Gum Ridge Mill & Flying Pig Furniture Presents Blue Ridge Relay 200 Miles of Endurance This September 16th and 17th, Gum Ridge Mill & Flying Pig Furniture is proud to be the presenting sponsor of the inaugural 200-mile Blue Ridge Relay. The Blue Ridge Relay is one of the longest relay races in the United States and will take place in the picturesque Blue Ridge and Black Mountains of Virginia and North Carolina. At almost 5000’ elevation, the Visitor’s Center at Grayson Highlands State Park, Grayson County, VA, sets the stage and is the perfect start to this scenic but challenging event. The course will primarily follow scenic, country roads as it winds its way through North Carolina’s High Country to the finish in Asheville. The course features some of the region’s most spectacular scenery including the balds of Grayson Highlands State Park, the New River, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Grandfather Mountain (5964’), and Mount Mitchell (6684’), the highest peak east of the Mississippi River. Teams of 6-12 runners will rotate through 36 legs as they cover the approximate 200-mile distance of the race. Each relay team member will run 3 legs (12 runners) of varying lengths and difficulty and will cover an average total distance of ~16.6 miles. The director of the Blue Ridge Relay is Ken Sevensky, president of Gum Ridge Mill & Flying Pig Furniture. His unique business, located in Fleetwood, North Carolina, just outside of Boone, reclaims wood from North Carolina’s own Blue Ridge Mountains, from which he crafts beautiful wide plank flooring and custom furniture. To Ken, a former professional runner, this relay event and his business are a perfect marriage. Both reflect his love of the Blue Ridge Mountains. There are a few similar events in the United States, which have hundreds to thousands of participants. Ken has run in one of the events for several years, but had a passion to establish an event in the Southeast. Ken, along with Gum Ridge Mill & Flying Pig Furniture, is very proud to present an event that showcases the hospitality of our unique business community, the beauty of our region, the warmth of the residents, and one that provides a challenging and rewarding running experience. The Blue Ridge Relay will travel through or near the quaint mountain towns of Jefferson, West Jefferson, Boone, Blowing Rock, Grandfather Mountain, Linville, Newland, Spruce Pine, and Burnsville, on to its finish in Asheville (you can see the entire course map at www.BlueRidgeRelay.com). Team categories include: Men’s Open, Men’s Masters, Men’s Corporate, Women’s Open, Women’s Masters, Women’s Corporate Open, Mixed Open Men/Women, Mixed Masters Men/Women, and Corporate Mixed Open. Team spaces are still available but applications must be received by August 16, 2005. If you wish to join a team or need an additional runner to complete your team, the website offers the “team forum”. The 2005 Blue Ridge Relay is being sponsored by Gum Ridge Mill & Flying Pig Furniture, New River Arts & Crafts, Best Western Asheville/Biltmore, 2020 Ophthalmic Associates, Pride Built Construction, Fleetwood Falls®, and HP Investments. The Blue Ridge Relay will take place on September 16 and 17th, 2005. Please visit their website, www.BlueRidgeRelay.com, to learn more about this exciting event or call 336-877-8888.