Chris Marques of Shrewsbury, a member of the Unibank Greenway Challenge, will kayak a portion of the 56 mile route.

Photo Credit: Deborah Gauthier

Dennis LaForce of Douglas, a member of Terrain Tacklers of Northborough, will bike a portion of the Greenway Challenge.

Photo Credit: Deborah Gauthier

Francis Rosato of Warren, R.I. gets information on the Challenge route from Joy Liptak of Worcester at a reception last night.

Photo Credit: Deborah Gauthier

A bib number in the Greenway Challenge. More than 400 will run, bike or kayak from Lincoln, R.I. to Douglas, MA

Photo Credit: Deborah Gauthier

Tom Lamont of Whitinsville, a member of the Club Mud team in the Greenway Challenge, picks up team packets.

Photo Credit: Deborah Gauthier

Cliff Marshall of Forestdale, R.I. and George Abbott of Uxbridge, chat after picking up their packet for the Greenway Challenge.

Photo Credit: Deborah Gauthier

NORTHBRIDGE, Mass. - Team members picked up their packets and bib numbers at a reception held Friday evening at Whitinsville Community Center. Today,  those teams composed of 470 athletes will gather at the Grove at Lincoln Woods State Park in Lincoln, R.I., ready to take on a challenge issued by UniBank, headquartered in Whitinsville.


The bank, with branches throughout the Blackstone Valley, is committed to promoting the recreational quality of life in the Blackstone River Valley by partnering with other organizations to support clean water campaigns, hiking and biking trails, wildlife projects, environmental education and development of waterway access.


What better way to do that than through the Blackstone River Valley Greenway Challenge – a challenge that has participants running, paddling, and biking almost 58 miles through Blackstone Valley communities, beginning in Lincoln, R.I. and ending at the Douglas State Forest in Massachusetts.


The 470 participants are members of teams – about 70 teams in all – many of them from the coverage area of Main Street Connect - Massachusetts, including Northbridge, Grafton, Northborough, Millbury and Shrewsbury.

Teams are separated into divisions, from championship to recreational.


Those teams include Whitinsville Community Center, which hosts a rally for participants at the center on Main Street tonight; Hey You Guys, Plum CPA, Bright Shine, Club Med, Fairlawn Masters and UniBank, all of Whitinsville;  Three Guys, MCU and Sleepy Hollow, Millbury; Queen Bees, Mass Rep’s, Internationals and Late Comers, Grafton; Gang Green, Shrewsbury; Terrain Tacklers, Northborough.


Participants start the morning at 9 a.m. with a 5.5-mile run through Lincoln Woods State Park, cross the covered bridge onto Great Road, enter the Blackstone Bikeway at the Lonsdale March, cross the Pratt Dam and arrive at the Blackstone Canal.


Teams will bike to Daniels Farm on Southwick Hill in Blackstone, run to the entrance to the Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park, paddle to the Stanley Woolen Mill Meadow in Uxbridge, run and paddle to Rice City Pond in Uxbridge, run to Douglas State Forest, and paddle to the finish line at Wallum Lake Beach.


They will eventually end at Douglas State Forest, 127 Wallum Lake Road, where entertainment and an awards ceremony is planned.


At the state park will be the Greenway Children’s Challenge, beginning at noon, sponsored by the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce. Activities will include horseshoe, pie-eating, and hula hoop contests, and beach and sack races.


This is the 11th year of the challenge.


Spectators are encouraged to cheer on team members along the route and attend the award ceremony.


For more information, visit www.greenwaychallenge.org.

Deb Gauthier can be reached at dgauthier@mainstreetconnect.us.