12th Annual Bays Mountain Trail Race

Kingsport, TN – The Bays Mountain Trail Race is scheduled for Saturday, September 23, at 8 a.m. The 15 mile race is part of the 2017 Skelton Law Racing Series presented by the Law Office of Mark A. Skelton in Rogersville.
 
The 12th annual race is included in the Trail Runner Trophy Series, which is North America’s largest trail race series, and has been awarded multiple Race of the Year and Shirt of the Year Awards. Aaron Saft of Asheville, North Carolina has the male course record of 1:33:21, which has stood since 2007. Carrie Boyd of Jonesborough set a new female course record in 2013 with a time of 1:52:53.
 
“This race is recognized as being one of the most challenging running events in the region,” said race director Mark Skelton. “The race should only be attempted by runners who are prepared for a trail race of this distance and difficulty. The course will be closed after 3 hours and 45 minutes.”
 
Registration will begin Saturday at 7:00 a.m. at the Farmstead Museum. Participants will be allowed free entry into Bays Mountain Park. A post-race celebration will be held at the Farmstead Museum for awards and prizes. Texas Roadhouse of Kingsport will provide a post-race lunch for participants. Male and female awards will be presented for the top overall, top masters (40+), top grandmasters (50+), top senior grandmasters (60+), and the top 3 in 5 year age group categories.
 
All participants will receive a long-sleeve, commemorative shirt. Runners completing all 8 races in the 2017 Skelton Law Racing Challenge will enjoy a private twilight barge ride and dinner at Bays Mountain Park in October.
 
During the race, several trails will be closed to the public. These trails include Azalea, Chestnut, Indian Pipes, Kiner Hollow and Pretty Ridge. The trails will be closed from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m.
 
The gold sponsors for the 2017 Bays Mountain Trail Race include the Law Office of Mark A. Skelton in Rogersville, R. Douglas Strickland M.D. of Gastroenterology Associates in Kingsport, Allan Couch M.D. of Southeastern Retina Associates in Kingsport, and Texas Roadhouse in Kingsport.
 
Interested sponsors, volunteers, and runners for the Skelton Law Racing Series may contact race director Mark Skelton at 423.272.4812 or markskelton@markskelton.com. Race applications may be obtained at the Law Office of Mark A. Skelton in Rogersville or online at www.RunTriCities.org.
###
About Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium
Annually, more than 200,000 visitors pass through Bays Mountain Park making it one of the State of Tennessee’s Top 50 Most Visited Attractions, according to the State of Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. One of the nation’s largest city-owned parks with 3,550 acres, Bays Mountain Park features roughly 40 miles of hiking trails, a state-of-the-art planetarium, wildlife habitats, fun exhibits, a 44-acre lake, ropes course with zip line, trails for mountain biking and much, much more.
 
About the City of Kingsport
Founded in 1917, the City of Kingsport (pop. 53,000) is located on the Tennessee-Virginia border at the crossroads of I-81 and I-26 near the geographic center of the eastern U.S.  The city is widely known as a planned community, designed by renowned city planner John Nolen and wrapping around the foot of Bays Mountain – a 3500 park, nature preserve, planetarium and observatory.  Kingsport is recognized as an International Safe Community by the National Safety Council, a Healthier Tennessee community, and won the 2009 Harvard Innovations in American Government Award for its higher education initiatives.  While many city names are duplicated throughout the U.S., there’s only one Kingsport – a fact that invokes community pride, known locally as the “Kingsport Spirit.”