Arts, Leisure and Sports
Patrice Weiss- Carilion G Marrano photo
Its been rumored for some time and this morning it was made official – an Ironman Triathlon coming to Virginia’s Blue Ridge next June. Details from WFIR’s Gene Marrano:
NEWS RELEASE: The Carilion Clinic IRONMAN® 70.3® Virginia’s Blue Ridge triathlon will be held on June 7, 2020 in the Roanoke Valley in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. General registration will open on Tuesday, August 13, 2019 with more information available on the official IRONMAN website – www.ironman.com/blueridge70.3 The event will offer 40 age-group qualifying slots to the 2020 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Taupõ, New Zealand.
Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge is acting as the housing agency for athletes and visitors for the Carilion Clinic IRONMAN 70.3 Virginia’s Blue Ridge and is the ONLY official housing bureau for this event. An official housing link will be available when registration opens on August 13, 2019.
Located in the heart of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, Roanoke is the largest metropolitan area in Virginia’s mountain region. It’s a hub for outdoor recreation, and also boasts a diverse arts & culture scene. Roanoke is best known for the iconic Roanoke Star, which sits atop Mill Mountain and is adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway – America’s Favorite Drive.
For outdoor lovers, Roanoke offers a bevy of hiking and biking trails convenient to downtown and is a designated Silver-Level Ride Center® by the International Mountain Bicycling Association®. Virginia’s Blue Ridge has staked its claim as America’s East Coast Mountain Biking Capital and is the perfect setting for an IRONMAN 70.3 branded event.
The 2020 Carilion Clinic IRONMAN 70.3 Virginia’s Blue Ridge triathlon will begin with a rolling start format. The race will include a 1.2-mile swim at Carvins Cove, 56-mile bicycle ride through Botetourt County, and a 13.1 mile run on the Roanoke River Greenway. The finish line for the event will be at River’s Edge Park.
Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge is grateful for the partnership of Carilion Clinic, the Western Virginia Water Authority and its local governmental partners for providing support for this event.
For more information on the 2020 IRONMAN 70.3 Virginia’s Blue Ridge triathlon, visit www.ironman.com/blueridge70.3. You can also read the news release about this major event announcement for Virginia’s Blue Ridge.
If you have questions about the event, contact virginia70.3@ironman.com.
A small plates restaurant and wine bar has opened up in the Wasena area with a ribbon-cutting tomorrow. WFIR’s Ian Price has more on Bloom:
Drew Lawhorn-FB photo
FloydFest 19 meant another return home for Salem native Drew Lawhorn, who left the area to further his career as a drummer in Nashville about a decade ago. He was with Nora Jane Struthers and her band The Party Line this past weekend. It was the first FloydFest for Lawhorn with Struthers, although he’s played the festival previously with his good friend and Roanoke singer-songwriter Jordan Harman. Nora Jane Struthers and The Party Line are back at 5 Points Music Sanctuary in Roanoke on August 15.
Photo: ATW Productions
The Floydfest music festival is now a sellout as it is poised to enjoy some of the best weather in its 18-year history. Economic development officials in Floyd and Patrick Counties hope that will lead to an even greater economic benefit to their region than normal. Floydfest CEO John McBroom says one thing weather does not impact much is the festival’s operations:
McBroom says attendance for the first two days this year is the biggest they have ever seen, and it offers those who attend more than just music. A number of organizations have set up information booths there, like the Upper Roanoke River Roundtable, a non-profit that strives to improve the river’s water quality. Danielle DeHart is at the festival:
Floydfest continues through Sunday.