The first competitive event on the Back 40 trail system on Dec. 10-11 includes courses of 40 miles, 20 miles and 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) for runners and riders alike.
"The reason we opened this up as two events here is these trails are multi-use trails," said Cassi Lapp, communications manager for Bella Vista. "We wanted an event that appeals to both sports."
The run will be Saturday morning, with the ride Sunday.
While racers will be instructed to keep an eye out and cross safely, motorists should expect greater than usual traffic at trail crossings during the event's weekend, said James Reeves, an ultra runner who works for Rush Running, one of the event's sponsors.
Reeves has been running all his life, he said, after starting with his father during the fourth or fifth grade.
"My dad was old school, '70s, first running boom," he said. "Back when they wore cotton shirts, cotton socks, their Seiko watches."
The race is set to benefit Northwest Arkansas Travel With Care, he said, a charity group that facilitates education of trail users and motorists alike to ensure greater safety for bicycle and pedestrian traffic. Reeves said the group formed largely as a response to the death of Jennifer Bikel, who was hit by a car in front of Mellow Mushroom during a run on the Razorback Greenway.
"It was a rough stretch," Reeves said. But as bad as it was, he said, it's good to see something positive come of it.
The event, he said, will bring in a large number of riders and runners, and the trails are likely to be crowded.
"The only issue I could foresee is heavy rainfall," he said.
Reeves said he intends to do the 40-mile run, along with his boss, Mike Rush, proprietor of Rush Running.
Rush said he's doing the 40-mile course on foot and on his bike as well -- 80 miles in one weekend.
"Bikes are a lot easier," Rush said. "I just have to keep from crashing too much."
And there won't be much of a rest period, he said. There's another run coming up, and he'll have to get a recovery run in Monday to have any chance of doing anything.
GPP Cycling, Bella Vista's lone bike shop, is sponsoring the event and will be present.
Seth Jacobs, manager at GPP, said that his shop will have volunteers out during the event, as well as a support trailer.
Team GPP, he said, will also have a presence. The team is something of a social club, he said.
"It's a way to get like-minded individuals together," he said.
Cassi Lapp, the city's communications manager, said this event will be the first on the new Back 40 trail system.
"This is going to be the first main event held primarily at the Back 40 trails," Lapp said, "so we're excited to have an event of our own in Bella Vista."
General News on 11/30/2016