DOLORES – With the first signs of fall on the horizon, Dolores gets prepared to entertain challenge-seekers from near and far in one of the last summer hurrahs.
On back-to-back weekends in early August, the sounds of mountain bikes whirring through Boggy Draw, the stampede of runners around town, and the pinging of bat on softball in Joe Rowell Park will make Dolores the epicenter of activity in the region.
The action starts on the weekend of Aug. 1-2 with the Boggy Draw Beat Down – with the mountain bike race drawing in hundreds of competitors on a yearly basis to test themselves over a variety of distances. This year’s edition of the race has included the option of camping in Joe Rowell Park to go along with live music, a kids bike rodeo, and ice cream eating contest.
It all leads up to the competition on Saturday morning, with either solo or team racing events starting at 7:30 a.m. with the 60-mile race, before the 33-, 18-, 13-, and 3-mile races begin their treks later that morning.
Proceeds from the Beat Down continue to support the Rotary Club of Dolores, helping provide children’s programs, scholarships, and youth leadership opportunities for community youth. To register or find out more information, interested participants can learn more at boggydrawbeatdown.com.
A week later, Escalante Days will ring in another year, with the Escalante Days 5K run set to begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 9. The circuit around town gets the weekend rolling, with proceeds from the race going to support the Dolores High and Middle School cross country programs. Registrants can sign up for the 5K at https://runsignup.com/Race/CO/Dolores/EscalanteDays5K.
Then, over at the diamonds at Joe Rowell Park, the annual adult softball tournament gets underway. Action will continue through Sunday, with a home run derby highlighting the action on Saturday night at 9 p.m. Teams are capped at a 15-player roster, and can sign up or learn more through contacting Jerry at 970-570-8315 or email at jwhitedjk@aol.com.
The softball tournament accompanies the chain saw and arm wrestling competitions at Flanders Park on Saturday – part of a full slate of activities going on all weekend for Escalante Days.
