Four Seasons Running Club 10K Race to Jump Off Rock

I decided to start a new post for the actual race. For me, as I am sure for many involved, the race began way before the 9 am "Jump Start". My race started at 5am just getting out of bed. Then, with the hardest part completed, I road my bike over to the Jones Gap Baptist Church.The organizers; Henderson County Runners Club and Four Seasons Running Club were already there with sign up sheets and hospitality tables and had the whole race mapped out with volunteers readied at check points. A lot of time and effort went in to organizing and coordinating this event and wasn't I relieved to know that the Laurel Park Police provided an official sweeper, making my job so much easier.

  I was free to ride back and forth among the runners at the beginning of the event and toward the end had the privilege of partnering with a person who had just participated in an  Iron Man event in Augusta GA just a few weeks ago. 

This event, as she described it while running, included a 13.1 mile Run, a 56 Mile Cycling event and 1.2 Miles Swimming (in the Savannah River!!!). I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

The race today was all about Winning! Not in the Times, not in the Awards, and certainly not in the genre of Charley Sheen. It was all about Winning by Being There and Participating! There were Mothers and Daughters, Fathers and Sons, Friends and Neighbors actively participating, each at their own pace. Even passers by and residents from their balconies were waving and shouting support as runners raced by. Just as, I was told, some 4000 participated in the Iron Man, I foresee Oktoberfest and the 10k @ Jump Off Rock event in Hendersonville growing in number by leaps and bounds in the coming years. I would also love to see a cyclists contingent, something like 10k vs 10 miles - Man vs Machine. After all there is no place more beautiful than Jump Off Rock and no community more supportive than Laural Park and Hendersonville.


Not to mention the Oktoberfest at the Southern Appalachian Brewery from 12pm to 6pm. Gosh how time flies... Gotta Go!!!! PS: Join the Jump Off Rock 10k Race next year and you will be Winning Too!