iDaph Hosts 5th Annual Dig the Du Bike/Run Race

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by Emma Dauster

Are you looking for a fun way to exercise and have a blast at the same time?  If so, DuPont’s Dig the Du duathlon is the event for you.  Dig the Du is western North Carolina’s “dirty duathlon”.  It offers its participants an exciting way to get outside with the family and get their daily exercise in all in one action-packed race/bike event.

Dig the Du is hosted in DuPont State Recreational Forest on a large valley farm owned by the Perry family.  It consists of three parts–a 2.5 mile run, a 12 mile bike ride, and another 2.5 mile run.

Dig the Du is a run-bike-run formatted race.” said Daphne Kirkwood, founder of iDaph Events and hostess of Dig the Du. “It’s all offroads, which is pretty cool.  It’s also a fundraiser for an organization in Asheville called OpenDoors.”

Dig the Du has been an annual event for iDaph Events for about five years.  It was originally for children, but over time, its purpose has changed.  

“The purpose of Dig the Du was originally just to get kids of all ages outdoors.  The more I’ve put it on, the more I’ve realized how hard the course is for children,” said Kirkwood. “Over time it just kind of evolved into a race for experienced runners and mountain bikers because the course was so hard.  We eventually moved it to the Perry’s farm to make it a little easier but it was still not a child-level race.”

Daphne has been involved in helping and organizing events for eleven years.  Dig the Du is the first event she has started from scratch.  iDaph Events has hosted a couple of offroads events similar to Dig the Du.  Daphne currently owns the Asheville Marathon and the Asheville Half Marathon that are hosted at the Biltmore house.

Dig the Du is the event for anyone who is looking for a fun way to get outside and exercise.  It offers the perfect combination of running and biking and is the perfect event for an experienced runner or mountain biker.

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