July 4th was a gorgeous weekend and the perfect time to launch training goals for 2021 Take the Lake.  Registration is open and Take the Lake virtual event dates are Monday, August 23 to (midnight) Labor Day Monday, September 6. All events are free and t-shirts are available for sale on the registration site. Proceeds from shirt sales help pay for the event expenses.  

Free registration includes access to the site’s daily exercise tracking platform. Users track progress as they virtually “circle” Lake Waccamaw, regardless of where they actually do their miles.
Along the way, users receive virtual milestone badges, motivation, encouragement and a physical John A. McNeill Award, or “JAMA.”

Teams are a fun way to share TTL with friends and family near and far. You can setup your teams during registration. Last year 23 teams formed to take the lake, from the Solefinetrekkers to the Gator Dominators and Watermelon Wranglers. Team members tackled their fitness challenges from far-away states and countries as well as in Columbus County. 

Look for recent news and share your team goals and achievements on our TTL Facebook page and/or join our TTL 2021 Facebook Group to cheer each other on. 

NEW for 2021 - Take the Lake TIE DYE TEES 
Available in Turquoise Unisex and Youth and Pastel Rainbow Ladies. Shirts are first come, first serve so grab yours today!  
Get your shirt during registration or visit the Take the Lake Store.
​Thank you for supporting Take the Lake. 

How will you Take the Lake in 2021?  
Back by popular demand...the Take the Lake Challenge. 
In 2020, COVID caused us to make some modifications to our traditional Take the Lake event. We heard such great feedback about the 2020 event, that we have decided to "Bring Back the Fun in 21" with a virtual event.
We know you might be pretty bummed we can't have an in-person event, and we are, too. We are all about hosting a safe and healthy event, and we are just not comfortable, at this point, to plan for and host a large scale event. But, we are not going to let that stop us from getting outside and working on our personal fitness challenges virtually with friends and family near and far this summer. 
 How can I participate in Take the Lake Challenges? 
Take the Lake is all about you and working toward your own personal fitness goal and journey. 
Our traditional events such walk, run, hike, paddle, swim, and rowing are definitely in the mix since they are the core of our traditional in-person events.  But don't rule at dance, a fitness class, or Cross-Fit...the sky is the limit..just get out and get moving! Log your miles each day and track your miles on our virtual map to see exactly where you are on the route whether it’s in the state park, Waccamaw Shores, or Canal Cove Rd, etc. We encourage everyone at every fitness level to participate. Gather your friends and family to "Take the Lake" virtually from all over the world. If you have health issues, have never exercised before, or it’s been a long time since you participated in physical activities, we recommend you get medical clearance before you start a fitness program. 
What type of exercise miles can I log? 
Walk, run, hike, bike, swim, row, paddle OR use our exercise conversion chart to convert your movement minutes to miles.
How long is the Take the Lake Challenge? 
15 Days!  Why 15 days?  Because it is 15 miles around the lake.  Challenge yourself to move 1 mile a day and you will have made one loop around the lake in 15 days.  Challenge yourself to move 2 miles a day and you will have made 2 loops around the lake in 15 days!  You get the idea...how far will you go in 15 days. 
How do I submit my miles? 
Check out the FAQ page for instructions on logging your miles, converting exercise minutes to miles and downloading your digital bib. 
What is included with my registration?

• Daily exercise tracking platform
• Progress tracking on a virtual map
• Digital Milestone Badges
• Motivation and Encouragement along the way 
• Daily steps to better health, better fitness, and a better you
• Digital Bib
• Access to our Private Facebook Group
• JAMA (John A. McNeill participation award) 

How much is the Take the Lake Registration fee? 
FREE!  Take the Lake is a completely FREE event.  You will have the option to purchase a T-shirt or make a donation during registration.
Team Take the Lake. We know family vacations and group gatherings may be canceled for the summer but with Team Take the Lake, you still Take the Lake together from virtually anywhere.  Each person on your team will log miles individually, but the miles will add together to for a team total.  We have three team options to select from:  Run/Walk Only, Bike Only,  A Little Bit of Everything Option.  
NEW FOR 2021
TIE DYE!  YES!  You heard us RIGHT!  This year's Tees are Tie Dye and So Much Fun!  Be sure to grab one during registration to support Take the Lake.  T-shirts are first come, first served, so don't miss out.
  Tim and Edna Dowless of locally-owned TLD ScreenPrinting will supply t-shirts again this year. Thank you Tim and Edna! 
READY TO REGISTER? Click here to go straight to the site hosting our registration.  THANK YOU to the virtually awesome folks at FULL SEND for coordinating Take the Lake 2021. They totally make it happen. 

Sorry for the t-shirt delay! Just an update - I picked-up the remaining t-shirts Thursday and got some in the mail Friday and plan to put the rest in the mail today. If you haven't received your shirt order by the end of the week (Oct. 9), please let me know so I can cross-check and make sure you receive your shirt asap! ​

Just a reminder that you can submit your distances online until 11:59 p.m. tonight (Monday).
Click here to submit distances. 
You will find helpful information how to post your results or how to edit or delete an activity entered incorrectly. https://runsignup.com/Race/TTL2020/Page-12  

Today is a beautiful final day at Lake Waccamaw to finish up your TTL personal challenge goals. Be sure and share your goal crushing photos on the Take the Lake facebook page https://www.facebook.com/takethelake. Thank you to each of our 345 registered participants for making Take the Lake 2020 Virtual Challenge such a wonderful 15-day journey of endurance and achievement. You inspire us! Thank you for ""taking the lake" both near and far.

This year with the 15-day format, we decided to add some awards to recognize the overall and category distance winners plus include some fun "superlative" awards to recognize the TTL spirit, creativity, guts, glory and teamwork. The awards will be locally sourced and fun:) and sent by mail after the event. Winners will be published in The News Reporter. The beloved and special edition JAMA's are on the way for those who have not received them.
Here is the format for the results-driven awards ... There will be a male and female overall long distance winner based on total miles exercised from all 5 categories. Both overall winners are not eligible to receive a top distance award based on the other 5 categories (Running, Biking, Walking, Swimming, Paddling). This allows other participants to earn a top award. The category winners will be decided as follows:
- Running Overall Distance Winners M/F
- Biking Overall Distance Winners M/F
- Walking Overall Distance Winners M/F
- Swimming Overall Distance Winners M/F
- Paddling Overall Distance Winners M/F ​

​We miss everyone gathering to celebrate Take the Lake! But, we have a lot to celebrate with our virtual participants hailing from 12 states and Thailand!!! Share the registration link with friends and family and let's see how many more states we can add!! https://runsignup.com/Race/NC/LakeWaccamaw/TTL2020
NC
SC
Mississippi
Washington State
Florida
Georgia
Virginia
Indiana
Ohio
Tennessee
New Mexico
New York
Thailand - Hi Mark Gilchrist!

He ran and walked the distance of Tennessee. His next goal? Take the Lake
This year’s virtual format for Take the Lake is attracting hardcore athletes and first-timers alike to complete one or more laps around North Carolina’s largest bay lake at their own pace.
Veteran long-distance runner Grant Egley recommends that each participant set a goal to work toward between Aug. 23 and Sept. 7. He hopes that some who have previously been sedentary will keep the exercise habit going after Labor Day.
Last week Egley, 88, finished a 104-day project in which he ran and walked 635 miles, representing the distance across the state of Tennessee “from Memphis to Bristol,” he said.
Egley did all those miles in Lake Waccamaw State Park or on the adjacent Bella Coola Road, where he lives. “20,000 people from all over the world” took part, Egley said.
Fast running is hard on him these days, he said, but he makes up for lost speed with consistency. “I started May first and averaged more than six miles a day, six days a week,” said Egley. “I only missed one day. “
He keeps up this steady pace in order to maintain “general fitness and health,” he said. “I believe in regular exercise. I feel good doing it, and I attribute my good fitness at age 88 to doing this sort of thing for years.”
Egley has been a runner and athlete since his teens and has completed 50- and 100-mile ultra marathons. These days he typically runs about three miles at a time, five or six days a week, so the Tennessee race meant doubling his usual efforts. Egley also walks a mile a day with his wife, Donna Egley.
“We can do more than we think we can do when we’re motivated,” he said.
Take the Lake 2020 will be a much smaller challenge than the Tennessee race. But it will be an uncommon opportunity for the Egleys. Both of them have volunteered for Take the Lake since its beginning. In fact, they pioneered the first group walks around the lake in “about 2005 or 2006,” before the cycling and paddling events were added in 2009.
They have usually not been able to get onto the road themselves during the events because they were too busy helping supervise logistics details for hundreds of other people. This year they have the freedom to concentrate on their own goals.
Donna Egley’s goal is to log 15 miles of walking; her husband’s is “three miles a day of walking and jogging, so a total of about 50 miles. Maybe I’ll do more,” he said, “but I won’t have to. I’m in pretty good shape.”
Egley advises new walkers or runners not to take on a long run until they’ve gradually built up their abilities “30 minutes a day, three or four times a week. Get out and walk a mile a day,” he says. “They can probably do that.”
‘I can do that’
Amanda Worley, 87, will participate in her first TTL this year with a goal of 15 miles or one virtual lap around the lake. “I’ve helped with registration ever since Take the Lake started, but I never participated because I knew I couldn’t walk all the way around the lake, and I certainly couldn’t bike around,” she said.
When she heard about this year’s virtual format, she remembered Johnny McNeill, John Singletary and other friends who walked a mile a day in their 90s. “I can do that,” Worley decided. She already walks her dogs Sally and Basil three times a day in her quiet neighborhood.
She used her pedometer and her car’s odometer to measure the route she would cover and convert it into steps. “I can finally walk around the lake,” she decided.
Worley formed a multi-generational team and named it Mimi’s Mirage. Her daughter and son-in-law Teresa and Richard Hopkins have taken part in the bike and paddling events in past years; they will log their miles with hers this year. Her granddaughter Celia Barbieri committed to cover her miles in Asheville. Granddaughter Kenna Grigorov in Kansas City will join in with sons Alex, 11, and Lucca, 5.
Like Egley, Worley would like to see more people accept the TTL challenge. “You can do it in increments,” she said. “I have friends who walk several times a week and are capable of doing it. They’re all younger than I am.”
To register for the free do-it-yourself fitness challenge, participants should go to takethelake.org and select “Register” from the menu. Steering committee chair Stuart Rogers recommends that users bookmark the site because they will be returning to it each day during the event to log their miles and see their virtual progress around the lake. Miles can be logged starting Aug. 23.
Donations and T-shirt sales support the monitoring site, postage and other behind-the-scenes costs. TTL committee members are volunteers.

​The first Take the Lake t-shirt order is here! Thank you Tim and Edna Dowless of TLD Screen Printing in Whiteville. We are preparing the mail delivery packets for a Monday, August 17th mailing, and we will have drive-thru pick-up orders ready next week at these times and locations:
Drive-Thru Pick-Up
(Remember to have your name on a sheet of paper displayed in your dash when you drive through the pick-up line.)
Tuesday - August 18
Body Shapers - 12:00 - 2:00 PM and 4:30 - 6:30 PM
(28 Whiteville Plaza #000, Whiteville)
Wednesday, August 19
Elizabeth Brinkley Park -12:00 - 2:00 PM and 4:30 - 6:30 PM
(90 Bald Cypress Cir, Lake Waccamaw)
We will place a second "mail-only" t-shirt order on Thursday, September 10 (for orders made online after August 5th).

We want to remind you all t-shirts will be sold online this year. Make sure you register and order your shirt by Wednesday, August 5th to ensure arrival prior to TTL! A second t-shirt order will be placed Thursday, September 10. 

T-shirts are $15 each, plus tax. We have 3 styles of this years shirt:  Unisex, Ladies  (V - Neck ) and Youth. The ladies v-neck t-shirt sizes do run small and we suggest you order one size larger than you would normally wear for a slim fit and two sizes up for a loose fit.  Ex. If you wear a Small in a traditional t-shirt you would want to order a Medium Ladies shirt or Large Ladies shirt to allow for shrinking and your preferred fit. 

If you would like to register for TTL and order a t-shirt - Click Here 
If you would like to ONLY order a shirt - Click Here
Remember to add $5 shipping if you would like your shirt mailed to you.  

T-shirts order by August 5th with be delivered by mail or curbside packet picket th week of August 17. You can make your delivery preference when placing your order. 
Curbside packet pick-up will work this way:
Curbside Packet Pick-Up.  Please print your name and your bib number on a sheet of paper and display in your car window.  We will pull your pre-packaged packet with you t-shirt order and JAMA(s) and hand it to you as you drive by.  You will not need to get out of your car.  Just click Curbside Packet PickUp during registration for this option.  
Curbside Packet Pick Up Times and Locations
Tuesday - August 18 
Body Shapers - 12:00 - 2:00 PM and 4:30 - 6:30 PM (28 Whiteville Plaza #000, Whiteville, NC 28472)
Wednesday, August 19 
Elizabeth Brinkley Park -12:00 - 2:00 PM and 4:30 - 6:30 PM 

Here is an article that recently ran in The News Reporter by NR writer and longtime TTL volunteer, Diana Matthews...

In spite of changes brought by the coronavirus pandemic, 68 people from North and South Carolina have registered for Take The Lake this year, said steering committee chair Stuart High Rogers. “The oldest is 88 years old, and the youngest is 4.”

The free event, which will occur virtually under social distancing guidelines, begins Sunday, Aug. 23, and ends Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7. It is not necessary to be at Lake Waccamaw for any part of Take The Lake 2020.  Click here to register.  Click here to purchase a TTL t-shirt without registering to participate. 

During those 15 days, participants will walk, run, bike, paddle or swim, or do any combination of those things, at the places and times of their choice, logging their way toward personal and team mileage goals. The registration page suggests goals in multiples of 15 miles to represent one, two or more times around the lake, but it is possible to change goals after they are set. Here is the link to register: https://runsignup.com/Race/NC/LakeWaccamaw/TTL2020

“You can set a goal to ‘walk the lake’ three times if you want,” Rogers said. “Since it is a virtual event, any participant, wherever they are, can set their own TTL challenge this year.

“Participants can complete a mile a day for 15 days or complete a challenge in one day,” said Rogers. “How a participant completes their mileage is their own decision.

“Every day you complete part of your challenge, you can go to the RunSignUp registration site and submit your distances,” she said. Rogers recommends bookmarking the site when registering. The site will keep a running total of all distances entered during the 15 days.

The free-form nature of this year’s TTL means less demand on law enforcement and local businesses, Rogers said. Many businesses that sponsored TTL in past years are dealing with pandemic restrictions and loss of revenue, she said. “and with T-shirt sales and online donations we are able to cover our expenses this year. We are acknowledging our sponsors’ past support by including the 2019 sponsors on the back of each T-shirt.”

Sign-up is free, but donations and T-shirt sales help to defray expenses of technical management by SetUp Events, registrant packets and the special-edition 2020 John A. McNeill Award poker chip given to each participant.

“We hope JAMA collectors will enjoy this one-and-only special edition chip,” Rogers said. The simplest way to register is by going through takethelake.org, where the user chooses “register” from the drop-down menu and is taken to the RunSignUp site.

In past years the events have depended on at least 50 helpers to staff walk-up registration tables, hand out water, put up and take down signs and equipment, direct traffic, supervise safety and record times over the long weekend. This year, with no organized site or group starting times, there will be nothing to set up or take down, no lining up at tables to register, no portable potties, no blocking off roads. Participants will be on their own to find their way along their chosen routes while staying safe and hydrated.

Even carbohydrate loading is going to be on a do-it-yourself basis, as Lake Waccamaw United Methodist Church cannot host a large gathering for th “Take The Plate” spaghetti supper as it has in past years.

“We have 19 members on the TTL steering committee,” Rogers said. They will organize and distribute packets and shirts, “and we will not need additional volunteers this year.” She said that volunteers’ contributions have been very much appreciated in the past and would be needed again next year if a traditional event is possible.

The RunSignUp platform, which manages the online registration and records participant mileage for SetUp Events, offers a virtual route tracking tool.

Registered participants will be able to share goals and training milestones and post photos within a Facebook group.

There were five teams registered by Sunday. Rogers pointed out that team members need not be in the same place to carry out their challenges: “We know family vacations and group gatherings may be canceled for the summer, but with Team Take The Lake you can still take the lake together from virtually anywhere. Each person on your team will log miles individually, but the miles will add together for a team total.”

Some teams will choose the run/walk challenge, others the bike-only event, while others will want to take on “a little bit of everything.” The options to “Create Team” or “Join Team” are on the registration page.

Rogers said those with questions may email her at stuartrogers@nrcolumbus.com.

As with many fun runs and competitions that have gone virtual this season, participants in Take The Lake can download bibs to wear as they cover the roads, promoting safety and showing motorists that they are part of an organized event. The TTL committee will hand pre-ordered T-shirts at two curbside pickup sites. Body Shapers Gym at 28 Whiteville Plaza will be the site Aug. 18 from noon-2 p.m. and 4:30-6:30 p.m. The next day pickup will be during the same hours at Elizabeth Brinkley Park in Lake Waccamaw. Registrants can have their packets mailed to them on Aug. 17 if they prefer.

Those who order shirts by Aug. 5 will have them in time for the start of the 15-day period. The committee will make a second order of shirts for later arrival by mail. T-shirts will be mint green with the same bold sunshine-over-water logo as last year and will cost $15 each.

“We will use the same t-shirt brand and blend as the popular 2019 T-shirts,” Rogers said. “The women’s V-neck shirt runs small, and we suggest you order one size larger than you would normally wear for a slim fit and two sizes up for a loose fit. You can purchase a T-shirt without registering for the event” at the registration website, she said.
​

The 2020 special edition JAMAs are here and each registered participant receives one. We will only use this unique border and design this year as we remember the year that COVID couldn't stop us from staying fit and striving to reach personal fitness goals. 

We have set-up a Take the Lake t-shirt online store so you can purchase a t-shirt without having to go through the event registration process. T-shirts are $15 each, and we offer youth, adult crew-neck and women's v-neck shirts. The women's v-neck shirts run small, and you should order one size up for a fitted shirt and two sizes up for a looser fit. Click here to place your order.  Below are examples of the t-shirt logo and shirt color. We will post a photo of the actual t-shirt once we place our first order August 5th with Tim and Edna Dowless and locally owned TLD Screen Printing. Shirts ordered by August 5th will be delivered by mail  or drive-thru packet pick-up the week of August 17th. Final t-shirt orders need to be placed by September 10th for delivery by mail. Your t-shirt purchase supports 2020 TTL. Thank you! Want to register to participate in 2020 TTL Virtual Challenge? Click here.

Super fresh and super cool mint green is the Take the Lake t-shirt color this year. Orders can be made online during registration. Shirts are $15 each with required sales tax added at checkout. You can choose to have your t-shirt mailed with your packet the week of August 17 or pick it up at one of our curbside packet pick-up dates listed below. Be sure and check your delivery preference during registration.  Your t-shirt purchase helps us cover 2020 Take the Lake expenses. Register for TTL at https://runsignup.com/Race/NC/LakeWaccamaw/TTL2020.
1. Have your packet mailed Monday, August 17.  Select "Mail My Packet" during registration.
2. Curbside Packet Pick Up. Please print your name and your bib number on a sheet of paper and display in your car window.  We will pull your shirt and hand it to you - you will not even need to get out of your car!  Just click "Curbside Packet Pick-Up" during registration for this option.  
Curbside Packet Pick Up Times and Locations
Tuesday - August 18 
Body Shapers - 12:00 - 2:00 PM and 4:30 - 6:30 PM (28 Whiteville Plaza #000, Whiteville, NC 28472)
Wednesday, August 19 
Lake Waccamaw location TBD -12:00 - 2:00 PM and 4:30 - 6:30 PM

Our partner and technical wizard for our 2020 virtual TTL event, SetUp Events, has registration open! Click on this link to register https://runsignup.com/Race/NC/LakeWaccamaw/TTL2020. We are so ready to get to know our 2020 fitness friends and support each other while "Taking the Lake." All events are free. Let us know if you have any questions or have any problems going through the registration process. We're here to help!

Take the Lake t-shirts are available for purchase online in the registration link and will be delivered by mail the week of August 17 or you you can pick-up your t-shirt packet at our drive-thru pick-up events in the parking lot at Body Shapers, 28 Whiteville Plaza, in Whiteville, Tuesday, August 18, noon to 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. or at Elizabeth Brinkley Park in Lake Waccamaw on Wednesday, August 19,  noon to 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. 
 
How will you Take the Lake in 2020? Set a goal with friends and family near and far and track your progress in one or more virtual personal challenges around Lake Waccamaw. Choose your own distance or mix and match a little bit of everything goal. Create YOUR challenge. 

Thank you for supporting Take the Lake 2020. Keep you and your family safe from COVID-19, and   remember to  practice smart social distancing.

Thank you for your patience while we have been evaluating the uncertainty of holding a traditional Take the Lake event this year.

The heart of Take the Lake is promoting health and wellness in our community, and it is in this spirit we are making plans for the only sure and safe event we can count on this summer which is a virtual 2020 Take the Lake.

The technology supporting virtual run, bike and swimming events has taken a major leap since smart distancing and government regulations are the new normal until the COVID-19 pandemic is under control. Virtual races create an online support system, a community of participants, and the ability to creatively track progress and goals. 

Our 2019 5K event coordinator, SetUp Events, is helping us plan and execute an innovative and fun event with a focus on building community. We hope to share an event website and link with registration and fun tips to get started on your personal challenge within the next few days. 

Here are few of the highlights we can look forward to as we get ready to 2020 Virtual Take the Lake ...

2020 TTL will be a 15-day event ending on Labor Day Monday…Participants will have two weeks and Labor Day Monday to complete as many of the personal fitness challenges as they choose. All events are FREE.

The challenges will include a virtual 15 mile run/walk, 15 mile bike, 15 mile paddle and 4 mile swim along with 7.5 mile family walk, bike and paddle options. Participants can complete a mile a day for 15 days for each challenge or complete a challenge in one day. How a participant gets their mileage is totally their own goal and decision.

RunSignUp (who manages the online registration and records participant mileage for SetUp Events) offers a great virtual route tracking tool. For example in the 15 mile walk/run around the lake when a participant posts their mileage for the day, they can see exactly where you are on the route whether it’s in the state park, Waccamaw Shores, or Canal Cove, etc. Participants from anywhere in the world can "walk around the lake" and see where they on the course. I think this will be really fun way to track progress and invite friends and family to participate together even when they are far away.

TTL will set-up a Facebook Group for registered participants to share goals, training milestones, post photos, etc. We hope this Facebook community keeps us connected and helps us get to know each other better. 

We will sell awesome TTL t-shirts online during the registration process and will offer shipping to your home with a postage charge. Also, we will offer a drive-by packet pick-up on a specific day during a specific time. Drive-by packet pick-up allows participants to put their name and bib number on a sheet of paper in their car window and drive through the pick-up point to receive their packet. Specific pick-up details in Whiteville and Lake Waccamaw to follow. 

Online t-shirt sales help cover the cost for 2020 Take the Lake, and we appreciate your support with a purchase. We will use the same t-shirt brand and blend as the popular 2019 t-shirts and are updating the women's v-neck shirt supplier so these shirts will run "true to size." Tim and Edna Dowless of locally-owned TLD ScreenPrinting will supply t-shirts again this year. Thank you Tim and Edna! 

Our traditional Take the Lake event would not be possible the past 10 years without the loyal support of our sponsors, community volunteers, civic groups, Town of LW, Lake Waccamaw State Park, Columbus County Parks & Rec, Boys & Girls Homes, and the incredibly dedicated  LWPD, LWFD, LW-EMS and Whiteville EMS. The impact of COVID on these businesses, organizations and families is profound, and the virtual event will give everyone a break this year so they can focus on recovery. It is our hope we can return to our traditional event format in 2021. 

Everyone who registers for 2020 TTL will receive a Special Edition JAMA (John A. McNeill participation award) this year.  We hope JAMA collectors will enjoy this one-and-only Special Edition chip.

Take the Lake looks different this year, but we hope it is different in a good way and you will join us on this virtual adventure with the resilience and fortitude of each person since 2010 who has ever worked for and accomplished their personal TTL fitness goal. 

Start thinking your 2020 TTL fitness training plan and look for details and a link to register in the next few days.