BOONE—The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Institute for Health and Human Services (IHHS) at Appalachian State University announces the High Country Triple Crown, a series of three challenging and fun races covering beautiful mountain terrain. All proceeds will benefit Girls on the Run of the High Country, an afterschool program that inspires girls in the 3rd-8th grade to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running.

Headquartered in Boone, the High Country Triple Crown consists of three races of varying difficulty and distance. All races showcase the breathtaking scenery of the North Carolina mountains coupled with the vitality of the local community. Registration is now open at http://triplecrown.appstate.edu.

The first race in the series is The Valle Crucis Cub 7-Miler, which will be held June 20. The race begins at 8 a.m. at the Valle Crucis School. Participants can register online or at the event starting at 6:30 a.m. Participants will receive T-shirts, goody bags, age category awards, overall awards and chances for numerous donated door prizes including golfing certificates, local hotel overnight stays, T-shirts, etc.

Other races in the series are The High Country Half Marathon, on Aug. 29 at 7:30 a.m., and The Knob, sponsored by Foscoe Rentals on Oct. 2 at 5:30 p.m. For the second year, runners and walkers can also register for The Bonk which is also scheduled for Oct. 2 at 5:30 p.m. and will give participants the opportunity to walk/run down Howard Knob and will feature special starting awards.

Runners who participate in all three High Country Triple Crown races will be eligible to win $1,500 in cash prizes. Registration fees will be reduced for participants who register early or register for all three races. The cost of all three races is $90 if registered by June 2. As an added incentive to register for all three races by June 2, one registered participant will be randomly drawn to win a four-night and five-day stay in Orlando, Florida.

For more information and to register for The Cub, The High Country Half Marathon or The Knob, visit http://triplecrown.appstate.edu or call 828-262-7557.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.

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