Submitted by the Coosa River Basin Initiative
ROME —
On Sept. 25 a hardy band of spandex-clad adventurers from across the Southeast will invade Rome in hopes of conquering the city’s seven famous hills and its three meandering rivers during the Coosa River Basin Initiative’s 3rd Annual 7 Hills 3 Rivers Adventure Race.
Designed to give participants a taste of the wilderness in the heart of a city, the course features 5 miles of running along city streets and through historic sites, 12 miles of bicycling on riverside trails and into hidden urban woodlands, and 4 miles of paddling along the Coosa, Etowah and Oostanaula rivers.
Adventure racing is one of the fastest growing sports in America. In this race, three person, two person and solo teams compete to collect “checkpoints,” overcome “mystery challenges” and even answer trivia questions in hopes of logging the fastest time. Bonus points and penalties based on checkpoints, challenges and trivia will be factored into the final finish time and will help determine the winners of the event.
“This is an event that is fun for both beginners and experienced adventure racers,” said Race Director Sarah Husser. “While advanced adventure races require expertise in orienteering and map reading, this race follows a designated path along most of the course with a few checkpoints requiring basic map reading skills.”
Sanctioned by the United States Adventure Racing Association (USARA), registration fees are $150 for a three-person team or $50 per person through Sept. 6. and $180/$60 after. Registration closes Sept. 20. Participants can register online at www.active.com
or download a mail-in form off www.7Hills3Rivers.net.
Last year, some 126 racers competed in the event, slogging through rain-soaked swamps and wetlands and struggling to paddle upstream against currents swollen by record September rains.
“Last year, the course was incredibly tough. Because of the terrain the course covers, you never know what the conditions will be,” Husser said. “The riverside wetlands could be filled with water or could be bone dry; they don’t call it an adventure race for nothing.”
All proceeds from the event benefit the Coosa River Basin Initiative and will be used to protect our drinking water sources in North America’s most biologically diverse river basin.
