From the trails, with love

Inaugural Valentine Greenway Challenge 5K & 10K hosts hundreds of runners

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
February 12, 2023

More than 300 runners tested their endurance while showing love for local trails, Feb. 11, with the debut of the Valentine Greenway Challenge 5K & 10K.

Hosted by the Black Mountain Recreation & Parks Department and the Black Mountain Greenways & Trails Committee, the annual fundraiser supports the town’s greenway system.

The event, which was sponsored by several Swannanoa Valley businesses, combined aspects of two former races—the Valentine 5K and the Greenway Challenge 5K & 10K—taking participants along The Oaks Trail and both loops in Veterans Park.

The race began on Terry Estate Drive, where recreation department staff welcomed runners, many of whom dressed in Valentine’s Day-themed attire. The 3.1-mile course took runners west to Vance Avenue, where they accessed the first of three trails featured in the race, while participants in the 10K completed the route twice.

Black Mountain runners took first place in both events, with Aidan Flanagan finishing the 5K in 17:45.1, and Steve Imig posting a time of 36:19.7, on his way to a victory in the 10K. Another local runner, Elizabeth Dawyot, was the top female finisher in the 10K, with a time of 46:44.9, while Shelby Gurley, of Marion, posted a 19:41.7 to take the top spot in the 5K.

Post-race awards were announced at the WNC Outdoor Collective, where the top three male and female finishers in both events were given gift cards to Mountain Running Co. and vases made by Sarah Sunshine Pottery. Spirit Awards were handed out to adults, children and couples with the best Valentine’s Day costumes, while first-place male and female finishers in each age group received hand-made medals.

Photos of the inaugural Valentine Greenway Challenge 5K & 10K can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.