Volunteers Needed for 2021 Summer Outdoor Events   Covington, VA (March 24, 2021) - The Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce & Tourism is excited to announce its outdoor event series for the upcoming Spring & Summer! Kicking off the events this year will be the Gran Fondo Alleghany: Agony in the Alleghanies on Saturday, May 8th from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm beginning in Covington and finishing in Clifton Forge. This cycling event has been moved up to May to beat the intense heat usually experienced in the peak summer months. The race touches almost every piece of pavement within the Alleghany Highlands and spans just over 100 miles! If that’s too long, the event also offers shorter races to appeal to most skill levels. Next will be the Jackson River Scenic Trail Marathon on Saturday, June 5th from 7:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Intervale Trailhead in Covington. The marathon continues to serve as a Boston Marathon qualifier course! This event also includes a half marathon, 10k and 5k, appealing to runners of all skill levels! Lastly, on Saturday, August 7th will be the Lake Moomaw One Mile Swim from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm at Lake Moomaw. The one-mile swim will start at Cole’s Point then proceed toward Gathright Dam and back. “Over 90% of the participants in these events come from outside of the Alleghany Highlands and we are excited to continue to grow tourism in our area and help our area businesses reach new customers.” “Last year the Gran Fondo was the largest it has been in 7 years, the Marathon was the largest it has ever been and despite that, we are on pace to increase participation even more in 2021, so volunteers are important to make this event a success,” states Josh Taylor Special Projects & Marketing Coordinator for the Chamber. Volunteers are needed to staff a number of positions for all events, especially the Jackson River Scenic Trail Marathon & Gran Fondo Alleghany. Volunteers are needed in various shifts from 6 am to 2 pm during the Marathon and from 7 am to 5pm during the Gran Fondo. The chamber is able to split these shifts so that the time needed per volunteer isn’t as time-consuming. Area organizations and individuals are encouraged to participate as a volunteer or to come cheer on the participants during the events. If you would like to find out more about volunteering, please call Josh Taylor at the chamber at 540-962-2178.

* * * * *