Tagged: Cycling

Thousands of people are expected to line the streets of Raleigh on Sunday for the state's first-ever officially sanctioned Ironman 70.3. It's half the distance of the traditional Ironman. Heat may be a factor as more than 2,700 athletes begin the race with a 1.2 mile swim in Jordan Lake,  hop on their bikes for a 56 mile ride through the trails of Chatham County and then finish out the race on foot with a half marathon.

Orange County’s population may be smaller than that of its neighboring counties, but its greenways are no less loved. Chapel Hill and Carrboro both tout themselves as bike and pedestrian friendly towns, and Hillsborough has taken pains to create elaborate bicycle and walking routes throughout its downtown area that highlight dozens of historical buildings.  

Aside from the fact that Raleigh has a smartphone app for its greenways, the most impressive thing about its trails might be that so many of them are connected. Instead of a dribble of pavement here and there, the Capital Area Greenway System forms a giant loop around the city with several offshoots. There are sections where you can ride a bicycle over 30 miles without leaving a paved trail.