Shop for Mountain Hardwear Tents at RockCreek.com >

The Savant Multi-Sport Shoe by Five Ten is a true, all purpose shoe for any type of adventure you decide to go on. The Savant is a versatile shoe that provides all day comfort with its highly breathable, quick drying and fast draining synthetic uppers that repel pebbles and debris while you move. A super solid compression molded EVA midsole and TPU plate provides awesome protection for the bottom of your feet from sharp roots, rocks, and gives you stability on uneven terrain or tough portages.

The Savant has also become a favorite of the elite athletes that take part in freerunning or the less acrobatic sport, parkour. With its amazing Stealth co-molded C4/S1 rubber you get a performance enhancing rubber that allows you to stick like no other shoe can, giving you confidence to do that thief vault or barrel roll.

Great shoes for warm weather hiking, river crossings, freerunning, portages and any place where you need incredible support, protection, versatility and traction.

For a limited time, Rock/Creek is offering the Savant at a discounted price for anyone who buys them early!

Check out the Men's Five Ten Savant Multi-Sport Shoe >
Check out the Women's Five Ten Savant Multi-Sport Shoe >

Mr. Petty had wanted to kayak the length of the 652-mile Tennessee River for many years, but struggled to find a partner for the trip, said Philip Grymes, the director of Outdoor Chattanooga and a friend of the paddlers. It was not until Mr. Akridge, an employee at Rock/Creek Outfitters, called Mr. Grymes looking for a partner to paddle the entire river that the idea took off, Mr. Grymes said.

After months of planning with the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Army Corps of Engineers, the trip launched where the Holston and French Broad rivers converge east of Knoxville, Mr. Petty said.

They’ve paddled about 188 miles so far and have about 464 to go.

The two men paddle for eight to 11 hours a day, eating packed foods such as oatmeal, tuna and protein bars. At night, they camp along the river’s edge.

Full article online >

This past weekend the Rock/Creek Race Team took several podium spots in trail races around the country. The Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) held the southeast regional championship for trail running at the Sweetwater 50k and Half Marathon. Both titles went to Signal Mountain residents and Race Team members this year. Long-time Signal Mountain resident and team member Sheridan Ames took first place in the 50K with an impressive time of 5:01:44. Rock/Creek team captain and new Signal Mountain resident Matt Sims continued the domination by taking first in the half marathon with a time of 1:38:16. Kathy Johns finished as 6th woman overall. She was the 30th overall finisher of the 50k with a time of 6:41.

This second annual race took place on Saturday, April 26th. Located right outside of Atlanta, Sweetwater State Park offers a challenging course including steep climbs, gnarly downhills and treacherous creek crossings. This year, team Rock/Creek made their presence known at the race, and they obviously made an impression that will not soon be forgotten. For Sheridan Ames, the 50k title had special significance as his first ever 1st place win. Ames has been to the Ironman World Championships in Kona, has run the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim solo, and has run races for years, so the southeast regional championship was well deserved. Ames reflects on the race, explaining that "the course was very challenging, physically and mentally. The river crossing was particularly interesting. Wading through waist deep cold rushing water while holding onto a rope to keep you from being washed downstream was a new one for me. Sharing the win with fellow team members made the race particularly special, and I'm now looking forward to the Shadow of Giants 50K at the end of the month."

Matt and his wife Natalie Sims as well as Kathy Johns and Sheridan Ames, all Rock/Creek Race Team members, met up at 4:45 a.m. in Chattanooga and arrived at the race about two hours later, ready for a challenge. Matt Sims had to fight for the half marathon title. Since there were 150 runners in the half marathon, he headed out to the front early. Sims maintained his lead throughout most of the race. He says: "As soon as we joined the trail, I was able to get away from [the other runner challenging for the lead] on some technical turns and steep rocky downhills and never saw anyone again until mile 12.5. I thought I pretty much had this one in the bag until I heard the leaves rustling behind me with a younger runner bearing down on me in the last half mile. Miraculously I was able to hold him off and crossed the line with 15 or so seconds to spare."

Several other Rock/Creek Race Team members finished strong this weekend as well. Race team members Johanna Gartman and Stephen Taylor won the overall women's and overall men's titles at Chattanooga's Scenic City Triathlon. Johanna is a new member of the team, and at only 15 years old has already won several races including the 2007 Ironkids National Championship in Phoenix, AZ.

John Anderson, fresh off a win at the Old Pueblo 50 Miler in Arizona, managed another impressive podium finish this weekend. He finished second behind La Sportiva athlete Anton Krupicka at the Zane Grey 50 miler, which takes place on the Highline Trail near Payson, Arizona. John is a Signal Mountain native who currently studies medicine at the University of Colorado. He describes the race course, which "has around 11,000 feet of climbing and the 'trail' consists of downed trees, washed out gullies and tons of loose, ankle-breaking rocks. While the race is billed as the toughest 50 miler in the US, I don't know if it's the most difficult, but it is certainly one of the most technical courses with only a few steps of actual smooth trail."

Rock/Creek and all the race team sponsors congratulate Sheridan, Matt, Johanna, Stephen, and all the race team members for their victory and continued support of the sport of trail running: "These racers continue to blow away our expectations as they have taken the podium in races across the country this Spring. In addition, our race team members have been working on building new trails, organizing and supporting the Rock/Creek Trail Series, and raising money for The Boonies," explains Rock/Creek co-owner Dawson Wheeler: "We're proud to have them associated with Rock/Creek."

For more information about the Rock/Creek Race Team, visit http://www.rockcreek.com/raceteam/

About Rock/Creek:

Rock/Creek, member of the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, is an independent specialty outdoor retailer with over two decades of experience in the Southeast. Along with its online shops, RockCreek.com and ClimbingGear.com, Rock/Creek provides quality outdoor clothing and gear for a host of activities including kayaking, rock climbing, camping, hiking, trail running, and adventure racing. Rock/Creek is committed to making a positive impact on the environment. For this reason, it uses outdoor retail as a platform to encourage outdoor recreation and environmental stewardship and to improve public access to the backcountry. Rock/Creek supports worthy nonprofits such as the Southeastern Climbers' Coalition and the Wilderness Trail Running Association.

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Rock/Creek Runners Win Sweetwater 50k & Half Marathon
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Wheeler Wins Half Marathon, Continuing Rock/Creek Race Team's Winning Streak
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Get details on the RockCreek.com StumpJump 50K & 11 Mile Trail Race

Coming out on top with a Gold Medal, Widgets & Stone won the Brand Identity category with Rock/Creek. Under Design Director Paul Rustand, designers Matt Greenwell, Brad Dicharry, and Joseph Shipp of Widgets & Stone came up with the current “Rock/Creek” brand that has proven to be successful. Caleb Ludwick served as Strategist/Writer on the project, Mark McKnight contributed photography, and Steve West contributed to production.

The American Institute of Graphic Arts, or AIGA, is the nationally-recognized professional association for design. AIGA describes itself as "the place design professionals turn to first to exchange ideas and information, participate in critical analysis and research and advance education and ethical practice. AIGA sets the national agenda for the role of design in its economic, social, political, cultural and creative contexts."

AIGA Tennessee for the past three years has held a competition for all AIGA members in the state called the TEN Show. This friendly competition allows designers and creators to come together to exchange ideas and show off their work. All entries in the TEN Show must follow strict guidelines including: describing the client, the challenge presented to them, the solution to the challenge, and the results of the project, all in 500 words or less.

Among the many AIGA members, Widgets & Stone, a Chattanoooga-based design firm, entered their branding work for Rock/Creek as one of this year’s projects. The two companies have been working diligently for over two years to launch a comprehensive re-branding campaign that has positioned Rock/Creek's brick-and-mortar stores as well as its e-commerce Web site for future growth within the outdoor retail industry. The challenge presented to Widgets & Stone was to develop a brand that conveys Rock/Creek's status as a company with over 20 years of brick and mortar experience, a company that has inspired customers to take adventures both on and off the trail. Rock/Creek focuses on getting its customers into the outdoors safely and comfortably. Widgets & Stone emphasized Rock/Creek not only as a retail company that sells apparel and equipment, but also as a company that focuses on the human experiences that surround these products.

Mark McKnight, Marketing Director at Rock/Creek, praises the project: “All of the feedback we’ve had on the identity has been positive. The reaction within our vendor community has been the biggest source of validation for me personally— we have been told by several vendors that there simply are no other specialty retailers doing anything like this.”

Paul Rustand expresses his satisfaction with the project as well: “For Widgets & Stone the Rock/Creek brand development project was wonderful on many levels. It was an honor and a privilege to be able to work with the great individuals who lead such an established and successful local business. The scope of the project —- to redesign everything from the logo to the signage to the advertising to the packaging -— is what every design studio seeks. In addition to their forward-thinking approach to the brand identity, Rock/Creek had an impeccable grasp of their target demographics, which proved invaluable to the design process. And last -— but certainly not least -— the mutual respect that we experienced throughout the course of the project between client and designer was fantastic.”

For more about AIGA's TEN Show, visit http://tenshow.org/

Photos of the Rock/Creek entry are available courtesy the Memphis AIGA chapter:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/13545114@N06/2378081267/in/set-72157604333176314/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/13545114@N06/2378919490/in/set-72157604333176314/

About Rock/Creek:

Rock/Creek, member of the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, is an independent specialty outdoor retailer with over two decades of experience in the Southeast. Along with its online shops, RockCreek.com and ClimbingGear.com, Rock/Creek provides quality outdoor clothing and gear for a host of activities including kayaking, rock climbing, camping, hiking, trail running, and adventure racing. Rock/Creek is committed to making a positive impact on the environment. For this reason, it uses outdoor retail as a platform to encourage outdoor recreation and environmental stewardship and to improve public access to the backcountry. Rock/Creek supports worthy nonprofits such as the Southeastern Climbers' Coalition and the Wilderness Trail Running Association. Upcoming events include the Scenic City Trail Marathon & Half Marathon, to take place on Raccoon Mountain in Chattanooga, TN. For more information, visit: http://www.rockcreek.com/trailmarathon/

For more information about Rock/Creek, visit http://rockcreek.com/

About Widgets & Stone:

Widgets & Stone is committed to using design to serve the needs of clients - while exploring the many ways the design process can inspire individuals and enlighten communities. As a full service studio, Widgets & Stone sees a project from conception to production. For over 12 years the firm has created a wide variety of design work: logos/trademarks, brand development, company materials, web sites, print promotions, books and packaging.

For more information about Widgets & Stone visit http://widgetsandstone.com/

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The Sweetwater 50K (southeast regional championship) and the Sweetwater Half Marathon, both won by Team members.
http://www.sweeth20races.com/

In short,

62 runners started the 50K.
153 runners started the Half Marathon

This the second annual Sweetwater 50K and the RRCA has named this 50k the Southeast Regional Championship Race.
The race was well done and consists of some pretty technical trails in Sweetwater State Park, just west of Downtown Atlanta.

Myself, Natalie, Kathy Johns, and Sheridan Ames drove down to Lithia Springs, GA early Saturday morning. Met at the Rock/Creek parking lot at 4:45am and got to the race at 6:35am. Both the 50k and the Half Marathon started together and then split off to their repsective distances at about mile 12.

There were over 150 runners in the Half Marathon so I decided I should get away early so that I could get on the trail and not be hampered by slower runners. Myself and one other guy took off from the starting line and ran the first mile on the road together. As soon as we joined the trail, I was able to get away from him on some technical turns and steep rocky downhills and never saw anyone again until mile 12.5. I thought I pretty much had this one in the bag until I heard the leaves rustling behind me with a younger runner bearing down on me in the last half mile. Miraculously, I was able to hold him off and crossed the line with 15 or so seconds to spare.

Matt Sims 1:38:16

Natalie felt the effects of being sick earlier in the week and within 20 minutes of the run, felt her hair stand up on her skin and was having cold chills. Not a great sign when the starting temperature was 67 degrees.

She bailed out at mile 13.

Kathy Johns finished as 6th woman overall. She was the 30 finisher of the 50k with a time of 6:41.

AND THE BIG NEWS...

Sheridan Ames finished 1st place in 5:01:44. Sheridan said the course was brutal. The humidity and the 80 degree temps made the day pretty hard mentally and physically.

-Matt Sims

Chattanooga, TN, April 22, 2008 — Rock/Creek announces Patagonia, of Ventura California, the 2008 recipient of the 2nd Annual Rock/Creek Environmental Stewardship Award.

For those of us who do not know much about this environmentally-conscious company, it all started with one man, Yvon Chouinard. In order to reduce impact on the big walls that he and his friends were climbing, Yvon started to forge pitons in his parent’s garage. During his years in Yosemite, Chouinard pioneered a new method of climbing. Word soon got out that “clean” climbing was the way of the future, and the company that would later become Patagonia soon took off. The company traces its roots to low impact equipment and clothing and they continue to come up with revolutionary methods that not only have influenced the clothing industry, but also have inspired corporations and businesses to do their part to reduce their impact on the environment.

Patagonia’s enthusiasm for environmental concerns and its pledge to protect undomesticated land and water are among the many reasons Patagonia is this year’s recipient. Patagonia, along with Chaco, has sponsored many of Rock/Creek’s environmental initiatives including the Lula Lake Land Trust. The money that has gone to the trust helps in their mission to create a network of conservation properties that will ensure protection and enhancement of local water quality along the Rock Creek watershed on Lookout Mountain.

Adelaide D. Bratcher, Head of Development at Lula Lake expresses, "We've enjoyed working with Patagonia through Rock/Creek because of the dedication shown by these two businesses to our organization. Without their help, the processes of trail building and making the property more accessible to the public would be at a standstill. We, at Lula Lake, cannot thank Patagonia and Rock/Creek enough."

Patagonia also created a nonprofit organization called 1% for the Planet. Businesses who join the organization pledge 1% of their sales (not profit, but actual sales- regardless of whether they report a profit or not) to environmental organizations that are approved by 1% for the Planet. This means that every piece of clothing sold, part of the purchase goes directly back to environmental issues.

One of their newest initiatives is called the Common Threads Recycling Program. This program allows customers to recycle their old worn out polyester fleece or Capilene performance base layers back to Patagonia, who in turn sends them to a factory in Teijin China. There they have worked closely with the fabric makers and are able to convert the unusable garments into virgin fibers and eventually new clothing. The program continues to expand. Not only can you donate retired Capilene but also Polartec fleece, (from any company), Patagonia organic cotton tee shirts, and nylon 6 products with the Common Threads tag. Recycling these fibers saves 76% of the energy and 71% of the CO2 emissions that would have been produced from virgin materials.

Patagonia’s ongoing dedication to environmental issues and to improving access to outdoor recreation areas compelled Rock/Creek to give the second annual Environmental Stewardship Award to Patagonia. “Environmental issues have always been at the heart of Rock/Creek,” explained Rock/Creek co-owner, Marvin Webb. “Patagonia has really stepped up to the plate over the years, helping us fund large projects so we have an even stronger impact within our region. They have not only supported us in our own programs, but they have also actively come to us with new ideas for local and global initiatives.”

Matt Sims, Sales Representative for Patagonia, stated, “The partnership between Rock/Creek and Patagonia is the perfect example of two companies sharing the same vision of environmental awareness and coming together to not only to improve the community, but also to educate the public on environmental stewardship.” " We have donated about $15,000 to environmental efforts Rock/Creek has taken on since 2005." Mr. Sims continues, “We are thrilled to accept this award, and are excited to continue to support Rock/Creek with regional environmental labors they diligently take on.”

Rock/Creek congratulates Patagonia for setting high standards of environmental stewardship within the outdoor industry. “As the need to preserve the environment becomes clearer, we hope to see more companies raising the bar and proactively educating their consumers,” said Webb. “Part of our mission at Rock/Creek is to teach our customers about Leave No Trace practices in the backcountry. Really, Leave No Trace should apply to the way we all live and work day to day, and to the way companies in our industry do business.”

For more information on sustainable materials, low-impact gear, and Rock/Creek's environmental initiatives, visit http://www.rockcreek.com/earth-day/

About Rock/Creek:

Rock/Creek, member of the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, is an independent specialty outdoor retailer with over two decades of experience in the Southeast. Along with its online shops, RockCreek.com and ClimbingGear.com, Rock/Creek provides quality outdoor clothing and gear for a host of activities including kayaking, rock climbing, camping, hiking, trail running, and adventure racing. Rock/Creek is committed to making a positive impact on the environment. For this reason, it uses outdoor retail as a platform to encourage outdoor recreation and environmental stewardship and to improve public access to the backcountry. Rock/Creek supports worthy nonprofits such as the Southeastern Climbers' Coalition and the Wilderness Trail Running Association.

About Patagonia:

”Our definition of quality includes a mandate for building products and working with processes that cause the least harm to the environment. We evaluate raw materials, invest in innovative technologies, rigorously police our waste and use a portion of our sales to support groups working to make a real difference. We acknowledge that the wild world we love best is disappearing. That is why those of us who work here share a strong commitment to protecting undomesticated lands and waters. We believe in using business to inspire solutions to the environmental crisis.” –Patagonia Mission Statement

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Reserve a pair of the new Evolv Optimus Prime climbing shoes at Rock/Creek >

-Michelle Smith

A hook and loop closure keeps the shoe secure on your foot, with a toe that is a bit downturned, but not as aggressive as most shoes out there, making this a little more versatile than other bouldering/sport climbing shoes.

These shoes are part of Chris Sharma’s signature series, which to me is a huge bonus when thinking about the fact that Chris has climbed on so many different types and styles of rock throughout the world, so any shoe he has a part in designing is going to be well built, and an all around great shoe.

We can’t wait to see these shoes come in – which from what we understand will be coming into our stores the first week of May. Anyone who orders these shoes from Rock/Creek will have them before anyone else in the boulder field or crag.

Evolv is now joining the ranks of the “green” by using Trax rubber on their shoes that will be composed of 25% recycled rubber. All evolv shoes are now “vegan friendly”! Evolv must be a cool climbing shoe company because they now have the recruits of Lisa Rands, Chris Sharma and Chris Lindner on their sponsored climber list.

-Michelle Smith

Pre-order the Evolv Optimus Prime Climbing Shoe today at Rock/Creek >

See all Evolv climbing shoes at Rock/Creek >

Contact:
Krista Steere
krista.steere@csassociates.net
423.821.2121

Chattanooga, TN (April, 2008) - Two North Shore and Greenlife Grocery invite the public to an Earth Day festival at 301 Manufacturers Road on Chattanooga's North Shore. The festival will take place Saturday April 19, 2008 from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. There will be an awards ceremony at 1:00 pm and Jeff Cannon of green|spaces will open the ceremony with a quick talk on green building.

This free day of celebration will contain an afternoon of local acoustic music, activities for the young and not so young, a dog training demo from Roddy Reynolds of RODDYDOGS, and much more. Rock/Creek will speak to their environmental stewardship efforts as well as feature environmentally friendly clothing options. Stop by and learn about annually renewable merino wool, organic cotton and the many recycled items Rock/Creek offers. At 3:00 pm, Rock/Creek will host a Leave No Trace community clinic teaching low impact caving, backpacking, and climbing techniques.

The Tennessee Aquarium will be present with live animals. They will be celebrating the Year of the Frog and educating kids and adults alike on the challenges frogs currently face across the world. They will also have information about the new IMAX film, "Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk," brought to Chattanooga locally by Greenlife Grocery and Rock/Creek. The Chattanooga Nature Center will also be present with a live animal.

Check out WiggleWorm for a selection of children’s organic clothing and gifts. Also don't forget to stop by one of Chattanooga’s oldest and most acclaimed galleries, Bill Shores Frames and Gallery, where you will see a variety of local artists' work utilizing recycled materials and found objects. The New Moon Gallery will be featuring artist demonstrations including candle making and wheel thrown pottery. Be sure to check out the gallery's extensive line of organic cotton tees, earth friendly book selection and new garden art! The Vine at Greenlife will showcase small family vineyards as well as organic and biodynamic wines. Willa Collection, a women's apparel boutique, will feature J Brand Green Label organic cotton jeans. These jeans are made from cotton that is 100% organic, grown in fields free of pesticides. Each pair comes with a tote bag featuring green tips on ways anyone can make a big difference in the environment. Larimar Spa as well as Hair a Go-Go, the new salon, carry products that use natural and organic ingredients.

The following organizations and businesses will also have a presence at the festival:

Recycle Right
Global Warming Task Force
Slow Foods Chattanooga
EDGE – (a UTC student environmental group)
Sweetwater Beer
Bella Monica Pizzas
Sequatchie Valley Institute
Rembrandts Coffee
Blue Smoke Coffee
The Sierra Club
The Wilderness Trail Running Association ("The Boonies")
Free Massages
EPB
Several Acoustic Musicians buskering
The Mckenzies from Sale Creek Honey and Greenlife Grocery's Beekeepers

...and many more. We hope to see you there as well!

There's still time for children from K-5 to enter the Two North Shore & Greenlife Grocery Drawing Contest. Pick up a blank brown paper shopping bag at Greenlife Grocery, decorate it with your artistic answer to the question, "How can we be good to the Earth?" Download the Competition Guidelines at: http://www.rockcreek.com/enviro/earth-day-contest.asp

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Don’t be mistaken, SmartWool PhD socks are not your everyday athletic sock. These cleverly engineered socks are designed to bring performance socks to a higher level. By offering a skin tight, four degree fit system, called the SmartFit system II, the PhD will give you the support you need, whether you are running or biking the trails. The SmartFit system II delivers a secure fit above and below the heel, arch, and across the instep with a four-point banded compression system. This system also integrates high impact zones along the heel and metatarsal area for added protection against shock and wear.

Keeping your foot dry can make or break your day. For this reason, SmartWool builds their socks with a balance of the finest merino wool, spandex and nylon. The combinations of these materials work to balance your foot temperature by absorbing and evaporating moisture keeping your foot drier longer. Oh, and as an added bonus, since moisture cannot build up neither can bacteria, keeping odor down to a minimum.

I am not the biggest runner out there, but I do huck the trails on my bike and I’ll be honest with you, this sock is bombproof. I kid- you- not the SmartFit system II feels like second skin. I have always hated wearing socks while playing outdoors, and now I am a changed man. With the double ribbed cuff I never worry about dirt getting in, and my feet are never sweaty. So next time you pound the dirt, or the road, try out a pair of SmartWool PhD’s.

Shop for SmartWool PhD running socks at Rock/Creek >
Shop for Trail Running Shoes at Rock/Creek >

Anthony Hook, General Manager of the Cumberland Trail Conference, shares his gratitude: "This race hosted by Rock/Creek helps support the Cumberland Trail Conference and demonstrates the various recreational pursuits that the Cumberland Trail offers. Races such as the Rock/Creek River Gorge Trail Race provide the challenge that trail runners seek and increases awareness of the Cumberland Trail. This money will be used to support our trail building and maintenance programs in Hamilton and Rhea counties. The CTC appreciates Rock/Creek's continuous support and generosity."

Appropriately, the race takes place on the Cumberland Trail, in Prentice Cooper Wildlife Management Area. The two distance options, 10.2 mile and 6.5 mile, both used parts of the challenging Mullens Cove Loop. Prentice Cooper is located in Marion County, on top of Suck Creek Mountain, overlooking the Tennessee River Gorge.

Thunderstorms and heavy rain greeted about 300 athletes on Saturday morning, making this one of the largest and certainly the wettest turnouts in the history of the race. "Having a successful turnout like this, despite the rain, made for a fantastic start to the spring trail running season," states race director, Jamie Sanders. "We are excited to see how continued growth of this sport encourages people to come out, rain or shine, every year."

Covered in mud and soaked in rain and sweat, several of these trail runners battled for the finish, making for a winning time almost a minute faster than last year's time. Joseph Goetz finished first with a 1:13:58 in the 10.2 mile. Rock /Creek Race Team member Stephen Taylor from Nashville ran a great race, finishing just behind Joseph in 1:14:39. Several Chattanooga-based Rock/Creek team members fared well: Geno Phillips finished fourth, Matt Sims came in seventh, while Randy Whorton finished 16th. Rock/Creek employee Clay Warner finished fourth with a time of 1:17:43.

In the women's division, Jan Gautier finished first with a time of 1:28:02, placing 18th overall. Heather Stone of Chattanooga finished 2nd; Michelle Meek of Knoxville, TN took third. Chattanooga native Natalie Sims of Team Rock/Creek ran hard and placed fifth in the women's division.

In the 6.5 miler, Zach McElrath of Phoenix, AZ took the podium with a time of 50:25, beating last year's winning time of 51:31. Tom Sell of Chattanooga came in second in the men's category and Cody Carlson from Rock Face, GA came in third, with a time of 51:26. In the women's division, Mary Mingedorff-Lee finished in 1:03:58, taking first. Cathi Cannon, a Chattanooga native and new member of the Rock/Creek Race Team, came in second, while Angela Pewitt, from Birmingham, AL, finished third with a time of 1:09:56.

Rock/Creek co-owner and president, Dawson Wheeler, from Signal Mountain, TN, expresses his gratitude to the sponsors and volunteers: "Without serious financial and time commitments from our sponsors and volunteers, we never could have raised this much money or had such a successful race." Mr. Wheeler also highlighted the importance of environmental stewardship: "Rock/Creek believes in the work of the Cumberland Trail Conference. By supporting what they do, we hope to encourage others to do their part as well. The future of the activities we love depends on protecting our natural resources through the volunteer work we do now as well as our financial commitments to conservation organizations."

SmartWool, Mountain Hardwear, and Patagonia were major sponsors of the event. The North Face, Salomon, Hammer Nutrition, Greenlife Grocery, Larabar, TrailRunner, and The Gear Junkie also sponsored. The Rock/Creek River Gorge Trail Race was the first in the Rock/Creek Trail Series, a new year-long points series with 9 race dates and 13 distance options. The series benefits trail building and maintenance efforts through The Wilderness Trail Running Association (The Boonies). For more information on the series, visit http://www.rockcreek.com/trailseries/ and for more information on The Boonies visit http://www.runintheboonies.org. The Cumberland Trail Conference can be found at http://www.cumberlandtrail.org.

The next race in the Rock/Creek Trail Series will be the Scenic City Marathon & Half Marathon, presented by Vasque, May 24th, 2008. Registration is currently open: http://www.rockcreek.com/trailmarathon/

Videos & Photography Available online:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rockcreek/2387669404/in/set-72157604361477847/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rockcreek/sets/72157604361477847/
http://rockcreekblog.com/archives/video_photos_from_race_last_weekend.html

About Rock/Creek:

Rock/Creek, member of the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, is an independent specialty outdoor retailer with over two decades of experience in the Southeast. Along with its online shops, RockCreek.com and ClimbingGear.com, Rock/Creek provides quality outdoor clothing and gear for a host of activities including kayaking, rock climbing, camping, hiking, trail running, and adventure racing. Rock/Creek is committed to making a positive impact on the environment. For this reason, it uses outdoor retail as a platform to encourage outdoor recreation and environmental stewardship and to improve public access to the backcountry. Rock/Creek supports worthy nonprofits such as the Southeastern Climbers' Coalition and the Wilderness Trail Running Association.

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