Spring in Onslow County

What a beautiful time of year here in Onslow County. Pollen aside, spring is always a wonderful time as the grass greens, the flowers bloom and the temperature rises. For us, we got to celebrate our latest inductees into the Coastal Bank & Trust Jacksonville Onslow Sports Hall of Fame on April 21. Now we are full steam ahead and full focus on our fourth New River Splash.

New River Splash is a combination mini-festival, triathlon, duathlon and 5K to celebrate the river and all the activities it provides. This event is a massive undertaking because of the footprint and moving parts involved in a triathlon and the number of volunteers needed to pull it off. This year the event is sanctioned by USA Triathlon which also adds additional requirements to the event.

On Friday, May 20 from 5:30-8:00pm at LP Willingham Park, we will hold our packet pickup for those involved in the races the following day. This is open to the public and FREE because with it, we have a DJ, vendors, the city will offer boat tours of the New River and Pogie’s will allow you to try paddleboarding and kayaking for free as well. We hope you will join us for these activities even if you aren’t participating the following day.

On Saturday, May 21 at 7:30am, the triathlon will begin. Participants will swim 400 meters in the New River (all there at the Riverwalk Marina area). Don’t worry, we have boats, divers, lifeguards, kayaks and jet skis there for safety. After the swim they will bike 17.5 miles (leaving from downtown and biking through Camp Lejeune and back) and then run a 5k.

So, come join us Friday for the free activities and sign up for one of the races or volunteer with us on Saturday. We will see you there! To volunteer, email events@josc-nc.com and for more information on the races, visit www.racejosc.com.