Annual race shows love for local trails

Valentine Greenway Challenge 5K gears up for another winter run

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
January 28, 2026

The 2026 Valentine Greenway Challenge 5K, presented by the Black Mountain Recreation and Parks Department, in partnership with the Black Mountain Greenways and Trails Committee, will take place, Feb. 7, at Lake Tomahawk. Photo by Fred McCormick

An annual display of love for local trails is returning with a newly designed course, beginning at 10 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 7, at Lake Tomahawk, where hundreds of runners are anticipated to lace up their running shoes for the 2026 Valentine Greenway Challenge 5K. 

The event, hosted by the Black Mountain Recreation and Parks Department, in partnership with the Black Mountain Greenways and Trails Committee, will raise money for a new bridge to connect the Oaks Trail to Veterans Park. 

The trail race, in its fourth year, represents a consolidated version of two former longtime events, the Valentine 5K, which was hosted by the recreation department for 23 years, and the Black Mountain Greenway Challenge, presented by the greenway committee for 15. .

Following extensive damage to the Oaks Trail and Veterans Park from Helene, organizers moved last year’s event to the Black Mountain Golf Course. While much of the previous route covered the back nine of the course, the upcoming race will begin at Lake Tomahawk, cross Laurel Circle Drive and follow the cart path around the majority of the front nine before finishing where at the lake.

“We’re using the whole front nine and incorporating Lake Tomahawk this year, so that will give it a different feel,” said recreation coordinator Clint Bowman, who organized this year’s Challenge with a group of volunteers from the greenway committee.

The fundraiser supports a cause that is important to all local runners, following the significant damage from the 2024 natural disaster, according to Bowman.

“Since the start, this event has been about pooling the resources of the recreation department and greenway committee to raise money for the greenways, which, right now, need improvement more than ever,” he said. “Greenways are vital to every community in our town. The system connects different neighborhoods to one another, it connects those neighborhoods to downtown and provides safe corridors for walkers to get away from the roadways.”

The Flat Creek Greenway remains segmented since much of its middle section was washed away by flooding, while the Oaks Trail no longer connects to Veterans Park, over the Swannanoa River.

“With all of these things being disconnected, it leads to a disconnected feeling in the community, because you can’t always walk or bike to each other,” Bowman said. “That’s not good for the environment, but maybe more importantly, it’s not great for mental health. People rely on being outside.”

Half of the funds raised through the Valentine Greenway Challenge registration fees will be donated to the Black Mountain Greenway and Trails Committee, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the greenway system.

“We don’t anticipate raising enough money to pay for the entire bridge replacement, but we wanted to support that ongoing project,” Bowman said.

Another objective of holding the outdoor gathering in late winter is getting people back outdoors in anticipation of the upcoming spring.

“The Valentine’s Day race has always been popular, and at some point was one of the only winter 5Ks in the area that got runners back outside this time of year,” Bowman said. “So, with that being part of the tradition, it’s always a fun event.”

Registration for the Valentine Greenway Challenge is available at raceroster.com, with pre-event packet pickup from 4 p.m. - 6 p.m., Friday, Feb. 6, at the Lakeview Senior Center. Race day packet pickup will take place in the same location from 8 a.m. - 9:45 a.m., Feb. 7. Pre-event registration is $34.25 per person, while runners registering the day of the race will pay $38.63.

Participants are encouraged to wear Valentine’s Day-themed costumes.

The top three overall finishers will be recognized, while the top performer in each of the 10 age groups will receive an award, including 3D-printed a medal featuring a topographic map of the Seven Sisters mountain range. Spirit Awards will be presented to the best costumes in three categories: adult, youth and couples.

Organizers are hoping for a record number of runners, according to Bowman.

“We don’t have a limit for runners, so with the project we’re focused on being the bridge, we would like to see our biggest turnout yet,” he said. “I’d love to see us get 200 runners, which is realistic, because in the past we usually have around 150. It’s a great event supporting something I know a lot of people here care about, so we’re looking forward to having a good time.”