After a year away from the Tennessee State Parks Running Tour, the Roan Mountain 10K is ready to get back on stride without missing a beat.
Since taking over the race as the director, Roan Mountain State Park Ranger Meg Guy has seen a multitude of participants sign up to take part in the festivities on Saturday, Nov. 5, at the state park.
“We’ve had around 30 to 35 runners sign up through pre-registration,” Guy said. “Our goal has been 50 and we hope to hit that goal with the day of registration.”
Any individual interested in participating in the run can sign up on Saturday between 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. at Picnic Shelter No. 3 at the RMSP campground.
The cost of registration is $15, which covers the cost of participation. Runners will receive trophies based on top performers and winners for each age group.
“I’m very excited to see the response we’ve gotten so far,” Guy said. “The weather is looking like it will cooperate with us and we’ve got volunteers ready to help out.”
Volunteers assisting with the race includes the Roan Mountain State Park Running Club, Friends of Roan Mountain Group, high school and East Tennessee State University students and various members from the community, Guy added.
The race is something that is near and dear to the heart of the park ranger.
“I wanted to take it over last year,” Guy recently told the Elizabethton Star. “State of Franklin Track Club took it off their schedule so there wasn’t a race director. It wasn’t on the tour schedule last year and that made me sad because that’s our park. That’s where I work and I’m a runner so I talked with the tour director to get the race OK’ed. It’s been exciting.”
The race will be 6.2 miles. Runners will be asked to meet at the campground before the 11 a.m. start time at the picnic shelter. The finish line for the event is in the cabin area of the campground.
Guy added the race will allow participants to take in the “beautiful fall colors” and the park is expecting to see individuals make a weekend out of the trip due to the nice weather forecast.
Along with the race, Guy added that runners will also have a chance to walk the Appalachian Trail and pick up a park program due to the event expecting to last around an hour-and-a-half.
Roan Mountain has been making headlines as of late following the recent Appalachian Trail Community status that was garnered in an effort by the Roan Mountain Citizens Club.
The Roan Mountain 10K will highlight a November which includes an annual mainstay at RMSP.
On Saturday, Nov. 12, the state park will host its annual old-fashioned holiday celebration at Miller Farmstead.
The facility was recently renovated by the park to keep the building in compliance, with the Miller Farmstead being recognized as a historical site by the state.
Visit the Roan Mountain State Park Facebook page online for more information and news from the area.