The Lake Lanier Olympic Park in Gainesville is serving as this weekend's host of the American Collegiate Rowing Association (ACRA) national championships, with 64 clubs vying to become the country's top rowing crew.
Races will start at 8 a.m. Saturday morning, and are scheduled throughout the day until 6 p.m. Event organizers say races will then resume at 8 a.m. Sunday and continue until 1:20 p.m.
Olympic Park Manager Morgan House says the event marks the seventh straight year that the ACRA championships have been held at the venue.
"I believe that the event continues to return not only because of our amazing race course and venue but also because of the welcoming Gainesville/Hall County community," House said. "Hundreds of volunteer hours go into planning this event and it would not be possible without the support of the Lake Lanier Rowing Club and the Lanier Canoe Kayak Club who are headquartered out of the Lake Lanier Olympic Park."
House said that nearly 2,000 participants are expected to take place in the event, which will consist of 2-kilometer-long races, each being run on 6-minutes centers.
Participants hail from as far west as California and Washington, and House said the crowds drawn to the event each year make a sizable impact on the local economy.
"This event is one of the largest annual events held at the Lake Lanier Olympic Park, which generates approximately $1.6M in economic impact each year," he continued.
The Lake Lanier Rowing Club recently qualified a crew for the championships for the first time in over 10 years, and will be among the 64 clubs vying for the championship.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2017/5/540436/rowing-championships-come-to-lanier-olympic-park-this-weekend