Run, swim and bike (or any combination of the three) for a great cause at the NTB Fun TRY Challenge with Spinning on Sunshine.
You may not think of yourself as a triathlete, but thanks to a local mobile training company you can give it a try and have fun doing it. The NTB Fun TRY Challenge is scheduled for Saturday, May 1 and is sure to be a great time for all, especially since it’s being held for such a great cause.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the North Topsail Beach Volunteer Rescue & EMS and the Onslow County Parks and Recreation Youth Scholarship Fund. You’ll get a cool Dri-fit event logo t-shirt and be entered into drawings for gift cards and other prizes provided by local businesses. The best part is, you can choose what you want to do and how much you want to try!
The Challenge starts with a swim course of 400 meters. If you don’t swim or just don’t feel like swimming, you can wade or float or not do this segment at all. The North Topsail Beach Fire and Rescue squad will watch over all the participants, both on the beach and in the water, to make everyone stays safe.
The next leg of the challenge is cycling. For this event, you won’t be riding on the road worrying about traffic. You’ll be safe on the beach riding spin cycles for 30 minutes or 10 miles, whichever comes first. Volunteers will help you get comfortable on the bike and, again, you can do as little or as much as you want or skip this part of the challenge.
The final part of the NTB Try Challenge is the run. You will run, jog or walk 2.8 miles. The course is laid out in an out-and-back fashion, meaning you return to your starting point when you are done. Aid and hydration stations will be located along the way. You can walk or run a mile, 2 miles or the entire course or none at all.
The NTB Try Challenge event is designed to give people of all abilities a chance to try a triathlon, although a bit of a non-traditional one.
“It will be a fun community event,” says event organizer Danny Blowe.
Danny and his wife, Cathy, run Spinning on Sunshine, which is sponsoring the challenge. Blowe says the idea for this event, and for donating the proceeds to the NTB Rescue and the Onslow County Parks & Rec, is “a way to involve the community and to collaborate between the two departments.”
Working with Chad Soward, chief of the North Topsail Beach fire department, and Mike Taylor, fire department captain, Spinning on Sunshine has coordinated operations rescue and EMS services for the event. They’ve also coordinated with Jason McCray with the Onslow Parks and Rec on donating to the Youth Scholarship fund.
The Blowes emphasize that this is an opportunity for anyone, regardless of skill set, to come out, have some fun and get some exercise.
“The NTB Try Challenge is a non-traditional triathlon with a twist,” Blowe says. “You can pick, one, two or all three events.”
There will be no monetary awards and no age bracket awards, but everyone will be entered into drawings for door prizes donated by local companies, including restaurants, sporting goods and gift shops in the area.
The challenge has a number of amazing community sponsors as well, Blowe says, including local businesses and some larger companies in the area.
“We are big believers in giving back to the community,” he says. “We are very grateful for what we have and are big advocates for helping out kids and youth.”
Emphasizing safety as well as fun, Blowe says that everyone participating in the NTB Try Challenge will be placed in small groups, properly spaced, that will have staggered start times for the event. Within each group, each person will have a 10-second start time space between them and the next person to start the segment. The groups will be staggered in 45-minute increments. In addition, the spin bikes will be placed at least 10 feet apart. Of course, everything will take place outdoors so all participants can enjoy the fresh air.
Blowe stresses that the NTB Try Challenge is a great way to “raise money, have fun and challenge yourself at the level you want.” Registration will be open until the morning of the event, which will go on rain or shine as long as there is no severe weather in the area. He adds confidently, “We anticipate the weather is going to work with us.”
Want to Try?
NTB Try Challenge, sponsored by Spinning on Sunshine
Onslow County Beach Access #2
Saturday, May 1, 7 am
runsignup.com/ntbfuntry
