WYMT Weekend Edition News at 11 p.m.
HAZARD, Ky. (WYMT) – A trail system that was developed just in the last five years is now being used by mountain bikers from across the Commonwealth.
“It first started off as a personal need, but then I realized how many people wanted the same thing I wanted, so we had tons of city and county support that brought us to this point,” said Ben Braman, the designer and builder behind the Perry County Trail System.
In partnership with the Perry County Trail System, the Bluegrass Mountain Cup held a mountain bike race in Perry County on Sunday.
“We’re, you know, excited for how this seasons went and to bring this to Perry County for the first time and hopefully be back next year,” said Race Director for the Bluegrass Mountain Cup, Josh Patton.
The Bluegrass Mountain Cup kicked off a weekend full of racing on Saturday with the inaugural Kiss the Goat Trail Race, finishing off their mountain bike racing series on Sunday.
“What Pathfinders, Perry County and specifically Ben Braman, the trail builder here, has done, it’s just quite amazing,” said Patton. “I would argue that it’s one of the best trail systems in the state. It’s a small system, still with only a handful of trails, but it’s growing fast and the quality of the trails are very, very top notch.”
Braman said events like this are exactly why he wanted to create this trail system.
“Although it’s not a magic bullet to save any economy or to create the perfect lifestyle, but it is certainly a very important piece of the puzzle to provide for people that live here and for folks to come in for tourism and others just for quality of life,” Braman added.
Sunday’s race concluded the Bluegrass Mountain Cup’s mountain bike racing series, with races taking place across the state.
Patton added that he hopes to continue this partnership with the Perry County trail system.
Patton and his team hope to coordinate other races across the Commonwealth this fall.
Braman said if you’d like to keep up with any upcoming events centered around the trail, you can visit the Pathfinders of Perry County’s Facebook page, follow Braman’s Instagram page, or contact him directly at (406) 465-8397.
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