'Hillbillies' will race Saturday
By Matt Caulder
Published in News on May 3, 2013 1:46 PM
News-Argus/MICHAEL BETTS
Goldsboro Parks and Recreation employee Landon Fleming fills the "Grit Pit" obstacle with water as part of setting up the Hillbilly Hike obstacle course at Stoney Creek Park.
Saturday morning a wave of "hillbillies" will descend upon Stoney Creek Park for the Hillbilly Hike, a 5-kilometer obstacle course laid out through the park over streams, under wires and through plenty of mud.
Goldsboro Parks and Recreation is sponsoring the run for the second time, with all proceeds going to Homes for Our Troops, a non-profit organization that builds homes for severely injured service members.
Registration for the run closed Thursday at midnight, but runners can still sign up for the race Saturday morning.
Saturday morning runners who wish to race should arrive before 8 a.m. Organizers will put them into heats as they have space available.
The first hike was held last September at Waynesborough Park with much success, said Scott Barnard, Parks and Recreation director.
Barnard has more than 200 runners registered and expects to clear $2,000 above the cost of holding the event to donate to Homes for Our Troops.
The event features 20 obstacles including a 20-foot pyramid of hay bales, a partially submerged tunnel and a dumpster full of soupy grits.
Sam's Club donated the 1,200 pounds of grits to the city for the hike.
Runners will weave throughout the park through muddy ditches, scaling wooden framework and finishing off with a ride down a zip-line into a mud hole.
The race will begin at 8 a.m., with waves of runners leaving every 30 minutes until noon.
There will be teams of four runners and individual runners.
A beer will be waiting at the finish line for any racer over 21 who wants one in addition to the T-shirt racers get for participating.
Volunteers at the event will also receive a free T-shirt and beer.
Volunteers are asked to let Parks and Recreation know before the race, but they can still show up at the event to help if they are not registered.
Barnard asks that volunteers show up at 7 a.m. and stay until 1 or 1:30 p.m.
Volunteers will be stationed at different obstacles throughout the course to guide runners through the obstacles and to direct racers along the path.
City Manager Scott Stevens has had a running challenge with City Councilman Chuck Allen and both are now signed up for the hike.
Stevens will be running with a team of four from the YMCA.
"We have been harassing each other about it," said Stevens. "It was an 'I'll do it if you do it' kind of thing."
Spectators are welcome to come down to the park on the day to watch the racers at certain places along the course.