Saturday, April 29, 10 a.m.—ROCHESTER—The sixth annual DisasTour race, aptly named, takes place Saturday, April 29 in the White River Valley. This bike-paddle-run sprint triathlon is a family and team event with proceeds supporting the Rochester/Randolph Area Sports Trail Alliance (RASTA) Valley Trail Project and the local food shelf. This is a fun, multi-sport event for all ages that tours through Rochester, Hancock and Granville, Vt. First staged in 2011 just weeks after Tropical Storm Irene, the DisasTour was created as a way to boost community morale, celebrate the resilience of the towns, and raise money for flood relief. Organization of the race was transferred to RASTA four years ago.
The event begins and ends on the Rochester town park. As usual, there will be an after-party with pizza, pot luck and beverages from Lawson’s Finest Liquids, at Green Mountain Bikes.
On-site registration runs 8-9 a.m. at the gazebo. Check-in for pre-registered racers is 8:30-9: a.m. at the gazebo. Race start time is 10 a.m. from the park.
Online registration is available through midnight, April 26, at active.com/rochester-vt/cycling/races/disastour-vi-2017
The race order is: peddle, paddle, run. Cross bikes or mountain bikes are suggested; road bikes are not recommended; and helmets are required for the bike leg. Paddle can be K1, C1, C2 or SUP; helmets and life vests are required for the paddle leg.
Spring in Vermont could mean a variety of weather and conditions—be prepared for sun, rain, mud, low water, high water or maybe even snow.
A bike race for kids will be held around the park during and after the event, featuring the RASTA Pump Track. Bring the kids and the bikes (and the helmets!).
Participants receive a race t-shirt as well as pizza, beverages, prizes and raffle at post-race party. If possible, participants are asked to bring a pot luck dish, plus a canned food item (or two, three, or four) to donate to the local food shelf.
For more information, visit rastavt.org/disastour-2/.
Photo courtesy of RASTA
Sean Linskey paddles through rapid water in the White River in Hancock in the 2016 DisasTour.
