Weekend events add water to mix

Many locals know that the Lowcountry autumn can be as nice as, perhaps even nicer than, spring. One less obvious sign is the growing number of sporty outdoors events flooding the calendar.

Adventure anyone?

Triathlons go off-road this weekend with not one but two events.

The first, the third annual Folly Beach Challenge, will be 8:30 a.m. Saturday. Due to the damage at Folly Beach County Park from Hurricane Irene, the staging area has been moved to the Folly Beach fishing pier.

The event, organized by the Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission, starts with a 3-mile kayak paddle (you'll need your own kayak) on the Folly River, followed by a short run down Center Street to the fishing pier. That jaunt is followed by an 8.5-mile mountain bike on the beach and 3-mile beach run.

Not up for all three? Participants can compete as part of a three-person team.

Late registration (Friday) is $44 for individuals or $92 for teams. For more, visit www.ccprc.com/follychallenge or call 795-4386.

Sunday's adventure triathlon is a bit more challenging. In fact, when I heard of the first one held years ago, I thought it was bit too challenging because it crossed Caper's and Dewees inlets.

And here it is. The seventh annual Barrier Island ECOThon begins at sunrise at the Isle of Palms Marina. The event has a six-mile kayak, a total of a half mile of swimming, 10 total miles of running, and an 18-mile bike ride.

The late fee is $90. The event, organized by Brett Carlson and sponsored by Barrier Island Eco Tours, raises money for the Charleston Tibetan Society.

More at www.ecothon.org.

A tri of fives

Those wanting to spend a little less time sweating this Saturday have the choice of three 5Ks.

Newington Elementary School will hold its 10th annual Run With the Dolphins at 8 a.m. at Newington Elementary, 10 King Charles Circle, Summerville. Fee is $20. http://run withthedolphins.com.

Triangle Char and Bar will hold the second annual Avondale 5K at 8:30 a.m. from the restaurant and bar on Savannah Highway (near Gerald's Tires). The fee is $30. www.active.com.

And the Crowfield Plantation 5K Run and Walk will begin at 8:30 a.m. at Middleton Park in Goose Creek. The fee is $25. www.crowfield5k.com.

Swim Around Charleston

Think the ECOthon is nuts? How about the 12-mile (up from 10) Swim Around Charleston on Sunday? Granted, probably no one reading this in the next 72 hours will sign up for this swim, but it's worth noting in the future.

The marathon swim, which starts at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at Remley's Point in Mount Pleasant, is the longtime dream of South Carolina's most accomplished marathon swimmer, Kathleen Wilson.

As of last week, 20 solo swimmers and more than 10 teams had registered for Sunday's swim, the first of its kind in the state. www.swimaroundcharleston.com.

Reach David Quick at 937-5516.