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So often in life one good thing leads to another, which is exactly why we have the Greenway Challenge.
In 2000, the John H. Chaffee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission organized a four-day paddling/camping expedition down the Blackstone River from Worcester, Massachusetts to Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The goal of the event was to show the progress that had been made in cleaning up the river and to demonstrate the recreational potential of the Blackstone Valley. Participants included legislators, town officials, and representatives from a variety of businesses and nonprofit organizations in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
The group of approximately 40 paddlers explored the Blackstone by day and camped along the river’s shores at night. Each evening, hundreds of local townspeople and supporters joined the group for dinner and programs related to the Blackstone Valley.
Expedition 2000 was a huge success. It educated many people about the ongoing work to clean up the Blackstone River. It created a vision of what the Blackstone could be if the work continued with more people, ideas, and resources. And it drew in new partner organizations willing to help restore the watershed.
Equally important, Expedition 2000 was just plain fun. The participants and supporters of Expedition 2000 were united in their response, “This was great. Let’s do this every year.”
Following much discussion, it was decided that a one-day running, paddling, cycling adventure triathlon that took participants to many different parts of the Blackstone Valley was the best way to continue raising awareness of the region, and have a lot of fun at the same time.
In 2001, the Greenway Challenge picked up where Expedition 2000 left off.
For the first three years, the route of the Greenway Challenge followed the path of the Blackstone River from Worcester, MA to Pawtucket, RI. Each year the segments were changed to expose participants to different parts of the Blackstone Valley. But in 2004, the course committee decided to try a different approach - a series of loops that began and ended at River Bend Farm in Uxbridge, MA. The loop course gave spectators more opportunities to see the participants and feel part of the event.
Each year the event has attracted more teams and more participants and is quickly becoming one of the most popular triathlons in New England. Yet, the event retains a fun feel, which the organizers work hard to maintain. Spectators line the course to cheer on the participants, good sportsmanship is abundant on the course, and the post-event picnic has become a favorite of participants and spectators alike.
The Greenway Challenge has become a wonderful way to see the historic mills, picturesque small towns, and lush waterways of the Blackstone Valley.
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