If you’re an active family and are looking for a great new place to spend Labor Day weekend, consider Greensboro. With The North Carolina Sprint Triathlon State Championship right around the corner, why not head to Greensboro instead of the coast or the mountains?
The inaugural North Carolina Sprint Triathlon State Championship is poised to be an amazing event for this year and many years to come. It is the first time the city has gotten approval from the state to allow people to swim in Lake Townsend, a local watershed that supplies the drinking water for the good folks of Greensboro. Actually, the pristine waters of Lake Townsend could be the first reason you want to do the event! On Labor Day weekend the lake is sure to be filled with triathletes from all over the Southeast – you don’t want to miss the opportunity.
In addition, the community is bending over backward to make this a fun event. The Proximity Hotel (www.proximityhotel.com), a Quaintance-Weaver hotel, the first LEED Platinum Certified hotel in the world, has stepped up and offered a great package: $199 for a room with two queen beds and a $50 food voucher to anyone that wants to race. They don’t care if two, three or four of you split the cost of the room, the Quaintance-Weaver folks just want you to come to Greensboro and race.
Greensboro is also great place for families. There is plenty to do with the entire family. If you are an age grouper in the under-40 crowd and have really young children, the Greensboro Children’s Museum (www.gcmuseum.com) offers a variety of hands-on exhibits perfect for kids. The shining star of the museum is Alice Water’s Edible School Yard Garden. The garden uses a seed-to-table philosophy whereby kids and families learn about the systems through which food is grown, harvested, prepared and shared as a meal. By giving children a greater knowledge of and connection to what they eat, we inspire them to make better choices for their health and the health of their communities.
In addition to the Children’s Museum, you will want to see North Carolina’s first inland aquarium and the Greensboro Science Center (www.greensboroscience.org). The Science Center offers an aquarium, museum and a zoo. The aquarium offers African penguins, sharks, otters, fishing cats, stingrays and more. Whether you love snakes, lizards, fish, wallabies or the rarely seen two-toed sloth, the Greensboro Science Center is loaded with animals to make everyone happy.
If you love youth soccer, the Greensboro United will be hosting the Labor Day Shoot-Out just around the corner from where you’ll finish your event. Maybe your son or daughter’s team is playing and you’re trying to figure out how you can get in a workout that morning and not miss any of the action!
About the N.C. Triathlon State Championship
Swim:
The swim will take place in beautiful Lake Townsend. The water is very clean and clear. Near the swim exit, there is a small island and a long pier, which are both perfect for spectators. This unique design of the swim will allow for spectators to be within 15 feet of the swimmers as they finish the swim in the cove of the Lake Townsend Marina.
Transition No. 1 (Swim to Bike):
There are two transition areas for this event due to the layout of the park and location of the marina. Both transition areas are about one-third of a mile apart. Swimmers will exit the Lake Townsend boat ramp and head into T1 to start the bike ride.
Bike:
The bike course is a fabulous one-loop course on smooth, rural country roads. It has gently rolling hills, with many more downhills, making for a fast course. Traffic is unbelievably light, so it will seem you have the roads to yourself. It runs through the Reedy Fork Neighborhood and into Guilford County. It’s a fast and challenging course with beautiful scenery and many wide roads.
Transition No. 2 (Bike to Run):
T2 is located near the finish line and post-race activities. There is a large playground, and there will be bounce houses and many other fun activities for kids and families. Cyclists will rack their bikes and head out onto the run.
Run:
The run course is an out-and-back course. It is self-contained in Bryan Park. It is largely shaded, as it winds through the Bryan Park Golf Course with the large oak trees lining the road providing beautiful views for participants. It is a relatively flat course with only a few small hills. Aid stations are positioned every mile.
