Liberty Mountain Trail Series continues this weekend

The Valley View 5-Mile Trail Race, which will take place Nov. 12, will offer students an opportunity to warm up and get going as the weather gets colder.

The annual Valley View Trail Race takes place each year during the fall semester. It is the second race in the Liberty Mountain Trail Series. In previous years, this event has hosted over 100 students, and a high turn-out is expected for this year’s event as well.

The first portion of the trail race is comprised of approximately 2.5 miles of scenic forest road. The remaining portion of the race consists of 2.5 miles of single track trail. With the race being hosted on Lynchburg’s mountain side, the terrain makes for an exciting and adventure-filled afternoon. All levels of runners are encouraged to participate.

“It is a challenging course, not only because of the hills, but also for the foliage down on the ground. But this event definitely has a homey grass roots feel to it,” Race Director and Associate Director of Student Activities Josh Yeoman said.

The trail race costs $12 for Liberty students and $15 for the general public. The Valley View Race will start at the Liberty Mountain Snowflex Center at 9 a.m. The race will continue until 1 p.m. and door prizes will be given away at the conclusion of the race.

The top three male and female overall finishers of the race will receive a personalized trophy. The top three male and female competitors 40 years and up will also receive trophies. Additionally, medals will be awarded to the top three finishers in each age group.

As Race Director, Yeoman believes in the importance of the events that Student Activities hosts each year. “Student Activities seeks to create community through shared experiences. Sometimes these shared experiences are life changing for individuals. Our goal in all of our events is to be excellent at what we do,” Yeoman said.

The Valley View Race has previously played an even more important role in past participants lives than simply providing a challenging and entertaining race. “A previous participant lost 50 pounds and finishing the Valley View 5 Miler was the end goal. For participants the most rewarding thing is finishing the race, not only because the race is challenging, but also because it may be the climax of an even bigger goal,” Yeoman said.

Student Activities hosts several exciting and challenging races each year. For more information about the Valley View 5-Mile Trail Race or future Liberty hosted race events, contact Student Activities on Liberty’s website. Or to learn more check out the Valley View 5-Mile Trail Race Facebook page.