U.S. National Whitewater Center to Host One-Of-A-Kind XTERRA

XTERRA Whitewater

Date: Sunday, July 11, 2010
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Venue: U.S. National Whitewater Center
Course Distances: 0.5-mi swim, 13-mi bike and 5-mi run
Website:www.XTERRAWhitewater.com
E-mail:marcus@carolinatrailracing.com
 
Ready for something different?  Ready for something tough?  Then come race XTERRA Whitewater hosted at the US National Whitewater Center!  This race, the primo event of the Carolina Rock-N-Race Weekend, touts the most unique swim of the XTERRA America Tour.  During XTERRA Whitewater, you will swim two bodies of water with an island traversing-run in-between.  At this race, even the swim is off-road. 

Open in 2006, the US National Whitewater Center is the world's premier outdoor recreation and environmental education center. Alongside mountain biking and running trails, a climbing center, and challenge course, the park's most unique feature is a multiple-channel, customized whitewater river for rafting and canoe/kayak enthusiasts of all abilities

The grueling swim includes swimming 650 meters in the Cawtaba River, a tough, barefooted, 500 meter trail run, along with a hand-over-hand hill climb, then another 100 meters in the US National Whitewater Center's man-made pond.  Don't worry, there won't be any rapids during the swim.  However, as soon as all athletes are clear, the pumps will be turned on and your family and friends can partake of rafting while you're racing.

After your swim, you will mountain bike approximately 13 miles on the beautiful, yet tough, trails along the Cawtaba River.  With trails named such names as "Goat Hill" and "Toilet Bowl", you're in for some fun, single-track riding.  The "Lake Loop" trail winds you in and around several small lakes on the property.  See if you can guess where the "Carpet" trail drives its name.  If you don't get enough of the scenery from your bike, don't worry, because you will head back out on the trails for a 5 mile run.

Bring your family and friends! The Carolina Rock-n-Race weekend also includes a two-distance trail run (Jul 10) and an off-road duathlon option (Jul 11).  So if you're friends and relatives don't want to race the XTERRA and don't want to be a spectator, they can always choose one of these options.  If they'd rather spectate, they can do so from the comfort of the River's Edge Bar & Grill which has almost a grandstand view of the transition area.

If they'd rather do something more on the entertainment side, there are plenty of things to do while you're out on the race course including rock climbing, zip-lining and whitewater rafting.  If interested, they can volunteer at the race.  You can even partake in a nice whitewater rafting dip after your race!