Race to benefit local regional attraction, The Dixie Performing Arts Center
Huntingdon, TN – Launching from the stunning shores of the Thousand Acre Recreation Lake in September, the Dixie Triathlon will debut as the first ever organized triathlon race in Carroll County and the town of Huntingdon, Tenn.
The Dixie Triathlon, presented by Above The Fold Events & Sport Promotions and benefiting The Dixie Performing Arts Center and Academic Enrichment Center in Huntingdon, will showcase the natural beauty of West Tennessee while also promoting the positives of an active lifestyle and additional race opportunities for triathletes across the country. Along with benefiting The Dixie, the triathlon promises to offer participants and spectators one of the most unique and entertaining races in Tennessee.
On Sept. 15, racers will tackle either the Sprint or Olympic courses, both of which start in the cool, welcoming waters of Carroll County’s Thousand Acre Lake. Competitors will endure a 500- or 1,500-meter swim, followed by a 20- or 40-kilometer bike ride before racing to the finish with a 5- or 10-kilometer run.
“It’s exciting to host Huntingdon and Carroll County’s first triathlon and our community has the perfect venue in and around our Thousand Acre Lake,” Huntingdon Mayor Dale Kelley said. ”We look forward to showcasing the many attractions we have in Carroll County to the hundreds of new visitors coming into our community.”
A portion of proceeds generated by racer entries will return to support the mission and programs of The Dixie, the premiere entertainment venue in northwest Tennessee. But that’s not all that makes the Dixie Triathlon unique; a special prize will be waiting for each racer at the finish line.
Each finisher receives a handcrafted clay medal for their accomplishment, the brainchild of Executive Director of The Dixie Lori Nolen, who is also a clay artist and founder of Mudslingers Pottery Studio in Huntingdon.
“We are so glad to be a partner in bringing a triathlon to Carroll County,” said Nolen, whose Mudslingers Studio is an annex of The Dixie. “It is a wonderful opportunity to help create activity for locals in our communities, as well as attract new visitors. I think it is important to understand how we can all be a part of something bigger than ourselves.”
Above The Fold is pleased to welcome athletes from across the country to its fourth triathlon event for summer 2018. Leading up to the Dixie Triathlon, Above The Fold events will include the Tri Louisville in Louisville, Ky., on June 10; the St. Elizabeth Triathlon in Williamstown, Ky., on July 21; and the Riverbluff Triathlon in Ashland City, Tenn., on Aug. 5.
“We’re excited about adding this new triathlon to the calendar, not only to help further the sport by providing competitors new opportunities to compete and test themselves, but also because of the community in which we’ll showcase this event,” Above The Fold founder and race director Joe Fleenor said. “The town of Huntingdon, Carroll County and local business leaders alike have been so supportive and enthusiastic in helping to launch the Dixie Triathlon, and I look forward to introducing our race participants to the amazing welcome mat that the community plans to lay down for them.”
About the Dixie Carter Performing Arts and Academic Enrichment Center
The Dixie is the premiere entertainment venue in northwest Tennessee. In addition to bringing some of the biggest names in entertainment to The Hal Holbrook Theatre stage, The Dixie is on mission to impact the lives of children through the arts by hosting the School Time Performance Theatrical Series, Dixie Children’s Chorus, Dixie Youth Theatre and Mudslingers Pottery Studio, along with a dance studio, after-school programs and summer camps.
About Above The Fold Events & Sport Promotions
ATF is a full-service sports production and sponsorship agency located in Franklin, Tenn., that provides services for clients throughout the Southeast, including event development, promotion, sponsorship activation, permitting compliance, logistics and execution. Above The Fold works directly with non-profits, convention and visitor bureaus and local municipalities to promote economic and social development through sport production.