstanding Appalachian musicians will be present for the music festival right along side the triathletes.
Registration, maps and more specific information about the triathlon and Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center are at www.lakejunaluska.com, www.imathlete.com or at www.kingofthesmokies.com or call 910.581.2758 for more information.
I had never seen the color green like that before.
Robert Morgan has a rare and cunning gift: he can sift through the detritus of the past, pluck objects and images from his memory (especially his childhood) and elevate them to the point where they become — in the sense that Joseph Campbell uses the word — “numinous.”
