3 STATE 3 MOUNTAIN CHALLENGE BEGINS TODAY
See a map of the race route online at timesfreepress.com.
The 3 State 3 Mountain Challenge may have lost one of its states, but that didn’t dampen the excitement of cyclists competing in today’s race.
The longstanding local event, now in its 30th year, draws more than 1,000 cyclists from around the country each year. Several months ago a scheduling conflict with the Dade County Sheriff’s Office forced event officials to chop the iconic Burkhalter Gap portion off the 100.1-mile trek.
“I think it will still be a challenging ride,” said John South, who traveled from the Indianapolis area to compete.
Participants have traveled from across the country to race and many, like South, said it’s known in the cycling community as a high-quality event.
“It’s a bucket-list item,” he said. “Several fellow riders have recommended it.”
The century route, the longest of three race options available today, still totals 100.1 miles and the finish line still will be at Finley Stadium in downtown Chattanooga.
Historically, off-duty sheriff’s deputies have been paid by event organizers to help provide safety measures along the Burkhalter Gap section by blocking intersections, but this year a sheriff’s office fundraiser requiring their presence was scheduled for the same day.
Without those deputies, the race couldn’t maintain the safety standards in Dade County needed to receive a required permit from the state of Georgia.
But event officials adapted to the new situation and a new route was charted that participants said might actually be more challenging than the original.
“I’m OK with that,” Stephanie Moore said. “It’s a change of scenery and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
Moore and her husband, Stephen, have participated in the challenge
before and they loved the thrill of it enough to come back for another round. She said she’s a casual cyclist and one of the best aspects of the race is the camaraderie it encourages.
“I’ve met some great people on the ride,” she said.
Her husband said he enjoys this race in particular for the degree of difficulty it presents, specifically the long, uphill stretches over the region’s mountains.
“If the race was flat, it wouldn’t be fun. You have to have the climbs,” he said.
The event will still begin with a trip over Suck Creek Mountain and then Sand Mountain in Northeast Alabama, but the Burkhalter Gap climb will be replaced by a jaunt up Sequatchie Mountain Road.
A portion of all registration fees will be donated to the Paralyzed Veterans Racing Team. Last year’s race raised $10,000 for the team. More information about the organization can be found online at www.pva.org.