Haywood County will be crawling with runners, bikers and swimmers this weekend for the Lake Logan Multi-Sports Festival on August 6 and 7.

On Saturday, triathletes will do a swim-bike-run course that takes from the waters of Lake Logan to the outskirts of Canton and back.

On Sunday, a shorter sprint-distance triathlon and an aquathlon, featuring only swimming and running, will be held on Sunday.

The event will bring some 700 athletes and their families and friends to Haywood County. Since the triathlon began six years ago, it has become one of the premier races in the Southeast, attracting athletes from all across the country.

“Lake Logan may be the most beautiful triathlon venue in the country,” said Greg Duff, president of race producer Glory Hound Events. “The swim in this pristine mountain lake has a unique course starting near the main docks but finishing under the highway bridge in the mouth of the river. The bike course is unusual for the mountains in that it is mostly flat and very fast. The run course is an out-and-back along a two-lane road along the river.”

This year Lake Logan has also attracted athletes hoping to do well enough to earn a sport in the USA Triathlon Championship in Burlington, Vermont. USA Triathlon, the sanctioning authority for more than 3,000 events across the country, selected the Lake Logan race as a Mid-Atlantic special qualifier. The top 50 finishers in their age groups will advance to nationals.

Also, the prize purse has reached a total of $2,500. Racing starts on Saturday, but many contestants will be arriving in town on Friday.

“Don’t be surprised to see hundreds of cars sporting bike racks in the area that evening,” said Duff. For more information, visit www.gloryhoundevents.com